It’s quite fitting that Zach Miceli got a hat trick. The senior quarterback had three rushing touchdowns, en route to the Old Tappan Golden Knight’s third state sectional title in a row. They defeated the Shabazz Bulldogs 22-8 in the NJSIAA North 1 Group 3 Championship.
Miceli leads the team in rushing yards. It’s safe to say he added a big amount to the total tonight. His 113 yards on the ground to go along with his trio of scores was the key to the Golden Knight’s offensive success.
“Here in Old Tappan this is what we work for,” Miceli said. “All the hard hours, early mornings, late nights, it’s a standard here in Old Tappan and this is what we grind for.”
This was a highly anticipated matchup as not only were two of arguably the top public school teams in the state facing off, it was the first matchup between the two in history.
Last season Shabazz was 12-2 and made it all the way to the Group 2 Championship, losing to Camden 27-8. This season, they moved up a level, facing tougher competition, and came into the game with a 9-1 record.
And they certainly were playing like a group 3 team. They held their own throughout the first half, forcing an 8-8 tie against an undefeated Golden Knights squad.
After turnovers on downs and punts between both teams, Old Tappan got in the end zone first with 3 minutes remaining in the first half when Zach Miceli scored from four yards out for his first on the night.
In return, Nosym Brown ran for a 73-yard touchdown on the following kickoff. Both teams went for two and scored.
Haunting the Golden Knights offense was Junior Nasir Richardson. The defensive back was all over the field, locking down Old Tappan’s leading Wide Receiver Leo Etter and even had a ground-shaking sack on Miceli.
Shabazz had an opportunity to take the lead on the final play of the first half when Brown found the open field and was out running defenders. He had no Golden Knights in front of him and was destined for the end zone, until he tripped. His quarterback Kariem Coston ran across him to block defenders who were behind and as Brown’s back leg was extended in stride, their feet collided, and Brown went down inside the 10. The Bulldogs were on their way to taking the lead, but an accidental disaster hits.
They really could have used that touchdown because all the momentum they had was put to a stop in the second half.
Old Tappan went down field on the opening drive and Miceli scored his second touchdown on a six yard run for the 15-8 lead. There’s a possibility the officials missed a holding call on the play as Shabazz head coach Nasier Gaines was irate on the sidelines.
During the next possession the Bulldogs were moving down field. They had converted on fourth down once and did it again but it was called back on a penalty. That resulted in a turnover on downs.
The Bulldogs got redemption on the next drive thanks to Golden Knights false start and big tackle for loss. Forcing a punt they got the ball back and even had a touchdown but of course it was called back for another penalty. This time it was an illegal man downfield.
It didn’t end there as while they were forced to punt, there were issues on the snap, giving Old Tappan the ball in great field position at the Shabazz 36 yard line. The mistake turned costly as the Golden Knights would turn around and score. It was Miceli for the third time tonight, having his biggest run of all, taking it from 30 yards out. With just four and a half minutes remaining in the game, it was now 22-8.
Pressure was surely starting to hit for the Bulldogs. They were down two scores and needed something with such little time to work with.
While they held their own throughout the first half, Old Tappan was overall the better team and was outplaying them. The Golden Knights forced one final turnover on downs following their game sealing touchdown and would go on to run out the clock to secure their third North 1 Group 3 Sectional title in a row.
This is just part of what’s already been an incredible season for Old Tappan. Achieving an undefeated season through sectionals for the second year in a row, they have been their dominant self. Despite playing against some of the top public schools in North Jersey, they’ve outscored opponents 410 to 162, a 248 point differential.
A huge credit to their success goes to Zach Miceli. The quarterback has led the offense, dominating in the run game and passing efficiently through the air.
“Kid’s a dude, and he’s been tremendous all year,” Old Tappan head coach Brian Dunn said postgame. “He does what he has to do to win.”
Despite the tough loss, you have to give Shabazz credit for the tough, gritty performance they displayed. They went face to face with a powerhouse and had them on their toes for a majority of the game. They may have a 9-2 record, but they still have a chance to make it 10 when they face Weequahic on the morning of Thanksgiving.
The Bulldogs were in Group 2 last year and moved up a level. They’ve wanted to show that this is where they belong. Clearly in Friday’s game and throughout the season, they’ve proved just that.
“Do they belong? They belong playing wherever they want to play. They’re tremendous,” Dunn said. “I mean, defensively, that team is one of the best teams I’ve seen in a long time. And they’re well coached. Kids are disciplined. I mean, they get matched up, they try and mix up coverage, and they match up, and they don’t blow a coverage anywhere, and kids get off the ball. I mean, they can play against anybody.”
While Old Tappan looks to get back to the Group 3 Championship at Metlife Stadium, they have one more road block they need to pass. Their next opponent is confirmed to be West Essex, as they defeated Wayne Hills 17-14 in the North 2 sectional title. The Group 1 sectional champions will prepare to face them on Friday on their home turf at Northern Valley Old Tappan Regional High School.
