Rams Recover from Slow Start, Upend Ramapo

CARMEL—After falling behind 13-0 in the first quarter, the Carmel High football team responded with three touchdowns to post a 21-13 victory over Ramapo in a non-league game played last Friday night on the road.

SKIP PEARLMAN Carmel’s Aaron Smith caught a 41-yard TD pass from Ryan Shilling in a win over Ramapo last Friday. The game had no impact on the playoffs, which begin this weekend. No. 6 seed Carmel (4-2) is scheduled to travel to take on No. 3 Arlington Friday at 7 p.m. in a Class AA quarterfinal.

Friday at Ramapo (2-4), the host jumped to an early lead thanks to two TD runs ( 45 yards and one yard) in the first quarter. The second score was set up by a Carmel fumble on the Rams 32.

Carmel came back late in the first, when Ryan Shilling hooked up with Aaron Smith on a 41-yard TD strike.

The Rams took the lead for good in the second, when Nick Capone punched in a one-yard TD, and in the third it was junior Bryant Wiggins – filling in for Rams RB RJ Krauss – who stuck a oneyard TD run.

Wiggins finished with 121 yards and a TD on 24 carries. Shilling completed 7-of-13 attempts for 117 yards and a TD, and Capone contributed 70 yards on six carries.

Though the game had no meaning – an odd scenerio one week before playoffs begin – Rams coach Todd Cayea said it was important for his team to keep moving forward.

“Every win is an important win,” he said. “We want to keep the momentum and the confidence going. And we’re hoping to get better…our special teams and punt teams were both better this week, so we definitely improved in some areas.”

That doesn’t mean Cayea was pleased.

“I was hoping we’d play a lot better,” he said. “We could have put this team away earlier…we kept them hanging around a little. But Wiggins had a great game. That was nice to see – he’s been waiting in the wings behind RJ (who will be back for the playoffs). He ran the ball hard, and played well. That was a bright find. And Aaron Smith played well on defense, Nick Sadowski had another stellar game, and our offensive line did a nice job. We just lacked consistency – which we’ll need Friday against a good Arlington team.”

The Admirals (5-1) beat Suffern, 35- 28, last week. Their only loss was to Carmel.