Northern Highlands 27 Ramapo 17
October 2, 2026
Northern Highlands scored 20 points in the first quarter, while running four offensive plays, on their way to beating Ramapo, 27-17. It was the big play that propelled the Highlanders, with touchdowns of 38, 73, 51, and 63 yards.
First Quarter: A Ramapo punt gave Northern Highlands the ball on the Ramapo 45. Trevor Kanning gained 7 yards on the first play, and followed up with a 38-yard touchdown run. The extra point failed, making it 6-0. Ramapo drove twelve plays, scoring on a 7-yard Jack Schneider run through the middle. Highlands came back on the following drive when Jack Branagh found EJ Jens crossing over the middle for a pass, and he cut up the left sideline for a 73-yard touchdown. Ramapo picked up a couple of first downs before Luka Morris picked off a pass that bounced off the Ramapo receiver and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, putting Highlands up 20-7. *
Second Quarter: Early in the quarter, a fourth-and-2 run by Joey Gorga was stopped for one yard, and Highlands took over on the Ramapo 49. Highlands turned it over on downs. Later in the quarter, Ramapo started on their 34, and Luke Magerko hit Tyler Hayward for 26 yards down the right sideline. They advanced to the 15, but a Carter Blattner sack on third down led to a 36-yard field goal by Philip Kay with six seconds left to make it 20-10.
Third Quarter: Highlands opened the half with a seven-play drive – all runs – but Kanning’s run on fourth down was stopped short on the 6-yard line. Ramapo marched twelve plays, consuming almost six minutes, but their fourth-down pass on the 20 fell incomplete.
Fourth Quarter: Ramapo started again on their 13, going thirteen plays and scored on a 6-yard run by Gorga through the middle to cut the deficit to 20-17. Highlands didn’t waste time – a 4-yard Kanning run and his next run went 63 yards for the touchdown, and Highlands went right back to a 10-point lead. Magerko immediately completed two passes – to Gorga for 10 yards and Hayward for 18. Three plays later, a 22-yard pass to Cole Seyffer advanced the ball to the 25. But a sack by Dylan Kohler on fourth down, after pressure by Spencer Liljegren flushed Magerko out of the pocket, turned the ball over to Highlands with just under five minutes remaining. The Raiders had the ball again, but Blattner sacked Magerko on fourth down, and Highlands ran out the clock.
*I hate the term “pick-six” and refuse to call it that.
Comments: As mentioned earlier, Highlands thrived on the big play and had the ball for approximately 20 minutes. Kanning had touchdown runs of 38 and 63 yards, gaining 129 on 18 carries. A 73-yard pass to Jens, and the 51-yard interception return for a touchdown by Morris accounted for their scores. Blattner had a big game with two sacks and Liljegren played well at linebacker. They made the plays and that is why they won.
Ramapo dug a hole in the first quarter. And the Morris interception return was a big difference maker because they were down, 20-7, when they could have driven to tie the score. In the third quarter, they had a six-minute drive that came up empty. Those two instances hurt. Gorga rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries, and Schneider for 49 and a touchdown on 12 carries.