The 2025 fall sports season marked yet another remarkable chapter in Ramapo High School’s athletic legacy, led by the outstanding performance of the boys’ soccer team. Throughout the season, the team showcased its prowess and tenacity, culminating in a thrilling victory at the State Championship finals, directly following the county championship win. With an impressive overall record of 21 wins and just one loss, the team demonstrated not only skill but also unyielding determination and grit from start to finish.
On Saturday, November 22, the Ramapo team faced Middletown South High School in a highly anticipated game, ultimately winning the State Championship with a 5-1 victory. This win marked an outstanding achievement for the team and solidified their status as champions. Senior Captain Jordan Hunt emphasized his pride, saying, “The best part of the season was for sure winning the State Championship and realizing that all of our hard work during the season paid off.”
This year’s team was filled with a diverse blend of talents, featuring 16 seniors, 8 juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman. The seniors applaud the team’s hard work and dedication. Hunt commented on this year’s varsity freshman, Owen O’Connell: “He really impressed me this season. He is a freshman who started in both the County and State Finals and was one of the best players on the field. He played like a senior, and he was very mature.”
Alongside a season packed with remarkable accomplishments, this year also celebrates head coach Evan Baumgarten’s 40th year of coaching, a milestone he concluded with pride. Coach Baumgarten’s career includes 683 wins across 41 seasons. His dedication and passion for the team are clearly seen in his career, and the results, as we know, are excellent. Baumgarten shared his wisdom in an interview he provided to the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association: “The idea of an opponent or competition is a very layered concept to coach and teach. While I am a very competitive person by nature, remaining humble about the results of games is one of the essential skills we attempt to instill at Ramapo […] If we focus on the process, the results take care of themselves – being the best players and coaches we can be, working together as a team, and playing for something larger than ourselves. Part of the ‘process’ is mutual respect for our opponent and the work they put in.”
As the season comes to a close, it is clear that the boys’ soccer team has not only brought home a State Championship but also instilled a sense of pride and unity within the team and the community as a whole. To the seniors embarking on their journey after high school, good luck from your team and from the entire Ramapo community.
With the guidance and seasoned coaching of Coach Baumgarten, the team continues to earn the respect and excitement of all its fans. Looking ahead, the future appears exceedingly bright for the boys’ soccer team, promising even more thrilling and eventful seasons.
