Will Kramer is set for the 27-yard field goal attempt. The snap, the hold, the kick to save homecoming is…?
On the morning of October 5th, 2024, the tranquil sound of birdsong quickly became drowned out by the commotion building at William O. Regan Stadium. At 12:45 pm, nearly 600 students surged onto the field, forming a human tunnel to rally the football team for their homecoming game. Moments later, the Delbarton Green Wave charged out of the locker room and spilled onto the field, rumbling through the high-five lane with flags in hand, electrifying the crowd. An estimated 8,000 people packed Delbarton’s campus for the game, transforming the high school into a scene that resembled a full-fledged college game day.
After Delbarton’s iconic “home of the Wave” conclusion to the “Star Spangled Banner”, which sent the student section into a mobbing frenzy, fans returned their attention to the field for the 1 pm kickoff.
Pope John brought the crowd down to earth when Tylik Hill, the senior running back, punched in a score from 31 yards out to make it a quick 7-0 defecit for the home team. After the Green Wave fell flat on offense, Pope John decided they liked what they saw from their senior and fed him the ball for another score, this time a 60-yard touchdown run to double their lead over Delbarton.
Philip Folmar, one of Delbarton’s captains and three-star wide receiver, responded in the second quarter with a touchdown of his own, running it into the endzone to cut Pope John’s lead to 7. After quality defense from the Green Wave, Will Kramer went for a gutsy 49-yard field goal attempt to bring the home team within 4. The Williams College commit’s kick flew through the middle of the uprights to shift the game’s momentum further. With halftime nearing, Delbarton quarterback Jadon Prinzivalli connected with junior Matthew Tafuri on a 37-yard pass, further inspiring the home crowd.
After an impressive second quarter from both sides of the ball for the Green Wave and a restful halftime, Delbarton appeared for the second half of the game up by 3. Pope John refused to let the game get away, though; Tylik Hill scored for the second time with an 11-yard touchdown run to flip the score for the third time of the game.
Delbarton’s defense didn’t back down and wasn’t done; they secured a safety to make it 21-19 and get within two. Brock Dandridge, Delbarton’s senior running back, scored to make it 25-21. In football shootout fashion, Luke Gialanella delivered for Pope John, flipping the score in their favor at 28-25. Delbarton responded once more, this time with a Matthew Tafuri 85-yard reception to make it 32-28 Green Wave. It seemed only a matter of time before Pope John would strike back, and they eventually did: Luke Irwin delivered a 23-yard touchdown pass to Wes Johnson for the seventh lead change of the game. After Nick Stoll made an impressive block to stop the point after touchdown, Delbarton had the ball with a chance to send Pope John home.
As the clock winded down, the Green Wave stormed down the field. Prinzivalli found connections with Girard Yoo and pushed further into Pope John’s territory with Brock Dandridge until they called Kramer on to attempt the kick of his life.
The leaders of Delbarton’s student section hushed the crowd as Kramer lined up for a kick. Will Kramer is set for the 27-yard field goal attempt. The snap, the hold, the kick to save homecoming is… GOOD! William O. Regan’s field erupted in a roar of triumph as Kramer was rushed by his teammates. The eighth score change of the game proved to be the last, as Delbarton’s defense held the Lions on a convincing but fruitless final drive, sealing the fate of Pope John and securing a victory for their homecoming fans. Lucas Cardinale, senior for Delbarton, had a game-ending interception to solidify the Green Wave’s lead.
I spoke to Brock Dandridge after the eventful day and asked how special the victory was. “This win was extra special for our team, being able to persevere and make our school proud, especially on an important day like homecoming. The confidence and trust that we all have in each other as a team was exactly what we felt from the Delbarton community on Saturday, which helped us pull out a victory.”
The 35-34 win over Pope John improved Delbarton’s record to 5-1; they will play #1 ranked Bergen Catholic at home on Saturday, October 19th.
