East Orange Campus HS football team gears up for Passaic County Tech in North 1, Group 5 championship game

Damon Phillips runs up the middle.

EAST ORANGE, NJ — The top-seeded and undefeated East Orange Campus High School football team defeated fourth-seeded West Orange High School, 14-0, in the semifinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5, playoffs on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 13, at Paul Robeson Stadium.

The Jaguars, who improved to 10-0 on the season under head coach Rae Oliver, will host third-seeded Passaic County Tech in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 20, at Robeson Stadium at 1 p.m.

Passaic County Tech defeated second-seeded Ridgewood, 28-9, in the other semifinal on Nov. 12 to improve to 8-3. 

This will be the Jaguars’ third state sectional final appearance. In 2007, they defeated Montclair. In 2009, they lost to Roxbury. Both championship games were held at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford.

East Orange and Passaic County Tech have played and defeated three common opponents this season: Montclair, Columbia and West Side. East Orange defeated Columbia, 52-0; Montclair, 37-28; and West Side, 35-0. Passaic County Tech defeated Columbia, 7-0; Montclair, 20-14, in triple overtime; and West Side, 21-12. 

The East Orange–Passaic County Tech final is a rematch of the 2019 North 1, Group 5, semifinal won by PCT, 14-6, as the Jaguars finished with a 9-2 record. Last year’s playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic.

The winner between East Orange Campus and Passaic County Tech will face the North 2, Group 5, championship winner between Clifton and Paterson Eastside, in the North, Group 5, regional championship at either MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford or SHI Stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway at a date and time to be determined.

EOCHS also will visit Barringer on Thanksgiving in Newark at 10:30 a.m. in one of the country’s oldest football series.

Photos Courtesy of Kerry E. Porter

East Orange vs. West Orange (North 1, Group 5 semifinals)

EOCHS roster

Number Position Year Height Weight First Name Last Name
1 RB/LB Sr 5’7 175 Sharif Bryan
2 OL/DL Sr 6’3 240 Ahmad Nalls
3 WR/DB Jr 6’3 160 Joshua Richards
4 RB/LB Sr 5’6 162 Damon Phillips
5 WR/DB Jr 5’8 160 BJ Covington
6 WR/DB Sr 6’2 188 Chris Amos
7 WR/DB Sr 5”8 160 Edwin Thomas III
8 QB Frosh 5’5 140 Jasai Lee
9 WR/DB Sr 6’ 200 Kyle Louis
10 QB Sr 6’2 178 Raeden Oliver
11 TE/LB Sr 6’1 222 Keyontae Scott
12 QB Jr 6’0 220 Suliman Pitts
14 WR/DB Sr 6’0 155 Mouhamadou Diabate
15 WR/DB Sr 5’7 130 Nathanael Larose
16 WR/DB Sr 5’9 175 Carl Ozias
17 WR/DB Sr 5’7 140 Javon Soiro
18 WR/DB Jr 6’1 163 Michael Henderson
19 WR/DB Sr 5’11 185 Prince Osagie-Erese
20 RB/LB Jr 5,9 203 Kasim Cross
21 WR/DB Sr 5’11 175 Geraldo Gibson
22 RB/LB Jr 5’9 174.4 Stephane Brun
23 RB/DB Sr 5’5 132 Jahlyte Chance
24 WR/DB Jr 5’5 150 Marquis Gilyard
25 RB/LB Sr 5’9 198 Tyshaun Bearfield
26 WR/DB Sr 5’6 140 Mikahl Taylor
27 TE/LB Jr 63 195 Akeerie Mcfarlane
28 OL/DL Sr 6’2 230 Moungue Nyame
29 RB/LB Sr 5,1 140 Jessica Felix
30 RB/LB Soph 5’7 180 Prince Bortey
31 RB/LB Sr 6’0 170 Zahmeer Gray
32 WR/DB Sr 5’10 155 Kaleb Harmon
33 WR/DB Jr 5’10 180 Na’il Johnson
34 WR/DB Jr 5’5 154 Khalil Ferguson-Tucker
35 WR/DB Jr 5’11 180 Davyonne Delaney
36 TE/LB Sr 6’0 175 Quintin Milton
37 RB/DB Soph 5’10 151 Abdur-rahman Jackson
38 WR/DB Jr 5’5” 137 Valson Gardner Jr.
39 WR/DB Frosh 5’7 147 Shakur Taylor
40 WR/DB Soph 5”9 131 Terrell Williams
42 WR/DB Jr 5’11 170 Nigel Jules
43 RB/DB Sr 5,1 120 Ibrahim Kante
44 RB/LB Jr 6’1 186 Aubrey Joseph
45 RB/LB Soph 5’8 215 Corey Woolridge
46 RB/LB Soph 5,9 157 Seon Bagot
47 RB/LB Jr 5’6 177 Noah Dorcin
51 OL/DL Sr 6’1 286 Rahmir Garner
52 OL/DL Jr 5’9 263 Zamir Grissom
53 OL/DL Sr 6’0 305 Richard Boursiquot
54 OL/DL Jr 6’0 240 Kymanie Deacon
55 OL/DL Jr 6’2 290 E.J. Pullins
56 OL/DL Soph 6ft 210 Sayon Johnson
57 OL/DL Jr 6’4 288 D’Jaun Fisher
58 OL/DL Sr 6’2 248 Sekou Kromah
59 OL/DL Jr 6’2 241 Auco Williams
60 OL/DL Soph 5’10 230 Juvens Jean-Louis
61 OL/DL Soph 5”11 264 Noah Moscova
62 OL/DL Frosh 5’9 260 Alvins Collin
63 OL/DL Jr 5’8 187 Darian Wright
64 OL/DL Sr 6’2 259 Jaylen Williams
65 OL/DL Soph 6’1” 400 Junior Norzil
71 OL/DL Sr 5’11 270-280 Jaylin Bravo
72 OL/DL Jr 6’5 305 Jaiden Stokes
74 OL/DL Sr 5,11 270 Jameer Simmons
75 OL/DL Sr 6’2 330 Dieunerst Collin
77 OL/DL Sr 6’5 336”7 Elijah McClain
81 WR/DB Soph 6’0″ 140lbs Tamir Burney-LaBerth
82 WR/DB Soph 5’10 153 Jermaine Puryear
82 WR/DB Soph 5’10 151 Jermaine Puryear
85 WR/DB Jr 6’3 187 Emeka Oguguo
86 WR/DB Jr 5’8 132 Shane Yaw

Head coach:

Rae Oliver

Assistant coaches:

John Jacob

Leander Knight

Roger Hutchins

Willie Miller

Eric Palmer

John Pullins

Mike Scott

Athletic Director:

Michael L. Baldwin, Sr.