Somers Holds on to Avenge Last Year’s Loss to Ramapo

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In game one of 2023, Somers lost to Ramapo on a last second controversy, and the rematch has been circled on their calendar for a year. A 40-14 3rd quarter lead for the Somers, the marking was probably in bright red, but the Gryphons came to play all 48 minutes. “They stormed back,” said Coach Anthony DeMatteo, and preventing a total deluge meant Somers needed some heroes.

A five point difference with 9:15 left, both sides of the ball delivered. First, Miguel Iglesias and Matt Mignardi hooked up on a crucial third down, and killing clock, the defense came through on the subsequent possession to put the Tuskers in the driver’s seat of a 40-35 win.

The defense got the game off on the right start too. After surrendering a first down, the ball was in the hands of the offense three plays later, and most of the usual suspects were back in the lineup.

Only Miquel Iglesias has taken over at quarterback, and he got acquainted by going to a familiar face. He hit Dean Palazzolo over the middle for 20, and after Mason Kelly rumbled for six, the former receiver hit his mate again for a first down at the 18.

The drive stalling on a holding penalty didn’t deter, though. On the third and ten, Iglesias rolled left, threw across his body, and the strike found Palazzolo in the end zone between three defenders.

The extra point gave Somers a 7-0 lead at 5:46, and it was Ramapo’s turn. Starting at the 50, Ramapo mostly kept the ball on the ground. Save a third and five completion by QB Casey Grusser, the visitors reached the 15 on two QB sneaks and ten yard run by Dylan Rosano. From there, Liam Hayward went into the end zone on a rumble up the middle.

All tied with 3:23 left in the first, Somers was more of the same and a little something different. Four runs by Kelly put the Tuskers on the 34, and then it was time for new blood. Iglesias scrambled right to find Jackson Whipple for a 25 gain to the thirty, and more elusiveness, Iglesias threw across field for the junior again.

Up high and boxing the defender out, Whipple elevated for the catch and cast praise back. “It was a cool play,” said the wide receiver, “and a great throw by Miguel.”

Down at the two, Somers went back to the standard bearer. Kelly ran in the TD at 11:55 of the second, and the sure thing left his right tackle in gratitude of never having to waste a good block. “To have a running back of that caliber behind us,” said Vincent Pomponi, “It’s just a great feeling.”

13-7 after the extra point sailed wide, the defense quickly made the miss moot. Three and out, the field position game was next. Palazzolo fielded at the 45 and hit the sidelines for a 17 yard return.

First down at the 28, nothing fancy increased the lead to 13. An 11 yard screen to Palazzolo then gave way to Kelly cubed. Three runs to the one, and Iglesias scored on the keeper at 8:08.

Ramapo remained in the game nonetheless. Two runs and a short pass put Ramapo on the 35, and midfield came on completions to Michael Ballan and Charlie Wingfield.

Runs by Rosano and Grusser got the ball to the 36, and after a fake handoff, Grusser went up the turnpike. The QB went outside and pulled his team within six at 4:56.

No problem, Somers didn’t forget their easy pass. First Iglesias hit Kelly to set up a fourth and two, and after converting on a keeper to the 45, Somers got another lift from Palazzolo. He settled under a 54 yard bomb and gave his team a 26-14 lead.

At 2:55, Ramapo was feeling the urgency, and it showed. Grusser threw right, and Logan Ruby had the pick.

Down at the ten, Kelly and a keeper had the offense at the five, and Somers made it look easy with some action. Iglesias faked to Kelly, and Matt Mayfield was wide open for a five yard TD with 12 seconds left.

Into the locker room, DeMateo was taking nothing for granted. “They are one of the best football teams in the Northeast,” he said. “We didn’t go into the locker room thinking the game is over.”

That was probably even harder to accept after Somers returned. Two Kelly runs put Somers at the 49, and after a ten yard screen to Palazzolo, two more runs by the Somers workhorse had his team 34 yards away.

In the backfield as a blocker on the next play, Kelly earned the breather, and the Elephant at quarterback didn’t forget all the time he spent across from Palazzolo. “Now that I’m on the other side of it, I know what he’s going to do,” said the QB.

No surprise, the duo made good. “I read him. We had a play where he ran a five yard out, I gave him a pump fake, he went over the top and we connected.”

Of course, the 26 point lead looked pretty good. So did the stops the defense got on the next two Ramapo possessions.

3:42 remaining in the third, and the crowd had good cause for being complacent. Unfortunately, it proved too soon to start the parties. Grusser hit Wingfield over the middle, he cut away from three defenders, and wasn’t pulled down until rambling 55 yards to the 30. Two plays later, Rosano went the rest of the way and doubt took hold.

Even more so when Somers went three and out, and Joseph Yessis’ escape down the sideline was no help either on the kickoff. Cameron Violante’s diving shoestring tackle at the 25 did provide relief but not for long. Rosano gained ten and Grusser got around the corner to make it 40-28.

27 seconds left in the third, and Somers needed to shift the momentum. No such luck, Iglesias was unable to convert a 4th and one from the Somers 41, and the Ramapo offense returned, which was no easy thing to watch from the sideline. “Every time they drove down, we would be freaking out,” admitted Pomponi.

First Hayward converted a second seven on the ground, and Rosano did the same on a third and three run. Nineteen yards away, Grusser stood strong in the pocket, and hit Ballan in stride for a five point game.

9:08 remaining, Somers was a long way from running out the clock. So a first down was obviously a good place to start. But after opening with an illegal procedure, the Tuskers needed to convert on 3rd and eight.

Where’s Waldo, Mignardi read the book on Iglesias' scramble out of the pocket. “I knew my quarterback would find me,” said the senior.

Right in the middle of the field, Somers kept the clock running. Unable to score, Ramapo still only had 3:42 to go 75 yards.

A fumbled snap on second down did not help matters, and after Grusser scrambled 12 yards, the drive stood 4th and seven. The moment of truth, Grusser was unable to hit a diving Wingfield on the sideline.

2:21 to kill, Somers seemed to put the game away on a third and ten from the 30. Iglesias faked a hand off to Kelly, Palazzolo came around, and the reverse landed the receiver in the end zone.

The yellow flag quieted the crowd, and they got even quieter when Somers opted to put the game away on third and 18. The pass falling incomplete with 67 seconds to go, Ramapo had one last chance.

The punt downing Ramapo at the six, one first down did result. But Somers was able to break up one last pass, and despite all the unexpected drama, DeMatteo relished the value of the difficult third act. “That’s exactly why you play a team of this caliber,” he concluded. “Last year, it catapulted us to a wonderful season, and we overcame the adversity tonight.”