HILLSDALE, N.J.—Congratulations to the Hillsdale Hawks senior football team for culminating their undefeated season in a 27–7 Super Bowl victory over Glen Ridge on Friday, Nov. 27.
The contest was fought on neutral territory: Washington Township’s Memorial Field.
Councilman John Escobar, dad of a Hawk tackle, told Pascack Press on Nov. 30 he’s watched his son play alongside his friends and teammates for the past nine years, many of them playing together since second grade.
“I’ve had a front-row seat watching these boys develop as players and grow into great young men. This is in no small part due to the dedication, professionalism and mentoring of their coaches,” he said.
He lauded Head Coach Steve Regula, along with Jay Simone, Dante Ricciardi, Andy Dellaquila, Sean Syslo, Gary Borges, Pete Stempkowski, Rob Harris, Kevin Chervin, and Bob Colletti for being instrumental “in helping our kids grow as players but more importantly as good kids.”
Escobar said, “Growing up playing football, I can tell you firsthand that next to the parents, your coaches—in any sport—are your greatest mentors.”
He added, “Sideline pep talks are something you never forget. I remember them 40 years later.”
Escobar said, “Football is secondary to the lessons and values these kids learned both on and off the field. Whether you’re a football parent or not, every Hillsdale resident should be proud of how these kids and coaches represented our town.”
For his part, Regula, who is president of the Hillsdale Football and Cheer Association, told Pascack Press on Nov. 30, “I credit the win to a full season of hard work and determination by a really, really great group of young men who came together and set a goal early on in the season that this was where they wanted to go.”
He said this year’s registration—it typically opens up in March and April—presented a challenge.
“Obviously, that was not the proper time to be concerned with football or cheer, with all of the other issues that our families and our community members were— and in many cases still are—confronted with,” he said.
“But if the circumstances all aligned, they knew they wanted to be in the Super Bowl, and they went ahead and they did it.”
He added that every aspect of the program was protected by a health and safety plan they executed to keep families safe against Covid-19.
Several of the players have been together since kindergarten.
“Along the years we’ve picked up some additions and some guys dropped off, but some guys stuck together,” Regula said.
“We also last year put our heads together and took some players from Montvale, from that program as well, because they asked us for help getting their kids on the field,” he said.
Asked if he wanted to give props to anyone on his staff, Regula said, “I would like to give a shout out to everybody who helped out. I’ve got a tremendous staff, I’ve got a group of parents who are completely committed to the program—it doesn’t matter how many changes to plans make, or how many emails I send to everybody—they’re just exceptionally responsive and they make sure their kids are where they’re supposed to be at all points an on time.”
He added, “It was an all hands on deck kind of thing to get this season going. The work that the entire association—every board member—was above and beyond,” including early purchases to sanitize equipment, “making sure we had every aspect of the situation covered that we could.”
Regula said, “I think the fact that we were able to make it though the full season, it’s a kudos to the entire association and every board member.”
Of his players, he said, “It’s been a great run with a really great group of boys and it’s nice to know they’re going to go on and play on another level.”
He added, “Hopefully we gave them all the tools that they need to succeed, and as always we wish them success in any endeavor that they choose to take on.”
Hillsdale and Glen Ridge play in the Bergen County Junior Football League along with Closter, Cresskill, Dumont, HoHoKus, Saddle River, Montvale/Woodcliff Lake, Northern Valley, Norwood/ Harrington Park, Park Ridge, River Vale, Tenafly, Waldwick/Midland Park, and Westwood/Washington Township.