Clarence Turner was a three-sport lettermen at East Orange High School. He graduated in 1976.
EAST ORANGE, NJ — East Orange vs. Barringer is one of the oldest high school football series in the nation, dating back to 1897.
The teams traditionally meet on Thanksgiving. Every year, former players from both teams gather for a reunion dinner on Thanksgiving Eve, fondly reminiscing about their battles on the field.
The organization that plans the annual reunion is called the East Orange–Barringer Old Guard, which has existed since 1922, the 25th anniversary of the football series.
During the COVID–19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the Old Guard managed to have a virtual gathering.
Clarence Turner recently has been named as the new president of the Old Guard.
Turner – a lifelong resident of East Orange and an East Orange High School graduate, Class of 1976 – served as vice president of the Old Guard for the past eight years and succeeded Steven Shaw – EOHS alum, Class of 1977 – as president.
In an interview with the Record-Transcript, Turner said he was the last three-sport letterman in East Orange High School history. He was the quarterback on the football team, which was 9-2 and made the state sectional playoffs in his senior year. He played second base on the baseball team and he was the point guard on the basketball team in his senior year, when the Panthers won their third of four straight Essex County Tournament titles and the fifth of six straight state group championships.
Turner is thrilled to be the president of the Old Guard.
“I’m a lifelong resident of East Orange and a die-hard Panther,” Turner said. “Our unity, our camaraderie, our love for each other; it’s not just in sports, but in the alumni alone. It’s been 50-plus years and we are all still friends. We give back to the community. We come together each year. Panther love.”
The Old Guard plans various fundraisers, as well as solicits financial support from the business community. They then use the funds to provide several services, such as providing pregame meals for the East Orange Campus High School football team, as well as football equipment.
“No kid goes without a pair of cleats, uniform or chin strap,” Turner said. “Whatever a family needs, the Old Guard will be there.”
The breakfast and lunch meals for the football team was started by 1975 EOHS graduate Rodney Williams, who was Turner’s teammate on the basketball team, and his wife, Laurie Williams, until 2022 when the Old Guard took over that duty.
For the past six years, Turner has been an operations manager for an East Orange-based outpatient facility for adults seeking help with substance use disorders.
Turner is excited for the future with the Old Guard.
“We’re going to be more involved with youth football programs, for boys and girls. We want to (help) track and field. We want to do whatever it is for youth sports in East Orange. In the next 10 years, we want to pass the torch for the new generation.”
The East Orange–Barringer football series was discontinued for 18 years, when the teams were placed in different conferences. But it was revived in 2009, when the Super Essex Conference was formed.
The teams have played on Thanksgiving ever year since, alternating between Barringer’s School Stadium and East Orange’s Paul Robeson Stadium. The EOCHS Jaguars have won every meeting since 2009. East Orange holds a 63-39-9 series advantage.
Photos Courtesy of Clarence Turner
About the Author
