Van Dell Did it All as Hand’sNew All-Time Touchdown Thrower
It all started on a Friday evening in September of 2013, when the Hand football team was facing an 18-point deficit in the second quarter versus Hillhouse and staring at an 0-2 start as the defending Class L state champion. It was then that a young sophomore named Nick Van Dell was thrust into the spotlight behind center and ignited a comeback victory. Little did he and the Tigers know that it was a sign of much bigger things to come.
A star quarterback was born that night and Nick ultimately developed into one of the strongest signal callers in Hand football history. After leading the Tigers to the postseason with an 8-3 record for his sophomore year, Nick went on to start every game of his final two seasons. Nick also saved one of his best moments for last as he became the program’s new all-time leader in career touchdown passes with 51 when Hand posted a 42-7 win over Guilford on Nov. 25. Nick finished his 33-game Tigers’ tenure with 6,331 passing yards, a 59.8 completion percentage, and an average of 191.8 yards through the air to complement his school record for TD tosses.
“It really is awesome to say that I have a record in this school. Coming in as a sophomore as starting quarterback, I would’ve never thought it, but it was great to get the record in my last game,” says Nick, who was selected to the All-SCC Division I and Class L All-State teams this season. “Being the new career leader is an honor. If you look at the names that have been on that list, it’s unreal, and to have my name next to theirs, it’s truly an honor.”
Through the course of the past three seasons, Nick not only developed a tremendous rapport with his receiving corps, but also his blockers in the trenches and their chemistry certainly showed itself well on the gridiron.
“I am really close with everyone on the team, especially the receivers. We are like brothers and very close with each other. Our relationships on and off the field are great,” says Nick, who also has 22 career rushing touchdowns for a grand total of 73. “It also starts, too, with the offensive line, as well, but they’ve all been a huge reason for our success.”
Nick’s first victory at Hand is one that will always stick with him as he now starts to look in the rearview mirror. Nick wound up guiding the Tigers to the playoffs in his initial campaign at quarterback and that proved a huge morale booster for the underclassman, who didn’t think he’d even get a sniff of the offensive side of the turf entering that season.
“In that Hillhouse game, I came in and we ended up having one of the biggest comebacks in Hand history. I think it really sent a message to our team that we could do this,” Nick says. “Going into that year, the coaches said that I would be cornerback, so I had no idea about being quarterback. Yet [offensive coordinator] Erik Becker set me up with a bunch of videos to learn the plays and I got a hold of it. That team was awesome and there was some sense of magic around it. Everyone had their own roles and we had a strong mentality. Everyone comes into their first year—whether you are a sophomore, junior, or senior—a little nervous, but I eased into things and calmed down.”
Tigers’ Head Coach Steve Filippone praises Nick for being the complete package in terms of his level of talent on the field and his combo of leadership and humility away from it.
“He was a true difference maker, additionally on the field as a leader and the locker room. He is a tremendous human being and gifted athlete,” says Filippone. “He was a capable guy that just did what he did out on the field and set the tone.”
The friendships Nick’s gained through his time with Hand football transcend any amount of yards gained or touchdowns thrown as he played with the pride of a Tiger for one of the state’s most prestigious programs.
“Playing for Hand has meant the world to me. It is a brotherhood that never leaves anyone. I still talk to teammates that were seniors when I was a sophomore,” says Nick, who thanks his entire coaching staff, his youth football coach Dan Zaneski, along with his brothers, Brandon, Everett, and Taylor. “Everyone had each other’s backs on this team and to play for such an amazing tradition was truly a great feeling.”