The Wayne Hills Patriots defeated the Ramapo Raiders 34-13 Friday night at Drew Gibbs Field. Now 7-1 on the season, the Patriots defeated the Raiders for the first time since 2017.
One of New Jersey’s top rivalries was renewed for the first time since 2023. In an unexpected blowout, Wayne Hills added to their now 31-23-1 lead in the series that dates back to 1972.
Coming into the game 6-1, the Patriots were having their best season in years. After blowing out cross-town rival Wayne Valley last week, they were looking to carry their momentum against another rival in the Raiders, who were 4-2. Ramapo had beaten Wayne Hills in each of their five more recent matchups.
“I’m proud of our guys,” Wayne Hills head coach Wayne Demikoff said after the win. “Last week that game was a big game [35-7 win over Wayne Valley] turn around and play this one it’s a big game. You know, they handled themselves like men. I’m proud of them.”
This game was a blowout before it barely started as the Patriots went up three scores just over four minutes into the game. After forcing a three-and-out, quarterback James Wolf connected with Chase Canning for a 48-yard score. On the following kickoff, the Raiders’ special teams muffed the ball, letting Wayne Hills recover deep in Ramapo territory. It only took one play for Wolf to throw his second touchdown pass in less than five minutes of real time when Chernoh St. Paul ran it into the end zone after the catch from 12 yards out. They’d force one more three-and-out and respond with Ethan Zacharski running it in from 11 yards. Just like that, it was 20-0 at the blink of an eye.
A dominating effort in the first quarter shown by the Patriots carried into the second. While the offense and defense were playing high level ball, the special teams joined the action when they fooled everyone, running a fake on what would’ve been their first punt. They gained massive ground and it set up Canning to score on an 18-yard pass for his second touchdown of the game.
It was shocking to say the least for the Raiders, who are rarely in a position where they’re completely shut down. They couldn’t get a first down nor force a punt until there were just minutes left until half-time. Even when they achieved both, it was a struggle to get anything going.
Desperately trying to get on the board before heading to the locker rooms, Ramapo attempted a fake punt of their own but of course it was unsuccessful. It led to another Wayne Hills score with under 30 seconds remaining in the half, where Zacharski got in on the goal-line to make it his second multi-touchdown game in a row. After two quarters, the Patriots had a staggering 34-0 lead.
None of this would be possible without them,” quarterback James Wolf said, referring to his team. The senior now has 19 passing touchdowns and only one interception thrown on the season. “The receivers go out there, make the catches, score touchdowns, our running back keeps the defense guessing what we’re going to do. Obviously, the offensive line protects me, and, you know, our coach has set up these game plans to help us score.”
Nobody was expecting this. A team that’s practically a regular in state sectionals/finals looked like the polar opposite and were a shell of themselves. It felt like a rock-bottom type feeling at Drew Gibbs stadium as while the dozens of Wayne Hills students who made the trip greeted the Raiders with taunts and trash talk as they walked through the field’s exit, you could hear a pin drop in the home bleachers.
Even though there may have been a whole half of football left to play, this game was practically over. Not only was Ramapo trailing by 34 points, they were also dealing with a nonstop running clock that Wayne Hills was taking advantage of. Despite it being all but official that the Patriots would win, the Raiders fought till the very end and didn’t quit. Senior running back Joey Gorga was able to score two touchdowns to make it a 34-13 final score.
The outcome was a shock to say the least. While there was an assumption that it’d be a heavyweight bout in a historic rivalry between two North Jersey powerhouses, it looked like an uneven matchup. Wayne Hills proved that they were legit, as they stood tall in a high stakes contest for the second week in a row. Ramapo, who beat the Patriots by 40+ points in both of their last two meetings, clearly got a taste of their own medicine this time around.
“It adds a lot of momentum,” wide-receiver Chase Canning said about the win. The senior had 81 receiving yards and two touchdowns off five receptions. “We’re just going to build off this. We had a great win last week, We’re going to have a good win next week, hopefully, and we’re just going to keep rolling with the momentum. It’s huge.”
As the regular season is coming to an end, things are just getting started for both teams. Improving to 7-1, Wayne Hills is having their best season in years and is expected to make a playoff run as they have proven their capabilities in doing so. While Ramapo falls to 4-3, their record doesn’t reflect who they truly are. The losses they suffered came at the hands of fellow conference powerhouses. With the exception of Friday Night’s blowout, they competed hard but ultimately came up short in close games against Old Tappan and Northern Highlands. Once the playoffs start in a few weeks, you cannot count out either team.
