River Dell tops Ramapo 35-21 in state playoffs by JJ Conrad of The Record
FRANKLIN LAKES — Exhausted yet flashing a smile with a celebration all around him, David Estevez said he doesn’t want River Dell to suffer a similar fate as the Buffalo Bills.
Fueled by the third-seeded Golden Hawks’ impressive 35-21 win over second-seeded Ramapo on Friday, River Dell punched its ticket back to the North 1, Group 3 final for the fourth straight year. They have gone 0-3 in that period — and Estevez wants to be the man who avoids the program losing four straight championship games, as the Bills did in Super Bowls from 1990-93.
“Honestly, I’m speechless right now but our work’s not done,” Estevez said. “We’re not coming out with a loss this year. We’re all sick of losing. We want our rings finally.”
River Dell will have its chance for that jewelry thanks to the nights the Golden Hawks’ Big Three — Estevez, Alec Lanza and Nick Sirico — had. Tied at 21 late in the third, River Dell orchestrated a masterful and game-changing 16-play, 87-yard drive capped by Estevez’s third touchdown of the night from the 6 yards out with 8:58 left in the fourth.
“Nothing Dave does surprises me,” River Dell coach D.J. Nimphius said. “Nothing these kids do surprise me. They play so hard.”
Leading, 28-21, River Dell’s Jack Racine picked off Ramapo QB Tom Jaten on the ensuing possession on a deflected ball from a Ramapo wide receiver. The Golden Hawks extended their lead and sealed the deal with an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, capped by Lanza’s 9-yard run with 2:25 left.
Sirico added one more interception on a desperation drive from Ramapo with under 2:00 to go.
From there, the celebration was on.
The high-scoring affair started in wild fashion. A short River Dell kickoff resulted in a Ramapo misplay and fumble recovered by Golden Hawks senior Ty Reilly. River Dell took advantage immediately, as Estevez accounted for all 27 yards on five carries on the drive. He scored his first TD from 3 yards out.
Showing no concern, the Green Raiders marched 77 yards in nine plays on the ensuing possession. Jaten found Dan Diaz for a key 25-yard strike, RB Shane Brancaleone broke off a 22-yard run and Jaten found Diaz again on a crucial fourth-and-4 for a gain of 6. One play later, Jaten scattered 18 yards for a game-tying score.
Momentum swung the Green Raiders in a wild fist quarter when Colin Boel picked off Estevez, setting up a go-ahead, 11-yard touchdown run from Brancaleone with 4:23 left in the opening frame as Ramapo took a 14-7 lead.
Following a 52-yard kickoff return from River Dell’s Alec Lanza and 30-yard run from Estevez, the Golden Hawks tied it at 14 on Estevez’s second TD of the half from 1-yard out. The Golden Hawks followed with another key special teams play, recovering a surprise onside kick on the ensuing kickoff. They capitalized again with a nine-play, 48-yard drive as Lanza capped the series with a go-ahead 7-yard TD run to put River Dell back on top, 21-14.
Ramapo responded once again on the ensuing possession as Brancaleone broke a 48-yard run to put the Green Raiders deep in River Dell territory. Three plays later, Jaten rumbled in from 8 yards out to tie at 21 with 9:02 left in a first half in which each team punted just once. The half ended when Ramapo’s Jack Scordato blocked a potential River Dell go-ahead, 30-yard field goal as time expired.
River Dell’s defense posted a second-half shutout — against a Ramapo team that entered averaging 36.8 points per game.