BELEVILLE, NJ — The 30th Paul Robeson High School All-Star Football Classic was a huge success on Tuesday, June 11, at Belleville High School’s Municipal Stadium/Doc Ellis Field.
The game, featuring graduating seniors, drew a capacity crowd. The East All-Stars consisted of players from Essex, Union and Hudson counties, while the West All-Stars consisted of players from Passaic, Morris and Sussex counties.
The West All-Stars prevailed, 23-12. This was the second straight that the game was played at Belleville. The game had been played at Paul Robeson Stadium in East Orange each year. Robeson Stadium is undergoing renovations.
At the end of the game, the Most Valuable Players for each team were announced for both offense and defense. West Orange running back Adonis White was named the East Offensive MVP and Weequahic defensive back Zakai Armstrong was named the East Defensive MVP. The MVPs for the West were Paterson Eastside quarterback Nigel Jennings and Passaic Tech defensive lineman Ladanian Pless.
After the West scored a touchdown to take a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, White scored on a 75-yard TD run on the first play from scrimmage to cut it 10-6 with 8:08 left in the first half.
Bloomfield quarterback Trevor Frantantoni, who played the entire game, threw a 60-yard TD pass to Newark East Side receiver Jaquis McKeever with 1:13 left in the fourth quarter to produce the final score.
West Orange head coach Darnell Grant served as the East head coach. Whippany Park head coach Luke Maginnis was the West head coach.
The following East players from the Worrall Community Newspapers publishing area in Essex County played in the game:
Belleville
Khalil Bey, wide receiver.
Bloomfield
Trevor Frantantoni, quarterback.
Jonathan Nichol, running back.
East Orange Campus
Corey Woolridge, linebacker.
Glen Ridge
Jesse Gibbs, offensive lineman.
Irvington
Malachi Dudley, running back.
Ismail Shabazz, defensive lineman.
Orange
Makhy Acey, wide receiver.
Chris Brewster, offensive lineman.
West Orange
Adonis White, running back.
Jake Jefay, tight end.
Ricardo Camacho, offensive lineman.
Myles Adams, West Orange.
At halftime, the Essex County Football Coaches Association inducted its 2024 Class.
They inductees were:
Jermain Johnson, current Montclair head coach.
John Jacob, current East Orange Campus head coach.
Raheem Morris, current Atlanta Falcons head coach (NFL), and Irvington native.
Sandy Hunter, former Montclair head coach.
Chris Strumolo, Glen Ridge head coach, who will be entering his first year at the helm.
The Robeson Classic was started in 1993. The co-founders of the Robeson Classic were Dr. Stephen Cowan and the late Larry Schumacher. Both men had a vision to assemble football talent while paying homage to Paul Robeson, who was a great American and former All-American football player from Rutgers University
The Robeson board members are Mary Fayton, Tim Fell, Robert Hampton, Ronald Jackson, Mike Kinney, Michael J. Lamberti, George Meuha, Tyrone Miles, Joe Stefanelli, Terry Tucker, James Williams and David Biunno, who join original members Mike Carter, Ken Trimmer, and Dr. Cowan to form Robeson Classic, Inc.
Here are the bios of the inductees, according to the Robeson game program:
JOHN JACOB
Jacob has an extensive coaching background. He was the head coach at West Orange High School for 11 seasons (2002-12). Following his tenure at WOHS, he was an offensive coordinator at perennial powerhouse Wayne Hills HS for six seasons during the same era that Montclair HS head football coach Jermain Johnson ran the defense. Johnson joined Jacob as a Hall of Fame inductee during halftime on June 11.
Jacob helped Wayne Hills to a pair of state sectional crowns in 2016 and 2018. Wayne Hills also won a bowl championship crown in 2018.
JERMAINE JOHNSON
Johnson is a 1991 graduate of Bloomfield High, where he played for three varsity seasons under head coach Chet Parlavecchio. Following high school, he had a tremendous collegiate career at Montclair State, then played professionally in the Arena Football League.
Johnson then began a successful career, with head coaching jobs at Paterson Eastside High School, Bellville High School, and currency at Montclair High. He was also the defensive coordinator at Wayne Hills High School, and helped that program win a state sectional championship in 2016.
SANDY HUNTER
Hunter was a highly successful football coach at Montclair High. Sandy was born and raised in Montclair and attended Montclair High, where he played football and basketball, under some legendary coaches in Clary Anderson and Butch Fortunato.
Hunter graduated from Montclair High in 1970, then attended Montclair State College.
Sandy coached football at Montclair from 1984-2009. He coached every position on the field, at every level, during his 26 years as a football coach. Montclair would win three sectional titles and appear in seven sectional finals in Sandy’s tenure.
RAHEEM MORRIS
Morris, an Irvington native and Irvington High School graduate, Class of 1994, was named the new head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League.
Morris previously was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was most recently the defensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams, leading the Rams to a 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56 following the 2021 season.
In 2003, Morris was the defensive quality control coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat the Oakland Raiders to win Super Bowl 37.
Understandably, Morris did not attend the Robeson Classic.
CHRIS STRUMOLO
Strumolo grew up in Nutley and played football at Nutley High School. After serving as an assistant coach at Weequahic HS in Newark, where he was on the staff that won the 2006 Central Jersey, Group 2 state title, Strumolo became the head coach at Belleville High School for three seasons from 2008-2010. In his first season at Belleville, Strumolo led the Buccaneers to a 5-5 final record, capped by a 29-22 win over rival Nutley on Thanksgiving. It was the last time Belleville has beaten Nutley.
After Belleville, Strumolo was an assistant coach at Newark Central HS. Strumolo also served as an assistant coach at Caldwell University for its sprint football squad.
NOTES – The Robeson Classic was not played in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID–19 pandemic, but players were recognized.
Glen Ridge’s Jesse Gibbs also was a standout wrestler. He will attend the University of Delaware, where he will participate in the club wrestling program.
Bloomfield’s Trevor Frantantoni will attend Montclair State University and Jonathan Nichol will attend William Paterson University.
Irvington’s Ismail Shabazz will attend the University of Franklin Pierce University, in New Hampshire.
Orange’s Makhy Acey will attend the University of New Haven, in Connecticut.
Photos by Joe Ragozzino
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