Mahwah football hangs on for rivalry upset of Ramsey
· Yahoo Sports
RAMSEY — Mikey Branagh throughly enjoyed the “firsts” that he and his Mahwah football team experienced in this year’s Ramsey rivalry game.
The senior QB ran for a touchdown that held up as the game-winner in the Thunderbirds’ 31-28 victory at John C. DePuyt Field on Oct. 2.
Visit asg-reflektory.pl for more information.
Mahwah ended a six-year losing streak to its next-door neighbor. So, not only did Branagh get his first “W” in the series, he also made his first career interception – on the first defensive snap he ever played.
The T-Bird defense finished with three INTs, including a 33-yard pick-six by Kyle Tremblay late in the first half. The sophomore also recovered a fumbled screen pass on Ramsey’s final drive with 56 seconds left.
The Rams, who entered the game ranked No. 10 in the North Jersey Public Top 20, won last year on a long screen pass after Mahwah rallied from behind. This time, the visitors held on after taking a 17-point third-quarter lead.
Players of the Game
Mikey Branagh, Mahwah: He completed 12-of-22 passes for 95 yards with an interception, but he got one back when he went in for injured DB John Grasso in the fourth quarter and made a 31-yard pick return. His 1-yard TD plunge made it 31-14 and helped put him at 13 runs for 52 yards.
Kyle Tremblay, Mahwah: Besides his defensive game-changers, the WR/DB/K/P/returner made all four of his PAT kicks, booted a 35-yard field goal, caught a pass and had a 9-yard kickoff return.
Brady Veenstra, Ramsey: The junior WR/CB went in to take direct snaps at QB and spark the Rams’ hurry-up offense as they tried to rally. He rushed 7 times for 21 yards, caught 5 passes for 91 yards and 2 TDs and averaged 17 yards per kick return (6 for 102).
They said it
“The boost that this gives us for the second half of the season – it’s just everything we needed as a team. … We knew we had a special group this year. We’re very senior-heavy, so going into the future, I’m just so excited for this team.” —Branagh
“Mahwah-Ramsey is always a thriller. It’s a dogfight – it doesn’t matter if we’re 1-6 and they’re 6-1… it’s a Game of the Week every year.” —Mahwah coach Adam Szuch
My take
Each team has been oddly streaky in the rivalry over the past 15 years. Mahwah won eight in a row, then Ramsey got the last six before this one (the T-Birds lead all-time, 31-26-1).
Some have been blowouts – 56-7 Mahwah in 2019, 41-7 Rams two years later – but the fortunate among us have covered some doozies. The Thunderbirds won on a 41-yard walk-off field goal at home in 2014. In 2023, it was Ramsey’s turn for a FG as time ran out. Last year, Jonathan Davis took a 56-yard screen to the house with 17 seconds left.
Whether they’ve been in the NBIL, Big North or now the SFC American Red Division, this may be one of North Jersey’s most underrated rivalries.
What’s next
Mahwah (3-2) got its first American Red win and, at 1-2, tied the Rams in the standings. The T-Birds could further cloud the division-title chase if they can remain on a roll through their Oct. 23 visit to first-place Westwood. A home date with Hanover Park is next on Oct. 9.
Ramsey (4-2) has a scheduled bye before completing its divisional slate on Oct. 16 against Lakeland, which came into the weekend 1-0 in the American Red. Winning the league is now a stretch, but a big bounce-back against the Lancers would go a long way.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Mahwah football hangs on for rivalry upset of Ramsey