Somers honors Tony DeMatteo, starts fast, hangs on and gets revenge on Ramapo

SOMERS – There was no escaping the drama.

After renaming the field to honor legendary former coach Tony DeMatteo and building what appeared to be an insurmountable lead in Friday's season-opener, Somers was forced to sweat out a 40-35 win over Ramapo. The repeat New York state champions were leg weary in the second half and gave up three unanswered touchdowns.

The Raiders had two chances to grab a lead, but only managed one first down on their final possessions.

"Our start gave us all the confidence in the world," Somers quarterback Miguel Iglesias said . "When you come out like that, you feel like you can do anything. We got the job done in the end. We were cramping all over the place. We have to do a better job hydrating before next week, but they were a great team and that was a fun game."

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When these teams played in New Jersey a year ago, the Raiders won 38-34 with a controversial TD on the final play.

Iglesias took over at quarterback this fall after playing wideout his first three seasons. The Notre Dame lacrosse recruit completed his first seven passes and Tuskers receiver Dean Palazzolo was consistently a step ahead of Ramapo.

They have already got a level of chemistry that opponents need to worry about.

Iglesias connected with Palazzolo for 33 yards to set up first-and-goal, then Mason Kelly pushed in from the 1-yard line to give the Tuskers a 40-14 cushion three minutes into the second half. Ramapo was bigger across the front and played fast, which eventually left the Tuskers more than winded. It was a one-score game after Casey Grusser flipped a 6-yard scoring pass to Michael Ballan with 9:15 to play.

"Honestly, it was a bit of a mess and I think getting that jump made us complacent," Somers coach Anthony DeMatteo said. "Ramapo is one of the more prestigious programs in the Northeast and their culture is like ours. They know how to win. We knew they would come steaming back and it was a good experience for our kids. I'm glad they held on."

What it means

Somers learned a lesson in a meaningful win. There are some issues associated with so many newcomers in the lineup that have to be solved, but it didn't need to be this close. The Tuskers had a pair of touchdowns called back and several mistakes in the second half made first downs hard to come by. They also have to figure out how to keep the starters on the field. Cramps forced Somers to shuffle players in and out the entire second half. There was a drop-off as this team is not yet as deep or as physical as it once was.

Play of the game

After going up big, the Tuskers lost a fumble then failed to make a first down on three consecutive drives. It was getting intense. Iglesias ran a quarterback draw with 6:11 to play that went 20 yards to the Ramapo 28, flipping the field and running time off the clock.

It's the play that finally slowed the Raiders' comeback.

"My team, we got it all together in the second half," Grusser said. "We picked each other up, we got on the ball, kept running it and threw a touchdown over their heads. I mean, we kept on pushing. We didn't come out on top like we wanted to, but it gives us some hope for next week."

Game balls

▶ Iglesias completed 14 of 22 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. He also had 11 carries for 51 yards and one touchdown.

▶ Palazzolo caught eight passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

▶ Kelly ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

▶ Grusser threw for 131 yards and one touchdown, completing 12 of 27 attempts. He added 103 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

▶ The decision to play "Love Theme from The Godfather" to wrap the pregame ceremony naming the field in honor of Tony DeMatteo was epic.

They said it

"Getting to play and practice on this field with that name on the scoreboard means everything," said Anthony DeMatteo, who took over when his father stepped down four years ago. "There are very few times when I'm speechless, and right now, I am. I can't believe how beautiful it is to have the school district do this for my family and my father. We love that man to death and we did this for him from the start."

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Somers honors Tony DeMatteo, starts fast, hangs on and gets revenge on Ramapo