Brady Williams’ Five-Touchdown Night Powers No. 4 RFH Past No. 9 Wall

WALL TWP. — Ten months ago, Wall brought Rumson-Fair Haven’s 11-year sectional final streak to a halt.

On Thursday night, Brady Williams faced the team that ended RFH’s historic run and delivered the type of performance that can redefine a player—and a team.

The junior quarterback completed 23 of 35 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 80 yards and two more scores, powering No. 4 Rumson-Fair Haven to a 35-13 victory over No. 9 Wall.

Williams accounted for 397 yards and all five of RFH touchdowns as the Bulldogs improved to 4-0. Even that stat line did not fully capture his night, as several catchable passes were dropped.

“He’s a great kid,” RFH coach Jeremy Schulte said. “Every week, every day he comes out, he tries to get better. He does everything he’s supposed to do and is a pretty damn good athlete at the same time. That’s always a nice recipe.”

There was no mistaking what the game meant to either side.

RFH defeated Wall 38-14 in the 2024 Central Jersey Group 2 championship game. The Crimson Knights answered last fall with a 17-13 semifinal victory that ended the Bulldogs’ Shore Conference-record streak of 11 consecutive sectional-final appearances.

The physicality, emotion and packed atmosphere Thursday night reflected a matchup that has quickly grown into one of the Shore Conference’s most underrated rivalries. The difference this time was the more confident and commanding version of Williams leading RFH’s offense.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback consistently identified where Wall was committing its second-level defenders. When the Crimson Knights crowded the box to account for senior running back Ryder Izzo, Williams distributed the ball to RFH’s receivers or used his legs. When Wall widened to defend the perimeter, he attacked the vacated space underneath.

RFH’s run-pass option package repeatedly placed Wall’s linebackers and safeties in conflict. Williams made quick decisions, delivered the ball accurately and allowed his receivers to create after the catch.

“Quick passes are kind of what we’ve been building on,” Williams said. “Knowing that I can dish the ball out quickly and get it off, most of the time, if there’s no linebacker pushed out, he’s going to get five yards each time. It’s just consistent yardage.”

Wall’s front limited Izzo to 24 yards on nine carries, but RFH never became one-dimensional. Williams’ mobility and the Bulldogs’ depth at receiver allowed them to find answers elsewhere.

Senior wide receiver Cole Spoonire caught five passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. Junior wide receiver Michael Capra added seven receptions for 67 yards and a score, while senior wide receiver Jason Tucker caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Senior wide receiver Casey Moore contributed five receptions for 44 yards.

“When you have so many guys who can get open, it’s very hard to cover all those guys,” Williams said. “We have five or six receivers who rotate in, and I’m comfortable throwing the ball to all of them. Ryder out of the backfield is huge, too.”

Wall senior quarterback Franny Scaramellino missed the Crimson Knights’ opening offensive and defensive series for an undisclosed reason. He returned for Wall’s second possession and completed 14 of 23 passes for 103 yards while rushing 10 times for 70 yards.

RFH took a 3-0 lead on senior kicker and cornerback Jackson Wile’s 25-yard field goal after senior linebacker Shea Fagan dropped Williams for a loss near the goal line.

Williams took control from there.

He connected with Capra for a 13-yard touchdown, scored on a 26-yard keeper and found Tucker for a 34-yard score to send RFH into halftime with a 21-0 lead.

Wall struggled to punish the Bulldogs for committing additional defenders near the line of scrimmage. Junior running back Mike Boulard finished with 62 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, but RFH limited the yards after contact that fueled his performance against Manalapan one week earlier.

Outside of Scaramellino’s 38-yard completion to senior wide receiver Connor Rickle, Wall produced little vertically to force RFH out of its aggressive approach. Junior linebacker Jaden Cavise ended one promising possession with a fourth-down sack, while junior defensive back Bodie Matchett recorded two tackles for loss.

The Crimson Knights finally found life after recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half. Boulard scored from 12 yards out five plays later, and Wall forced an RFH punt before returning to its run-first identity.

Scaramellino kept the ball on a speed option and raced from RFH’s 40-yard line to the 5 on fourth-and-5. Boulard finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown, cutting the Bulldogs’ lead to 21-13.

For the first time all night, the outcome felt uncertain.

Williams needed one throw to settle it.

Facing third-and-8 deep in RFH territory, he recognized the coverage before the snap and knew where he wanted to go. Williams connected with Spoonire, who made multiple defenders miss and turned the completion into an 84-yard touchdown.

 

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“I knew right away who I was throwing the ball to as soon as coach called the play,” Williams said. “I knew he was going to be open. I knew he would take it. He always just seems to make plays happen.”

Wall had spent most of the third quarter working its way back into the game. Williams erased that momentum in seconds.

“That’s one of those response plays that is pivotal,” Schulte said. “It also shows Brady’s trust in his wide receivers. Cole is a tremendous wide receiver. He’s had huge catches in big moments. The kid is a stud. He’ll do anything for you.”

The play captured what makes RFH’s offense so difficult to defend. The Bulldogs can collect efficient yardage through quick throws, use Izzo’s presence to command attention inside and then attack vertically once defenders begin driving toward the line of scrimmage.

An errant snap on Wall’s ensuing possession gave RFH the ball inside the Crimson Knights’ 30. Williams capitalized with a 9-yard touchdown run, restoring a three-score advantage at 35-13 and ending Wall’s comeback bid.

RFH’s offensive line also earned a measure of redemption. Wall overwhelmed the Bulldogs up front during last season’s semifinal, holding them to minus-4 total yards through three quarters and 116 for the game. This time, RFH gave Williams enough time to diagnose pressure, work through his progressions and create when the pocket moved.

The Bulldogs did it without junior guard Milo Jones. Sophomore guard Gavin Barber stepped into the lineup and helped RFH withstand a physical Wall front led by Fagan, who recorded three tackles for loss, and senior outside linebacker Travis Bockoven, who added two.

“Walking off the field against them last year at halftime, our offensive line looked like deer in the headlights with everything that was going on and them flying around,” Schulte said. “Tonight, they handled it really well. I’m really proud of them up front.”

RFH also showed noticeable growth defensively. Senior defensive tackle Ben Gredell anchored a unit that consistently finished tackles in space and prevented Wall from extending plays after contact. Schulte said the Bulldogs went from 31 missed tackles in their opener against Tottenville to single digits Thursday.

“That’s the growth you want to see as a coach,” Schulte said. “We have a lot of football left to play, but it’s a lot of fun with this group.”

Wall remains at its best when Boulard and Scaramellino can control the game on the ground. Against the Shore’s top defenses, however, the Crimson Knights will need more consistent production through play action and the intermediate passing game to prevent opponents from loading the box.

RFH left Wall looking like one of the Shore’s most complete teams. The Bulldogs have an established running back in Izzo, a deep receiving corps, an experienced offensive line and a defense that continues to improve.

Now, they also have a quarterback making a strong case to be considered among the best in the conference.

Williams entered the season with only part-time starting experience and plenty still to prove. Four games later, his accuracy, decision-making, mobility and command of RFH’s offense have elevated him into the Shore’s elite.

“For me, it’s been the mindset of knowing that I’m the quarterback of the team and that I have to lead the team,” Williams said. “I have to make sure the guys are there and doing what they have to do, and it’ll all work out.”

That leadership was evident whenever RFH needed it most. Williams steadied the Bulldogs against Wall’s pressure, involved every part of their offense and delivered the defining response when the Crimson Knights threatened to take control.

Thursday’s victory could not erase the playoff loss that ended RFH’s historic streak last season, but it demonstrated how much the Bulldogs—and their quarterback—have grown since then.

Facing Wall for the first time since that painful defeat, RFH absorbed the Crimson Knights’ strongest push and walked away with a convincing measure of revenge.

At the center of it all was Williams, who entered the season trying to establish himself as RFH’s quarterback and left Thursday night looking like the standard by which every other quarterback in the Shore Conference may soon be measured.