The Waldwick/Midland Park Warriors (5-1, 4-0 NJIC Liberty) extended their winning streak to four games with a compelling 42-7 victory over the Pompton Lakes Cardinals (3-3, 2-2 NJIC Liberty) on Senior Night at Waldwick High School/Warrior Nation Stadium in Waldwick, New Jersey.

Waldwick running back Aidan Maher led a stout running attack totaling three rushing touchdowns as the Warriors amassed 394 yards on the ground.

Head Coach Dan DiStasi on the win: “Super proud of our guys, and they worked hard all week and year.” “We had five guys up front that came back from last year and six if you count Collin Williams, and they dedicated themselves to being perfect all the time and just want to get off the ball and move people, and they do and know when they need to be tough.”

“I said it in the preseason: this is my third year with these guys. When I came in, they were sophomores, and they weren’t my first freshman class, but I almost viewed them as my first group of guys that I brought through the program. They know my expectations and what we expect daily, and they’ve been carrying it out.”

Waldwick got the ball with three minutes remaining in the first quarter at its own 30-yard line and mostly kept it on the ground, with one pass. Luciano Mayer and EJ Cozzupoli took the bulk of the carries.

On second down at the Pompton Lakes 10-yard line, Aidan Maher took the handoff from quarterback Will Dell’Aglio. He drove around the right side of the line, kept charging with the offensive line in tow, and barreled into the end zone for the touchdown.

“I was told from the beginning to never stop my feet and keep on running no matter what, so I got my head down and just ran,” Aidan Maher described.

Pompton Lakes wasted no time tying the game on its ensuing drive as quarterback Matthew LaCroix hurled an 86-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jonah Carbon.

“We knew they (Pompton Lakes) weren’t going to lay down, and that’s a well-coached, tough team over there,” Head Coach Dan DiStasi explained. “For us to respond and not fold was awesome.”

In the second quarter, Waldwick answered emphatically by relying on its potent running game to move the ball downfield quickly.

On second down at the Pompton Lakes 20-yard line, Aidan Maher took the handoff from Will Dell’Aglio and ran straight ahead. He shook off a defensive player and rumbled into the end zone for the score with nine and a half minutes remaining.

“This team is like a bunch of brothers. If we go down, we’re still firing, and even if they (Pompton Lakes) tied it up, we’re still coming back and never stopping,” Aidan Mahrer stated.

Pompton Lakes tried to right the ship, but the momentum swung when Warriors defensive back JJ Daniello stepped in front of a pass thrown by Matthew LaCroix along the left side of the field. Daniello caught the ball and darted untouched to the end zone for the 31-yard pick-six, expanding the lead to 21-7 with less than eight minutes left.

“JJ is a hard worker and he does everything the right way and deserved it for sure,” Head Coach Dan DiStasi noted.

Waldwick’s defense continued to wreak havoc, quickly forcing the Pompton Lakes offense into a three-and-out.

Despite starting deep at their own 29-yard line, the Warriors offense kept the up-tempo pace as the offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. Running back Luciano Mayer carved out massive chunks of yardage on the ground.

Once at the Cardinals' 21-yard line, Aidan Maher took over the running duties and capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown, widening the margin to 28-7 with three and a half minutes to go.

“I couldn’t have done it without the offensive line. Those guys work their butts off,” Aidan Maher said.

Head Coach Dan DiStasi on Aidan Maher’s offensive production: “Aidan has been patient and a spell back force, and he has played a lot of defense, so we’re excited to have him as one of the guys in the backfield.”

Once the second half commenced, Waldwick had the ball first and was sparked by a fantastic kickoff return by JJ Daniello to the 47-yard line. The Warriors needed only three plays to find the end zone as running back EJ Cozzupoli churned out a copious amount of yardage.

“EJ has been in our program and just waits and is patient. He got his opportunity tonight, and we got to see his talent,” Head Coach Dan DiStasi mentioned.

Waldwick had the ball at the eight-yard line and switched up the running backs as Luciano Mayer got the assignment. Mayer plowed into the end zone for the score.

Waldwick’s defense dominated in the trenches, with linebacker Rocco Marquis notching his second sack and defensive lineman Logan Freehan adding one in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Luciano Mayer made a phenomenal play, delivering a thunderous hit that dislodged the ball from the Cardinals running back's hands. He also recovered the fumble.

“The defense has played great in the past couple of weeks and started in the preparation and practice. It’s carried over the past couple of weeks, and they’re playing great right now,” Head Coach Dan DiStasi remarked.

The Warriors offense, firing on all cylinders, strung together another outstanding drive as they continued to pound the running game. The offensive line opened gaping holes, and a nine-play, 67-yard drive culminated in EJ Cozzupoli muscling his way across the goal line for the three-yard touchdown with three and a half minutes left.

Waldwick now shifts its attention to a huge showdown against undefeated Rutherford (6-0), with a league title on the line. The game is Saturday, October 3rd,at Tryon Field in Rutherford, New Jersey, with kickoff set for 1 p.m.

“Rutherford is a great program, and I have great respect for them. They’re incredibly talented, so it’s going to be a tough game for us, and we’ve got to prepare and bring our A game,” Head Coach Dan DiStasi said.

Aidan Maher on the upcoming matchup against Rutherford: “It’s awesome, and we’re going to have a good week of practice, and Rutherford is a good team, but it’s for the league title, and we’re going to give it our all.”