money Ramsey football holds off Bernards for first playoff win since 2011
RAMSEY − The pain lasted in Ramsey for 357 days.
Last season, the Rams went undefeated in the regular season and were the top seed in their sectional bracket before being upset by Hanover Park in the first round. On Friday, fourth-seeded Ramsey got a win in the playoffs, defeating fifth-seeded Bernards, 35-21, in the North 2, Group 2 quarterfinals. The win helped heal the pain from last season and erased an 11-year absence from the second round of the playoffs.
"Tonight was important," Ramsey coach Adam Baeira said. "I feel for the seniors from last season and I credit the guys who went through it last season. Last year, the season got cut short and it took a year to get back here. They played with a chip on their shoulder and played a hell of a game."
Junior Luca Gemma and senior Robert Fuerst, who were both a part of that playoff loss a season ago, combined for all five rushing touchdowns for the Rams.
On the Rams' second drive, Fuerst dove to the 1-yard line and had his helmet ripped off. By rule, he left the field for one play and Gemma took a direct snap for the game’s first touchdown and the first points allowed by Bernards since Sept. 23 at Delaware Valley.
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"We just played for each other tonight," said Fuerst. "The offensive line blocked well all night and we all ran hard. We all just want to succeed for one another. It's as simple as that."
Bernards answered in the second quarter as Connor Laverty found Enzo Britez for a 23-yard touchdown grab to tie the game 7-7. Gemma got his second rushing touchdown from a yard out to put Ramsey back up, 14-7, but Bernards responded again. Laverty found Nicky Koulfie for a screen pass that went for a 39-yard touchdown and a tie game.
Fuerst found the end zone with a 10-yard scamper with 17 seconds left in the half to take a 21-14 lead into halftime. Despite penalties on their opening drive of the second half moving them back to their own 5-yard line, the Rams scored once more as Fuerst ran into the end zone from 12 yards out.
"Having the success we had with the option tonight opens up a whole new area of our offense," Fuerst said. "We have terrific receivers and great running backs, so if I am able to have good runs as well, it's just one more guy out there with the ball for them to worry about."
In the fourth quarter, Gemma put the game away with a 34-yard rushing touchdown to give Ramsey a 35-14 lead. Gemma, who missed time earlier this season with a shoulder injury, battled through pain all night from the residual damage taken throughout the season.
"I don't feel too great, but injuries happen and nobody really feels 100 percent at this time of the year," Gemma said. "I'll do whatever I can to try and help us win and go as far as we can."
What it means
Ramsey last won a playoff game when it beat Hopatcong in the North 1, Group 2 quarterfinals in 2011. The Rams move on to the sectional semifinals next week and keep their season going.
"You want to go as far as you can and every win you can get one step closer to the goal," Gemma said. "Last year was a wake-up call for us because we were 8-0 but we were not prepared for the playoffs. We're ready now and we're ready to go."
It also spells the end of the line for Bernards, which had not lost since Sept. 2 and entered the playoffs on a seven-game win streak.
By the numbers
235-14: The Mountaineers had scored points in bunches while shutting out opponents and outscoring them 235-14 during their win streak. In their only other loss this season, a defeat in September to Hillside, they also gave up 35 points.
331: Ramsey scored 294 points in the regular season and eclipsed the 300 mark in Friday's victory. The season total of 331 points scored is currently the fourth-highest scoring season in Ramsey football history. The Rams would need 31 points to tie the school record for points in a season, which they set last season.
Key play
Leading by two touchdowns and seeking to put the game away in the third quarter, Ramsey drove near the Bernards end zone before fumbling short of the goal line. It was recovered in the end zone by Bernards for a touchback, allowing the Mountaineers to try and cut the lead in half. A deep throw by Connor Laverty was hauled in by senior Xavier Futrell, who returned it to the Ramsey 40-yard line.
"In every game, there's three or four plays that define the game," Baeira said. "That play might have been as big as the other ones put together. It snatched momentum back and we really fed off of that play."
Ramsey held on to possession until the start of the fourth quarter, when Gemma broke a long run for his third touchdown of the night and made the deficit too large for Bernards to overcome.
They said it
"That's a hell of a good team in Bernards. They always play well and they're always in the playoffs. We saw them in the bracket next to us and knew we had to bring it against them and we did it." − Baeira.
"Luca is the toughest kid I know. He would play out there with a broken leg if they'd let him. It sparks us seeing him out there still dealing with his shoulder issue and we all want to play our best with him." − Fuerst
Up next
The Rams will face top-seeded Caldwell next week in the sectional semifinals. Caldwell beat High Point on Friday and holds the state's longest active win streak at 24 in a row.
Bernards (8-2) ends the season with exactly eight victories for the fifth straight season.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ramsey NJ football holds off Bernards, first playoff win since 2011
