Ramsey boys soccer gets payback, defeats Delran for state championship
SOMERSET – Being 6-foot-4 has come in handy on the basketball court for Ramsey's Max Nierenberg.
But on Saturday, Nierenberg put his height to use in soccer to complete one of the best seasons in North Jersey history.
The senior outside back flicked in the winner on a skip header to send the Rams past Delran, 2-0, in the Group 2 championship. It was the final chapter on an unbeaten year for the Rams who captured their first state title in 16 years.
Maybe none of it would have been possible if not for Nierenberg's summer decision to suit up one more year. He considered sitting out this fall to focus on his career as a point guard. But unfinished business called for Ramsey (22-0-2).
"I feel like we as a team have grown a lot," Nierenberg said. "We've gotten experience making the state championship two years in a row. It's hard to come by. I think that helped us get over the hump."
This was the third part of a championship trilogy between Ramsey and Delran. The Bears knocked off Ramsey in the state final in 2021 and 2022 and each one came by a single goal.
The intensity was high again in the rematch, especially after the first goal with a heated exchange between coaches.
"Coming short the last two years, we felt the pain of losing," Nierenberg said. "As seniors, there's no next year for us. We had to get it done."
This time, Ramsey got it done by swarming Delran with a composed defense and an extremely high work rate. The Rams held two-time State Player of the Year Drew Roskos off the board with Nierenberg, Patrick Weir and Dan Capuano manning the back line. Goalie Steven DePinto made five saves in the Ramsey net.
"We just believed in each and every one of the guys," said Weir, a Penn commit who was named an All-American. "I think it's the best defense we've ever had at Ramsey."
What it means
This was the second state championship in Ramsey history and the first since coach Cesar Blacido scored the deciding goal in the 2007 final.
His current group at Ramsey is only the sixth Bergen-Passaic team to sweep league, county and state titles in the same season – joining the likes of Waldwick (1995), Clifton (1994 and 2019) and Ramapo (2012 and 2016). All of them finished unbeaten.
The short-term history is just as impressive. The Rams became the only team in the state this season to go wire-to-wire without a loss.
"We've been playing with each other so long," Nierenberg said. "We have so many kids on our team from my sophomore year when we lost the first time. We kept on working. I feel like this year everything came together and we pulled out all the stops."
Inside the match
Ramsey opened the scoring on a set piece in the 46th minute. Weir sent a free kick from midfield toward the right post and Nierenberg skied above the crowd for the deflection.
While Delran had some quality chances to equalize, it was Kiran Dewan who buried the next shot for Ramsey with 11:23 to play. Nico Quintero slid a pass down the middle to Dewan, who crushed a shot from about 25 yards out.
"One of my other teammates told me to shoot so I just went for it," Dewan said.
A two-goal cushion was more than enough breathing room for Ramsey. The Rams cemented their legacy by shutting out their last five opponents and 17 overall on the year.
"Being here the third year in a row, it's like c'mon we got to get over that hump," Blacido said. "The whole community is behind us. We have parents and former players that come in here and talk to the guys and support us."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ramsey boys soccer gets payback, defeats Delran for state championship
