HASBROUCK HEIGHTS — Hasbrouck Heights High School head football coach Nick Delcalzo knows his team will have to play much improved football this Friday against Pompton Lakes in the state sectional title game. The Aviators held on to defeat the Cardinals, 28-21, early in November. There will be a rematch in Friday’s Group 1 North 1 state championship game at MetLife Stadium at 5 p.m. In the game in November, Hasbrouck Heights (11-0) held a 28-7 lead, but Pompton Lakes (9-2) scored a pair of touchdowns to make it close. “We were pretty fortunate last time,” said Delcalzo, whose team is trying to stop Pompton Lakes from making it a three-peat in winning a third title game in a row. One of the Pompton Lakes drives ended with Cardinals quarterback Adam Rayford fumbling in the end zone and the Aviators recovering the ball. Against Heights Rayford completed 11-for-16 for 149 yards, but it was his 10 carries for 65 yards that the defense needs to stop. “We are going to have keep him from running around and we have to put the clamps on him,” said Delcalzo. The job of containing Rayford will go to members of the Heights defensive line led by Nate Onorato, Patrick Dowd, Justin Porzl, Dimitri Forde, Chris Verdi, Ryan Palladino and Mark Hofmann. Hasbrouck Heights can counter with their quarterback senior Darren Iurato, who completed 7-for-11 pass attempts for 126 yards and two touchdowns and ran 13 times for 101 yards and one touchdown run the last time the team’s met. It was also a big day for senior running back Mike Incremona who ran 25 times for 192 yards and a touchdown in the November game. It will be the first time in six years that Hasbrouck Heights goes into the final without a loss. Along with Iurato and Incremona, the Aviators can utilize Steven Salerno, Sage Scalvino and P.J. Beety to run the ball. Beety though is questionable for the title game with a leg injury. While Iurato does not throw much, he can hit the likes of Franklin Garcia, Robert Klenk and Alex Kensik for a big play here or there. The Hasbrouck Heights defense will also have to contain the Capobianco brothers, Vinny and Tony on the ground. The Aviators defensive backfield will have to stop Rayford’s top targets, his twin brother, Drew, along with Corey Flynn and Ryan Kazanowski. For both schools it is a another battle between the two schools in the last nine years. The Aviators lost to Pompton Lakes in the 2005 Group 1 North 1 state title, 27-7, at Giants Stadium. In the 2005 season Hasbrouck Heights would defeat Pompton Lakes in the first round, 35-7, and then defeat Cresskill before a win over New Milford.
