Giovanni Shine vs. Bloomfield.
EASt ORANGE, NJ (corrected Tuesday Oct. 25, 12:21 p.m.) –
The East Orange Campus High School varsity football team showed its resolve against an undefeated opponent.
After trailing by nine points in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars rallied with three straight touchdowns in the quarter and stunned Bloomfield, 32-29, Saturday afternoon, Oct. 22, at Paul Robeson Stadium in a North Jersey Super Football Conference-Liberty Blue Division game.
The Jaguars, who improved to a 4-2 record, handed Bloomfield its first loss of the season. Bloomfield moved to 5-1.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Jaguars took a 12-0 lead in the second quarter. Junior quarterback Q’uran Dixon hit senior Naseem White on a 28-yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead.
Junior defensive back Nasir Neal then returned a fumble 51 yards into the end zone for the Jaguars.
Bloomfield got on the board on Brandon Fernandes’ four-yard touchdown run to cut the Jaguars’ lead to 12-7 at the half.
In the third quarter, Fernandes scored on another four-yard run to give Bloomfield a 14-12 lead. Zavion Stevens had a 20-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend Bloomfield’s lead to 21-12.
Senior Eddie Marshall then caught two touchdown passes. The first was a 57-yarder from Dixon and the second was a 34-yarder from White. Rady Rojas, a junior, then returned a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown. Rojas kicked the extra point to give the Jaguars a 32-21 lead.
Fernandes scored on a one-yard run and Ryan Mondo had the conversion run to make it a three-point game, but the Jaguars held on for the win.
The Jaguars, under second-year head coach Al-Majid Hutchins, boosted their New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association North Section 2, Group 5 playoff hopes.
The top eight teams in the power-points standings after the eighth game earn playoff berths. EOCHS is in fourth place in the standings with 83 points.
The Jaguars host Morristown (1-6) on Friday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. in a divisional game.
East Orange Campus (4-2)
Sept. 9, Won, at Memorial of West New York, 61-15
Sept. 17, Loss, Columbia, 34-28
Sept. 23, Won, Livingston, 28-3
Oct. 1, at Won, Paterson Kennedy, 14-8
Oct. 8, Loss, at Montclair, 55-10
Oct. 22, Won, Bloomfield, 32-29
Oct. 28, Morristown, 7 p.m.
Nov. 5, at West Orange, 7 p.m.
Nov. 24, at Barringer, 11 a.m.
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