Sunday, October 11, 2009

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Ramasey's Zach Donnarumma on his way to the game-clinching TD, a 44-yard score that put the finishing touches on the Rams' 16-7 win over Ramapo on Saturday afternoon.

RAMSEY – Although the Ramsey coaching staff goes to great lengths to impress on its players that no game is more important than any other on the schedule, Saturday's home game against Ramapo might just have been a little more equal than all of the others. The Rams were coming off their first loss of the season, a heartbreaking one-point setback against Pascack Valley, and were out of the top eight in the power-point rankings in the North 1, Group 2 playoff picture. Another loss would have meant falling back to .500 and being the frog that other teams were leaping over in the race for a postseason berth.

But still the Rams were micro-focused, intent on grinding it out play by play and letting all of the other stuff sort itself out.

“We don’t look ahead and we don’t let the kids look ahead. We play each game as its own game,” said Ramsey head coach Vic Tribuzio. “The playoffs are far away. You have to qualify for that on a play to play basis and we are not a perennial state playoff team. We play each game to try to get a ‘W’ and see where we are at when it’s over.”

Ramapo QB Jesse Devonshuk picked up 92 yards rushing and scored the Raiders' lone TD.

Where Ramsey was at when its game against Ramapo was over was standing at the R in the center of its home field celebrating a 16-7 win. The Rams played nearly error-free football, made just enough big plays on offense and flew to the ball defensively all game long in improving to 3-1 on the season and improving their playoff prospects. It also marked only the second time that Ramsey has beaten Ramapo since 1986.

“It feels great. No one thought we were going to win except for us and we knew Ramapo was a great team. So we came out here to prove that we could play with any team out there in the NBIL,” said Dennis Wilson, Ramsey starting safety, punt returner, kicker and offensive playmaker. “We have to just keep getting as many wins as we can no matter who it is against to build up the power points and get into the state playoffs. That is what we are working for every week.”

What was working for the Rams on Saturday was its defense, which forced Ramapo into a three-and-out on its first possession of the game. The snap on Ramapo’s fourth down punt the went over the head of Jesse Devonshuk and he was forced to chase it into the end zone where he was tackled. The safety gave Ramsey the lead just 1:50 into the game and it never gave it back.

Both teams offenses are of the run first variety and neither took many chances. Devonshuk attempted on five first half passes and Ramapo called just six first half pass plays, while Ramsey threw it just four times in the first half and completed just one of those. It was, however, a key completion.

Dennis Wilson scored Ramsey's first TD on a 36-yard reception early in the second quarter.

Ramsey had just picked up a key first down when fullback Zack Klein picked up 12 yards on a third-and-8 and that was followed by a pass interference call when Kevin Kuruc (2 for 9, 56 yards, TD, INT) tried to squeeze the ball in to Jon Capuano on a slant. That gave Ramsey a first down on the Ramapo 36 and the perfect opportunity for a play action pass.

After the fake, Kuruc found Wilson in single coverage and hit him in stride for a the touchdown. Wilson then added his own extra point with 10:16 left in the second quarter and the Rams would carry that 9-0 lead into halftime.

“They played mistake free and we certainly didn’t,” said Ramapo head coach Drew Gibbs, whose team was called for two 15-yard penalties, lost a fumble, gave up a safety and missed a field goal in the first half. “For the second week in the row we had a lot of bad penalties, we made a lot of silly mistakes and we just didn’t come out to play.”

Ramapo finally kicked it into gear on its first drive of the second half. After holding Ramsey to a three-and-out to start the third quarter, the Green Raiders took over on their own 38 and Devonshuk promptly kept the ball around the left side for a 29-yard gain on the first play of the march. Jack Bandazian picked up a key first down with a four-yard push on a third-and-3 and, after a roughing the passer penalty dug Ramapo out of a hole it dug with a holding call on the subsequent first down, Devonshuk cashed in four plays later, barreling in from one yard away. Ross Krautman hit the extra point and Ramapo drew to within 9-7 with 3:24 to go in the third quarter.

Jack Bandazian carried 22 times and picked up 66 yards for Ramapo (3-2).

But Ramsey’s defense answered the bell each time it had to the rest of the way. Ramsey’s next drive, although it covered 50 yards and burned off the rest of the third quarter clock, stalled at the Ramapo 30 and ended in a turnover on downs. But the Rams held Ramapo to a three-and-out on its first drive of the fourth quarter and did the same the next time Ramapo got the ball courtesy of an interception by Sean Munier.

As it turned out, that would be Ramapo last chance as it reluctantly had to give up the ball. Facing a fourth-and-1 at their own 40 with 3:28 to go in the game, the Raiders were called for a false start that forced the offense off the field in favor of the punt unit.

Zach Donnarumma ripped off a 12-yard run for Ramsey on its first play of the and then the next to snaps, a six-yard gain by Donnarumma and a two-yard plunge by Klein, burned off the last of Ramapo’s timeouts. One play later, the Rams put the game away when Donnarumma got the call on a third-and-2.

Needing just a first down to put his team in position to run out the clock, Donnarumma broke a tackle on the right edge and then, with a quick nod to his teammates on the sideline as he zoomed by, he cut back to the middle of the field and went the distance for the icing on the cake, a 44-yard score.

QB Kevin Kuruc kept the Ramsey offense moving and out of negative situations.

“Coach asked me before the play if I could get a first down and I told him I would do the best that I can,” said Donnarumma, who followed Klein and Cory Connell, who pulled out from his left guard spot, around the end. “The line blocked well, Klein got a good block and I just had to beat one defender. From there it was a clear path to the end zone.”

Donnarumma finished with 76 yards and the touchdown on 9 carries, while Wilson piled up 105 yards on just seven carries, including second half runs of 44 and 39 yards, to go with his first-half touchdown catch. Klein carried the ball 8 times for 24 yards for Ramsey, which improved to 3-1 on the season.

Devonshuk was Ramapo’s leading ground gainer as he finished with 92 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries and completed 2 of 5 passes for 43 yards, while Bandazian picked up 66 yards on 22 carries.

After starting the season with three straight wins, Ramapo fell to 3-2 on the season. The Raiders are still in the playoff hunt, but the road to the postseason just got a little bit longer.

“We have put our backs to the wall for sure and we are going to have to find a way to play better,” said Gibbs, whose team suffered its first loss last week in overtime at Old Tappan. “I thought our kids prepared well during the week, but we just didn’t show up today and we have to find out why.”

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT OR TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS GAME STORY, PLEASE VISIT 4FeetGrafix.com.