Ramapo dominates Paramus to win division title by Greg Mattura of The Record

FRANKLIN LAKES – Ramapo did not allow Paramus inside the red zone, let alone the end zone.

The Green Raiders clinched the NJSFC Patriot Blue Division title with a resounding 42-0 victory on Friday night during which the Spartans’ deepest penetration was the 26-yard line.

Senior running back Shane Brancaleone scored on runs of 5, 1, and 4 yards, and junior quarterback AJ Wingfield threw a TD pass and ran for a score to help forge a 28-0 halftime lead.

“If there’s a game ball to be given,” Ramapo coach Drew Gibbs said, “I think it goes to the offensive and defensive lines.”

Brancaleone scored in the first quarter on a 5-yard run. Wingfield tossed a 27-yard TD pass to senior Alex Miras early in the second quarter to make it 14-0. Brancaleone scored on a 1-yard run, then Wingfield scored on a 3-yard yard in the final minute of the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead.

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“We played really well,” said Ramapo senior two-way lineman Joe Mosca, whose defense has only allowed 22 total points over its last four games. “We prepared great, the coaches did a great job this week, and we’re back.”

What it means: In addition to winning a North Jersey Super Football Conference division title, Ramapo (5-1) also is in the chase for the No. 1 seed in the North 1, Group 3 playoffs. Paramus (2-4) is on the bubble for the North 1, Group 3 playoffs and needs a couple of wins.

Key stats: Ramapo amassed 272 of its 368 total yards in the first half while holding Paramus to 102 yards over the first two quarters. Paramus reached the Ramapo 26-yard line in the second quarter, after being held to a 5-yard completion on a fourth-and-13 at the 31-yard line.

“It just shows how good we played tonight on defense,” said Brancaleone, also a defensive back, “and every guy had a great game and we worked as a unit.”

“I thought our defensive line had a dominating performance today,” Gibbs said. “In fact, I thought our line-of-scrimmage players on both sides of the ball had a dominating performance.”

Quotable: “They’ve got a lot of talent over there,” Paramus coach Joe Sabella. “The quarterback is a special player, and we’re going to read a lot about him this year and next. Defensively, I think they’re well-rounded, and what can you say? The beat us pretty good tonight.”

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“We set four goals every year and one of those goals is to win the division championship,” Gibbs said. “Our guys knew that tonight’s game was a division championship game for us. Last year we shared it with Paramus. So our players were excited, they executed on both sides of the ball tremendously well. The defense played great, the offense did what it needed to do to put points on the board. I’m very proud of a great team effort.”

Up next: Ramapo plays Friday at River Dell and the winner likely grabs the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the North 1, Group 3 playoffs. River Dell won last year’s sectional title with a 35-21 win over Ramapo.