Defense saves the day for Ridgefield Park
Brian Gonzalez hauling in Cliffside Park's lone touchdown against Ridgefield Park on Saturday afternoon.
By Cory K. Doviak
NorthJerseySports.com Editorial Director
Despite being outgained 103-11 in total yards through 24 minutes, Ridgefield Park walked into its locker room at halftime trailing by a measly six points. The Scarlets’ defense had played well enough to keep them in the game in the first half and then went out and won it late in the fourth quarter of a come-from-behind 19-6 victory.
RIDGEFIELD PARK – All but four offensive plays in the entire first half were played on the Ridgefield Park side of the 50-yard line. Cliffside Park was dominating in time of possession; it was winning the battle of field position and had run 25 offensive plays to Ridgefield Park’s 13 through the first two quarters of Saturday afternoon’s season opener. With the above description it was fitting that Cliffside Park also had a lead, but not the kind of cushion that one might think.
Ridgefield Park's Corey Miller (54) eyeing the ball that would turn into the game-changing interception return for a touchdown in a 19-6 win over Cliffside Park
“The kids give you their heart and soul. They buy into you. It’s not by accident that these kids have gone to the playoffs for four consecutive years and we are not looking to break any streaks,” said Ridgefield Park head coach Tony Gonzalez. “These kids have bought into the program and they will do what they have to do. They will find a way to win.”
It was a strange path to victory for the Scarlets, who were stymied all day offensively. Their first half possessions four three-and-outs and one lost fumble. The turnover led directly to the lone scoring drive of the first half when Cliffside quarterback Chris DeLucca found Brian Gonzalez on a crossing route of the middle for a 15-yard TD. The Red Raiders missed the extra point with 2:49 to play in the second quarter and had to settle for the 6-0 halftime lead despite having all four of its first half drives reach the RP side of the 50 and three of them inside the Scarlets’ 30.
“I thought we could have been up 19-0 at the half. We didn’t even really have to make any adjustments at halftime. Everything was pretty much clicking,” said Cliffside Park head coach John Ranu. “We just came out a little bit flat in the third quarter and we let them hang around long enough to get themselves back in the game.”Ridgefield Park’s defense bent but didn’t break in the first half and in the second its starting delivering knockout punches of its own. Kevin Alberque’s recovery and 46-yard return of a Cliffside Park fumble set up the tying touchdown for RP. Julian Johnson turned a 4th-and-1 conversion try into a 46-yard touchdown run. After Cliffside blocked the extra point try, the game was all even at 6 with 4:35 to play in the third quarter. Johnson’s run was not only Ridgefield Park’s first big play, but it also would have given the Scarlets their first first down of their game had it not reached the end zone.
The decisive play in the game came out of nowhere really as Cliffside was looking to go back in front. Pete Schmitt’s fumble recovery put the Red Raiders in business at midfield and they marched to the RP 22 after Iago Ladeia ripped off an 8-yard run. But on the next play, DeLucca dropped back to pass as Eric Reynoso came on a blitz from his safety position.
Reynoso had to take the long way around as Ladeia step up to pick up the blitz and he was able to get a hold of DeLucca’s jersey right around the shoulder as he was starting his throwing motion. The ball squirted straight up in the air, linebacker Corey Miller got under it and ran 86 yards up the right sideline for the defensive touchdown that turned into the winning score.
Ridgefield Park forced turnovers on the final three Cliffside Park (0-1) possessions. Miller’s was the first, Derek Hyland had the second and his fumble recovery covered 40 yards for another defensive touchdown with 2:11 to play in the game. Alberque, who almost had a ‘Pick 6’ in the first half when he jumped an out-route before dropping the sure interception, did pick off a pass with 1:41 left in the game and returned it to the Cliffside 12 from where RP took three knees to end the game. In all, the Scarlets forced four second half turnovers and also forced Cliffside into two turnover-on-downs in an overall dominating defensive performance.“I saw it was a pass and I started dropping, but I saw our safety coming in and he stripped the ball. I saw the ball in the air and I just took it and ran with it,” said Miller, whose score gave his team the lead for good with 4:02 left to play in the game. “In our defensive practice we always go hard and we always go over stripping the ball and catching interceptions. If we don’t catch them, we run. If we don’t strip the ball when we are tackling someone in practice, we run. We practice forcing turnovers and we did that today.”
With Fort Lee, which fell to Bergenfield in its season opener, Ridgefield Park (1-0) is looking at a solid start to the season, a welcome change after starting the last three seasons with opening day losses and last year at 1-3 before rebounding to make the state tournament.
Kevin Alberque on the 46-yard fumble return that set up Ridgefield Park's first TD.
While on the other side, the loss was a head-scratcher for Cliffside Park, which had the better of play for a lot of the game but came up two touchdowns shy with an improving Northern Highlands team on the schedule in next week’s home opener.“Winners will find a way to win, I have been telling you that for years now, and in my 22 years here it has worked in 20 of those 22,” said Gonzalez, who is an outstanding football coach, but also one who keeps the game in the proper prospective, especially on a day like September 11 and in a tight knight community like Ridgefield Park. “It’s a sad thing and we wanted to dedicate this game and obviously you have to win to be able to do that. This win is dedicated to the residents of Ridgefield Park, our community.”
“This is football and you can’t let a team like Ridgefield Park hang around. When you have a chance to put them away you have to put them away,” said Ranu. “I just told the guys that today we missed by inches. We missed a couple of passes by inches, a key first down by a foot and what are you going to do? The better team doesn’t always win and I thought today we were the better team, but you still have to play 48 minutes of football. We have to put everything together and clean things up.”
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