EAST ORANGE, NJ — In 1980, the East Orange High School girls basketball team had the ultimate dream season.
The Lady Panthers won the Essex County Tournament championship and then captured the Group 4 state championship to finish with a perfect 27-0 record. It was the first and only time in the history of East Orange basketball history that a team, boys or girls, finished undefeated.
The team, under the late Mozzelle Johnson, will be honored with a special presentation at the second East Orange High School Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday, June 2, at the Galloping Hill Caterers, located at 1085 Galloping Hill Road, in Union, from 6 to 10 p.m.
The Lady Panthers were blessed with super talented players such as senior center Janice Walker and junior guard Paulette Bigelow, who were both All-State players.
Walker, a current supervisor in the East Orange Recreation Department, recently shared some memories of that spectacular season.
“We had great players,” said Walker, whose late sister, Gladys Walker, was also on the team. “We worked together as a team. We worked hard together as a team. We just all worked on the floor.”
In addition to their strong chemistry on the floor, the Lady Panthers recognized their roles, which also proved pivotal in accomplishing their perfect season.
“Everybody played their role,” Walker said. “We had the starting five and the bench. It wasn’t about Janice Walker. It was about us as a team and that’s why we became 27-0 and county and state champs.”
Walker also credited the guidance of Coach Johnson.
“Ms. Johnson, God rest her soul, she was a good coach,” Walker said.
After being named first-team All-State, Walker went on to Essex County College and then transferred to Division 1 Temple University.
Bigelow continued her career at Cheyney State College, now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, under legendary head coach C. Vivian Stringer. Bigelow was on the Cheyney team that reached the Division 1 national championship game against Louisiana Tech in 1982. Cheyney was the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) school to win an NCAA regional title and reach a national championship, though Louisiana Tech came out victorious.
Bigelow, who resides in East Orange and has been a corrections office in the Essex County Department of Corrections for 28 years, has vivid memories of playing on the 1980 EOHS girls basketball team.
“That team was awesome,” she said. “We had a great organization. Everybody was a family there. We had great players. Back then, we were in Group 4, and Group 4 was one of the toughest groups in high school basketball. To beat Barringer, to beat Shabazz, to beat Paterson Eastside, to beat Linden, it was tough to beat any of those schools. It was an awesome feeling, a great feeling.”
EOHS defeated Atlantic City in the Group 4 state final. “That was an awesome game. They were good, though, real good.”
Walker coached the EO Rec All-Star girls basketball teams for about 20 years, leading those teams to numerous championships. Those players went on to play at East Orange Campus High School where they led the Jaguars to county and state sectional titles. Walker is especially proud that they have gone on to college, received their degrees and have become successful in life.
When Walker received the phone call that the team will be honored at the induction ceremony, she was speechless.
“That’s an honor,” said Walker, who plans on attending the ceremony. “When I got the phone call, I had no words for that.”
Bigelow also plans to attend the ceremony.
“It’s an awesome feeling because it happened so long ago,” she said. “For us to be the only undefeated team in the history of East Orange, boys and female sports, is a great honor.”
In addition to the 1980 girls team, there will be special presentations made to legendary EOHS head boys basketball head coach Bob Lester’s two No.1 state-ranked teams: the 1972 team led by Mike Dabney, Jimmy Saunders and Booker Council; and the 1976 team led by Clyde Bradshaw, Dennis Ross and James Pitchford.
This is a prepaid, formal dress affair, which includes buffet style dinner with a cash bar. There will be no payment accepted at the door.
To arrange payment, contact Laurie Williams at 862-224-9200.
Photos Courtesy of Rodney Williams and Janice Walker
UPDATED: East Orange High School Lady Panthers were perfect in 1980 added by Joe Ragozzino on
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