No. 1 seed East Orange Campus HS football team gears up for playoffs

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Few teams are as red-hot as the East Orange Campus High School football team entering the postseason.

The Jaguars are the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5, state playoffs. EOCHS, under fifth-year head coach Rae Oliver, enters the playoffs with an 8-0 record. It is the first time that EOCHS has entered the playoffs with an undefeated record on the season.

The Jaguars will host No. 8 seed Elizabeth in the first round on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. at Paul Robeson Stadium. Elizabeth is 3-6 on the season. The winner will face the winner between No. 5 seed Westfield and No. 4 seed West Orange in the semifinals. Ridgewood is the No. 2 seed. EOCHS defeated West Orange this season, 21-14, in a Super Football Conference–Freedom Red Division game in West Orange on Sept. 24 in week 4.

The Jaguars, who were idle the previous week, defeated West Side, 35-0, at Robeson Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 30, to improve to 8-0.

Last season, the playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic.

The Jaguars will visit Barringer on Thanksgiving in the regular-season finale at Schools Stadium at 10:30 a.m.

The following are the 2021 North 1, Group 5, playoff matchups:

• No. 8 seed Elizabeth at No. 1 seed East Orange Campus.
• No. 5 seed Westfield at No. 4 seed West Orange.
• No. 6 seed Montclair at No. 3 seed Passaic County Tech.
• No. 7 seed Columbia at No. 2 seed Ridgewood.

The following are season records:

• East Orange Campus, 8-0. 
• Elizabeth, 3-6. 
• Westfield, 3-5. 
• West Orange, 6-3. 
• Montclair, 5-4. 
• Passaic County Tech, 6-3. 
• Columbia, 5-4. 
• Ridgewood, 6-2.

Photo Courtesy of Kerry E. Porter

  East Orange Campus High School football