East Orange Campus HS football team seeks to regroup after falling to Columbia for first loss of season

EAST ORANGE, NJ (updated Tuesday, Sept. 20, 10:49 a.m.) – The East Orange Campus High School varsity football team hopes to bounce back from its first loss of the season. The Jaguars, coming off a tough 34-28 loss to Columbia, will host Livingston this Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. in a North Jersey Super Football Conference Liberty Blue Division game. EOCHS junior quarterback Q’uran Dixon completed 11 of 16 passes for 168 yards and three touchdowns in the divisional loss to Columbia on Saturday, Sept. 17, in the Jaguars’ home opener at Paul Robeson Stadium. Columbia scored on a 23-yard pass play from quarterback Luke Hayes to Nile Garcia with four minutes left in the game to break a 28-28 tie.

EOCHS trailed 28-14 at the half. Dixon connected with junior receiver Fayeson Carney on a 21-yard TD pass, followed by junior Rady Rojas’ point-after kick, in the third quarter to cut it 28-21. In the fourth quarter, Rady, a running back/receiver, scored on 3-yard run. Rojas kicked the ensuing extra point to tie it 28-28.

In the first quarter, Dixon hit senior receiver Naseem White on a 45-yard TD pass. Columbia led 21-7 at the end of the quarter. In the second quarter, Dixon found Carney on a 22-yard TD pass.

Rojas kicked the two extra points in the first half.

Senior running back Giovanni Shine rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries for the Jaguars. Rojas finished with 60 rushing yards on five carries and a TD.

White finished with five catches for 101 yards and a TD and Carney had three receptions for 41 yards and two TDs.

Senior receiver Eddie Marshall also had two catches for 12 yards and Rojas had one catch for 14 yards.

EOCHS and Columbia are now 1-1. Livingston also is 1-1.