HARRISON -- After Ramsey scored early on in the NJSIAA North I, Group 2 sectional finals yesterday afternoon, Harrison scored often. The second-seeded Blue Tide scored three goals of the course of 25 minutes to take a 3-1 lead into halftime before eventually knocking off the defending sectional champs, 3-2, to reclaim the sectional crown for the first time in nine years.

"It's a great win," said Harrison coach Mike Rusek. "We brought the sectional title back to Harrison. It hasn't been here (since 1992) and it's just a great feeling."

Rusek's team fell behind early when Ryan Tenney's throw-in from the left sideline found its way past Harrison goalie Jorge DaSilva, off the head of Drew Livesey, to give fourth-seeded Ramsey a 1-0 lead 13 minutes into the game.

But Harrison (18-1-2) responded shortly after the Livesey goal with three straight scores to build a 3-1 lead going into the break.

Nestor Alonso scored the first Blue Tide goal on an extraordinary shot from 20 yards out. Alonso took a Juan Vera pass on the right side and footed a ball that literally rang the far post before landing in the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 midway through the half.

Three minutes later sophomore forward Italo Ranilla gave the Blue Tide the lead after he bounced a shot off the chest of Ramsey goalie Brian Lemme to the left of the net, got his own rebound and scored on a tough shot from an impossible angle, nearly parallel to the goal.

"Last game (against Lenape Valley) our two goals were beautiful," Rusek said, "and today our three goals were beautiful. They were beautiful goals."

Ranilla scored Harrison's third and final goal when he converted a great through pass from fellow sophomore Mike Barrantes that squirted through the Ramsey defense and onto his foot with just Lemme to beat. Ranilla dribbled into the box and tapped the game winner into the bottom left corner to make the score 3-1 with two minutes left in the half.

"We weren't happy with our start," said Rusek. "I didn't think we started off with the intensity that we played the last 30 minutes of the half with. I don't know if the (Ramsey) goal changed that but after the goal we start then moving the ball around and really attacking."

In the second half Ramsey (12-5-3) came out shooting and for about the first 25 minutes the ball hardly left Harrison's end. The Rams broke through with their second goal on a corner kick by Chris Wilson that was headed through the hands of DaSilva by Tommy Manobianco.

"I thought that during that (25 minute) stretch they had the momentum even though we were winning," said Rusek. "They were pushing for another (goal) after they scored and it looked like they were going to get it."

"We moved some people around in the second half to try to get more pressure on them," said Ramsey coach Rory McCourt. "It worked, we got a lot of chances we just couldn't get it done."

Ramsey's last big chance came after Wilson collided with DaSilva in the box. DaSilva hit the ground hard and was down for about five minutes. Because Rusek and athletic director Jack Rodgers went onto the field to check on DaSilva he was forced to leave the game for a play. Sophomore backup Raphael Viana was called upon and wound up coming in to face a throw-in from Tenney and one of Ramsey's four second half corner kicks.

The Blue Tide defense managed to clear the ball without Viana having to lift a finger and when DaSilva came back in, to a chorus of cheers from the crowd at Kennedy Stadium, Harrison took over the game.

"He's (DaSilva) a great leader back there and the kids look to him for everything," said Rusek. "He gets beat up back there and he just keeps going."

DaSilva finished with 11 saves while his counterpart, Lemme, made eight stops.

"Ever since I was a little kid I have been following soccer in Harrison," said DaSilva. "So it's like a dream come true (to win a state sectional title). It's been a long time since we've had one here and it feels great to be a part of it."

Harrison will play in the Group 2 semifinals Monday at Union High School against Montville, a 2-1 double overtime winner over Pequannock on Friday.