Pequannock and coach Mike Moschella will spend the coming days “cleaning up the little things.”

And the big things? Well, the Golden Panthers can be mighty proud of the biggest thing of all: Their 2-0 start.

It isn’t too often that Mountain Lakes gets thrown around on its home turf, but that is what Moschella’s team did Thursday night in a 35-18 victory.

Pequannock’s Wing-T erupted for 325 yards rushing – with two-way standout Dylan Roemmele sidelined.

The Golden Panthers came at the Herd with about an experienced offensive line as you can find. They were brutally effective with four-year starters Justin Gryszkin, Will Irwin, and Henry Struble to go with Tyler Frame, who is “only” a three-year starter. Newcomer Shane Albinson is the fifth starter.

The O-Line has been steadily growing as a unit. If you need proof, just ask the Herd.

“The growth of our line is pretty tremendous,” Frame said. “We have all been hitting the weight room and getting bigger. We have been working on our first steps. When it is game time we nail those first steps to get the play off.”

All five were outstanding paving running room for backs Angelo Cundiff (15 for 159, 3 TDs) and Eddie Shalongo (11 for 140, 1 TD).

When a team goes over 300 yards on the ground without their best back, you just know that the line is pushing people around.

“We knew going in how good Mountain Lakes was,” Frame said. “We practiced like they were returning state champions. We knew they lost some good guys, but that really prepared us.”

The group up front paved the way for Cundiff and Shalongo all night long.

“They are smart in general and football smart as well,” Moschella said. “Those guys have experience. It’s really hard to say how important that is. They are big, strong, athletic kids, which is perfect.”

Cundiff and Shalongo knew what to do with the running room in the absence of Roemmele, who rushed for 900 yards last year as a sophomore.

Cundiff had runs of 5, 40, and 42 yards to help the Golden Panthers pull away. 

Moschella said, “He is an awesome athlete.”

The 5-7, 175-pound Cundiff is also a powerhouse in the weight room (400-pound squat, 300-pound bench press). He contributed 19 carries for 96 yards last week in a 21-7 win over St. Mary’s (Rutherford), which is expected to be a contender in the NJIC.

Cundiff “hit the seams for huge gains,” against Mountain Lakes, according to Moschella. 

Cundiff’s most impressive run was called back because he hurdled over a Herd defender. “Just an incredible athletic feat,” Moschella said.

Shalongo, meanwhile, is a two-year starter at halfback who tore his MCL against Hanover Park last year. He came back without a hitch for lacrosse.

His 1-yard run in the fourth quarter put Pequannock up, 35-12. Luke Laubach (5 for 13 rushing, good blocking) filled in ably for Roemmele at halfback.

Pequannock’s defense, meanwhile, bent but didn’t break against Mountain Lakes (217 yards rushing), which saw standout Carson Fitch rush for 96 yards and a touchdown.

The D-Line was every bit as imposing as the O-Line.

“We all work well together,” Frame said, reeling off the names of Gryszkin, Struble, Irwin, Albinson, and Nick Sibi. “We have been working since before the first practice. We lost James Bonner but gained Shane and he fit right in.”

Moschella loved seeing “11 hats” flying to the football on defense. The Golden Panthers’ defense also showed the ability to take a punch here and there and not get discouraged.

Nolan Jarensky filled in for Roemmele at outside linebacker and middle linebacker Nick Cialkowski was another standout.

“We had guys all over the field and made some great tackles on outside and inside runs,” Moschella said. “We missed a couple but we’ll fix that. We have to keep getting better and clean up the little things. We set a goal last November to get a little better every day until the end of this season.

“We showed the ability to bend and not break and not be discouraged. They were rattling off big runs, but we stressed to our defense, ‘This is a good team and they have some good athletes, so they will have big plays. But can you bounce back?’”

That they did.

Pequannock also did something else: It showed some major improvements from its win over St. Mary’s. 

Moschella played halfback, linebacker, and kicker for legendary coach Don Smolyn at Lenape Valley and the two have kept in touch over the years.

Moschella coached junior football in the Lenape Valley High youth program for six years but never coached on Smolyn’s staff. 

“The best teams,” Smolyn has told Moschella, “make the biggest jump from Week 1 to Week 2.”

That might be because the good teams work through a few kinks between games and then step things up in the second game.

Pequannock did that, and more.

It was the first statement win of the 2024 Morris-Sussex high school football season.

North Group 2, be warned.