After trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter, Ramapo ran off 31 unanswered points to defeat Wayne Hills, 38-22, and remain undefeated.
Wayne Hills struck first late in the first quarter when Jaaron Hayek scored from a yard out just after he went 26 yards down the left sideline on the jet sweep on the previous play. Charles Njoku also caught two passes totaling 36 yards on the drive.
Ramapo tied things up eleven seconds into the second quarter when AJ Wingfield found Ty Jaten for a 9-yard touchdown just after the two connected for 40 yards. Wayne Hills went up on an 8-yard run up the middle by Michael Joyce three minutes into the quarter after Tom Sharkey found Njoku for two passes and Hayek for another.
Ramapo began its run when when Wingfield found Jaten again on an 8-yard fade in the left corner of the end zone. Ramapo’s Luke Robinson intercepted for Ramapo on the Wayne Hills 35 and Wingfield found Max Baker on a 35-yard score. It was a beautiful catch in the end zone by Baker on an under-thrown ball.
Ramapo added to their lead in the third quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Aiden Labell and a 21-yard run by Luke Ragone. In the fourth quarter, Max Baker scored on a 4-yard jet sweep, a score that was set up by a 51-yard run by Ragone. Wayne Hills added a score when Sharkey found Njoku for a 6-yard score.
Ramapo dominated in that stretch of 31 unanswered points. Wingfield was sharp throwing the ball and Ragone was breaking runs in the second half. The defense also shut down Wayne Hills, with Wayne Hills having difficulty running the ball inside for much of the game. They played a well-rounded game and have potential when playoff time comes around and their tough schedule will be beneficial.
Wayne Hills had good games from Hayek on offense and especially Njoku. Without those two, Wayne Hills did not show the ability to move the ball and Ramapo was able to beat their secondary for much of the night. The Patriots have been known for their ability to run the ball, which made tonight’s output surprising. If they don’t get both that and their pass defense working, they are prone to being upset in the playoffs.