ORANGE, NJ – The Orange High School varsity football team, which qualified for the postseason and finished with a 4-6 record this season, featured several key contributors this season.
Junior quarterback George Crespo enjoyed a solid year. He completed 43 of 91 passes for 908 yards and nine touchdowns; and rushed for 557 yards and four TDs on 117 carries.
Junior Nyquee Hawkins, regarded as one of the top defensive players in the nation in his class, was a force on offense and defense. Hawkins rushed for 928 yards on 109 carries (8.5 yard per carry) with eight touchdowns. He also caught 15 passes for 191 yards and a TD on the season. Defensively, Hawkins posted 60 tackles and one forced fumble.
Senior Jair McClary also sparked the ground game as he rushed for 441 yards and five TDs on 51 carries. The other main receivers were senior tight end Mahkye Boswell (13 catches for 249 yards, 6 TDs) and 6-foot-3 senior Quasean Waithe (8 receptions for 181 yards, 4 TDs).
On defense, Boswell had a team-high 89 tackles with two forced fumbles as a linebacker.
Senior end Nasier Givens also was dominant with a whopping 15 sacks to go along with 74 tackles, one forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.
Other key defensive players were senior tackle Wilgen Previlon (63 tackles, 1 sack), senior tackle Joshua Fields (47 tackles, 2 sacks), junior end Nigel Thomas (41 tackles, 5 sacks), senior linebacker Kyron Copher (39 tackles) and senior DB Michael Pennix (22 tackles).
Hawkins is a four-star prospect ranked as the No. 130 overall player in the nation and the No. 10-ranked cornerback for the Class of 2019 by 247sports.com. Among his scholarship offers are Penn State, Boston College, UConn, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Old Dominion, Pitt, Minnesota, Rutgers, Syracuse, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Nebraska, Temple, Virginia and Virginia Tech.
The Tornadoes, under head coach Randy Daniel, lost to North Hunterdon, 26-9, in the quarterfinals of the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 playoffs on Nov. 10 to finish the season. Daniel completed his 22nd year as the Tornadoes head coach.
Orange HS football sparked by key leaders this season added by Joe Ragozzino on
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