Old Tappan rallies past Ramapo behind Small’s four-touchdown night

High School Sports Elite • Sep 19, 2025

Photo Credits: Matt Wood | For NJ Advance Media

Old Tappan earned a statement 28–24 comeback win over Ramapo, fueled by wide receiver Shane Small, who delivered one of the best performances of the season with nine catches for 127 yards and four touchdowns.

First Half

Ramapo opened the scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run from Gino Gorga, with kicker Devin Hunt converting to make it 7–0. Old Tappan answered in the second quarter when Zachary Miceli found Small for a 27-yard strike, tying the game at 7–7.
Ramapo regained the lead on a 3-yard run by Liam Hayward, taking a 14–7 advantage into halftime.

Second Half

Old Tappan cut the lead to 14–13 when Small hauled in a 9-yard touchdown from Miceli. Ramapo’s Casey Grusser responded quickly with a 56-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21–13.
Miceli and Small connected again late in the third, this time on a 10-yard score, followed by a successful two-point conversion from Miceli to Devyn Radoian, tying the game at 21–21.

Fourth Quarter

Hunt gave Ramapo a 24–21 lead with a 25-yard field goal, but Old Tappan’s offense stayed hot. With time winding down, Miceli found Small for his fourth touchdown, a 6-yard pass, putting Old Tappan ahead 28–24 after Matteo Morrissey’s extra point.

Key Performers

  • Zachary Miceli (Old Tappan): 18/27, 263 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

  • Shane Small (Old Tappan): 9 receptions, 127 yards, 4 TD

  • Casey Grusser (Ramapo): 13/18, 143 yards passing, 13 carries for 121 yards and 1 TD

  • Liam Hayward (Ramapo): 20 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD

  • Damian Du Toit (Old Tappan): 10 tackles, 1 sack

Summary

Old Tappan’s balanced attack and strong defensive finish proved decisive. Miceli’s poise under pressure and Small’s dominance through the air gave the Golden Knights control late, while the defense held Ramapo to a single field goal in the fourth quarter to secure the win.





Here is a complete player stat summary from the Ramapo vs. Old Tappan game:

Old Tappan

Passing


PlayerCOMPATTYDSTDINTLNG
Zachary Miceli18272634148

Rushing

PlayerATTYDSTDLNG
Devyn Radoian1656013
Zachary Miceli1374016
Team Total29130029


Receiving

PlayerRECYDSTDLNG
Devyn Radoian321012
Shane Small9127427
Leo Etter221014
Joey Crescitelli227022
Christakis Nicolaou267048
Team Total182634123


Defense

PlayerSTFLSOLOASTTOTFFFRINTSAFKB
Devyn Radoian0.50.543700000
Aidan Nally0020200100
Shane Small0033600000
Leo Etter0070700000
Christakis Nicolaou0040400000
Damian Du Toit11911000000
Ryan Miceli11841200000
Nick Blanchard0.50.5641000000
Yucel Ekin0011200000
Adrian Burke0001100000
John Bilali0063900000
Marco D'Amore0042600000
Anthony Miceli0020200000
Julias Lai0010100000
Rocco Bartlemeo0021300000
Walker Lynch0020200000


Returns

PlayerKOR/ATTKOR/YDSKOR/LNG
Devyn Radoian23618
Christakis Nicolaou11313
Team Total34918


Special Teams

PlayerFGMFGAFG/LNGXPMXPA2PT
Matteo Morrissey000220
Devyn Radoian000001


Punting

PlayerPuntsYDSLNGIN 20
Vincent Rossi399401


Ramapo

Passing

PlayerCOMPATTYDSTDINTLNG
Casey Grusser13181430128

Rushing

PlayerATTYDSTDLNG
Casey Grusser13121156
Liam Hayward2093123
Gino Gorga1142111
Team Total44256390

Receiving

PlayerRECYDSTDLNG
Tyler Ramiccio118018
Salvatore Livoti426013
Joseph Yessis574028
Liam Hayward1808
Michael Ballan217012
Team Total13143079

Defense

PlayerSTFLSOLOASTTOTFFFRINTSAFKB
Tyler Ramiccio0036900100
Joseph Yessis0031400000
Liam Hayward0013400000
Gino Gorga0142600000
Michael Ballan0011200000
Carter Cooney002101200000
Jack Schneider0014500000
Brian Shanley0010100000
Jahzier Bryant0010100000
Cole Seyffer0014500000
Finn Kirwan0012300000
Luke Gurba0002200000
Brad Vierheilig0001100000
Alexander Kavallieratos0001100000
Harrison Kearney0002200000
Scott Larsen0001100000
Shane LaDuca0004400000

Returns

PlayerKOR/ATTKOR/YDSKOR/LNGPR/ATTPR/YDSPR/LNG
Salvatore Livoti11818388
Joseph Yessis24334000
Team Total36134388

Special Teams

PlayerFGMFGAFG/LNGXPMXPA
Devin Hunt112533

Punting

PlayerPuntsYDSLNGIN 20
Tyler Ramiccio285472


Source Link: https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2025/09/football-photos-ramapo-at-old-tappan-sept-19-2025.html

Athlete's Latest Article

Image

Golden Knights Dominate Bergenfield 41-14 to Stay Unbeaten

Sep 13, 2025

Old Tappan stayed unbeaten with a dominant 41-14 road win over Bergenfield. The Golden Knights (3-0) used a balanced offense and a stifling defense to overcome an early deficit. Bergenfield struck first when Shameire Duncan returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, putting the Bears up 7-0. Old Tappan then locked in, scoring 41 unanswered points before a late Bergenfield touchdown in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Zachary Miceli was sharp, completing 9 of 10 passes for 210 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also broke loose for a 74-yard rushing score. Shane Small hauled in 3 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Leo Etter matched him with 95 yards and a score on 3 catches. Joey Crescitelli added 4 receptions, including a touchdown. On the ground, Old Tappan piled up 210 rushing yards. Devyn Radoian ran for 55 yards and a touchdown, with strong contributions from Julias Lai (45 yards) and Damian Dutoit (16 yards). Defensively, Old Tappan racked up 63 total tackles. Ryan Miceli led the way with 8, while John Bilali added 7 and Nick Blanchard forced a fumble. The defense shut down Bergenfield’s passing game, holding them to 60 yards through the air and only 60 on the ground. Bergenfield’s highlights came from Duncan, who finished with 116 kick return yards, and Zander Velez, who rushed for 53 yards and a late touchdown. Quarterback Xavier Valdez was limited to 3 completions on 10 attempts. With the win, Old Tappan improves to 3-0 and continues its strong start to the season, while Bergenfield drops to 1-2.Team TotalsOld Tappan (3-0) Passing: 10/12, 212 YDS, 3 TD Rushing: 22 ATT, 210 YDS, 2 TD Receiving: 10 REC, 215 YDS, 3 TD Defense: 63 total tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery Bergenfield (1-2) Passing: 3/10, 60 YDS, 0 TD Rushing: 29 ATT, 60 YDS, 1 TD Receiving: 3 REC, 60 YDS Returns: 6 KOR, 186 YDS, 1 TDOld Tappan Leaders QB Zachary Miceli: 9/10, 210 YDS, 3 TD; 2 CAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD RB Devyn Radoian: 8 CAR, 55 YDS, 1 TD RB Julias Lai: 6 CAR, 45 YDS WR Shane Small: 3 REC, 98 YDS, 1 TD WR Leo Etter: 3 REC, 95 YDS, 1 TD WR Joey Crescitelli: 4 REC, 22 YDS, 1 TD LB Ryan Miceli: 8 tackles (4 solo, 4 ast), 3 TFL LB John Bilali: 7 tackles, 1 sack LB Nick Blanchard: 5 tackles, 1 FFBergenfield Leaders QB Xavier Valdez: 3/10, 60 YDS; 2 CAR, -12 YDS RB Zander Velez: 16 CAR, 53 YDS, 1 TD; 1 REC, 17 YDS; 3 KOR, 52 YDS KR Shameire Duncan: 2 KOR, 116 YDS, 1 TD (95-yd return) WR Andrew Suero: 1 REC, 29 YDS; 3 tackles LB Jack Walsh: 9 tackles (4 solo, 5 ast)

Image

Old Tappan Rolls Past River Dell 35-0

Sep 05, 2025

Old Tappan moved to 2-0 with a dominant 35-0 victory over River Dell on Friday night. The Golden Knights controlled the game on both sides of the ball, with big plays across the roster. Offensive Highlights Quarterback Zachary Miceli led the way, going 11-of-12 for 222 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with Leo Etter four times for 98 yards and a score, hit Christakis Nicolaou on a 73-yard strike, and found Nick Blanchard for a touchdown. Joey Crescitelli added three catches for 35 yards, and Aidan Nally hauled in an 18-yard reception to keep drives alive. On the ground, Devyn Radoian rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown, and Damian Dutoit added 40 yards and a score. Miceli chipped in 7 rushing yards to extend plays. Defensive Standouts The defense swarmed all night, piling up 87 total tackles. Blanchard was everywhere, with 12 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Etter made his presence felt with 9 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. Radoian and Dutoit each had 5 tackles, including stops behind the line. Adrian Burke and Ryan Miceli both stepped up with 6 and 7 tackles, while Marco D’Amore and Yucel Ekin combined for 13 stops in the trenches. Aidan Nally, Christakis Nicolaou, and Anthony Miceli added steady tackling in the secondary. Special Teams Kicker Matteo Morrissey was perfect, going 5-for-5 on extra points. Key Numbers Miceli: 11/12, 222 yards, 3 TDs Etter: 4 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD; 9 tackles, 2 TFL Blanchard: TD catch; 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks Radoian: 73 rushing yards, 1 TD; 5 tackles, 1 TFL Dutoit: 40 rushing yards, 1 TD; 5 tackles, 1 TFL Old Tappan’s depth showed as contributions came from all over the lineup, with both sides of the ball producing big plays in the shutout win.

Image

Old Tappan football picks up right where it left off with opening win over West Essex

Aug 29, 2025

NORTH CALDWELL − On Old Tappan's first play from scrimmage, Zach Miceli served up a taste of what's to come this season.The junior quarterback threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to send the defending Group 3 state champions off to a season-opening 34-14 win over West Essex on Aug. 29.“With this guy, it’s always in the arsenal,” Old Tappan coach Brian Dunn said of Miceli. “If they give us the right look, he’s always ready to do it.”Miceli's TD pass went to junior receiver Leo Etter, and the right-hander completed 16 of 20 passes for 204 yards and two scores before taking a seat late in the third quarter.Miceli also threw a 4-yard score to senior receiver Joey Crescitelli late in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead.“It starts up front in the trenches,” said Miceli, whose last season threw for 2,269 yards and 19 scores. “We have a lot of guys coming back with experience, and guys who are filling in did a great job. Obviously mistakes everywhere, and we’re going to clean those up. But it started in the trenches, and then our guys outside just made plays like they always do.”Senior running back Damian Du Toit scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter to extend the lead to 21-0. Senior running back Devyn Radoian scored on a 20-yard run in the second quarter for a 28-0 lead, and he scored on a 7-yard run in the third to give the Golden Knights a 34-7 lead.West Essex scored late in each half. Senior quarterback Jake Long threw a 13-yard TD pass to senior receiver Justin Perini in the second quarter, and junior running back Michael Lozito scored on a 4-yard run in the fourth.What it meansOld Tappan looked like a team ranked No. 1 in the North Jersey Public Top 20 and No. 10 in the New Jersey Super 25. The Golden Knights were solid in all areas and contributed to North Jersey making a strong showing in season openers.“I think we performed OK,” Radoian said. “We’re coming off a Group 3 state championship and we have a lot of work to put in, but we’re going to get there, we’re going to get there fast, and we’re going to keep coming out exploding. Our offense is a very explosive type of offense. We like to run, we like to pass, we do it all. And we’ve got a couple of young kids on defense, and we’re just going to keep shining out there.”Big-play startMiceli’s TD pass Etter came on a deep post up the left side, and Old Tappan had its first score of the season just 12 seconds into the game. Miceli hit Etter in perfect stride.“We ran through that play a lot in practice,” Etter said. “We knew the post would be open, and we knew we were going to hit it early. We didn’t know what play it was going to be, but we knew we were going to hit it early. Me and Zach were ready for it, and coach [Dunn] called a great play.”“Honestly, I never decide what we’re running until we get on the field for the first play, unless there's something special that we have to do,” Dunn said. "It just looked like something that we could get right off the bat, and the kids executed and Zach threw a great ball.”By the numbersOld Tappan amassed 363 total yards, including 159 rushing.The Golden Knights spread the ball around to the running backs, with Radoian and Du Toit handling a majority of the carries.“They’re good, and they all give us a different look,” Dunn said of the running backs. “They’re all getting a crack at it for the first time.”West Essex had 201 total yards, including 138 rushing. The Knights were at their best with Long running up the middle and mixing in an occasional pass.