Orange HS football team will visit Ridgefield Park in playoff opener

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ORANGE, NJ (updated Tuesday, Nov. 8, 12:15 p.m.) – The Orange High School varsity football team, under head coach Randy Daniel, received the No. 7 seed in the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 playoffs and will visit second-seeded Ridgefield Park on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.

The winner will face the winner between sixth-seeded Governor Livingston and third-seeded Morris Hills in the semifinals the following weekend.

Ridgefield Park has a 5-4 record.

Senior running back Umar Jenkins rushed for 217 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries and sophomore quarterback George Crespo passed for two touchdowns to lead the Tornadoes to a 20-7 win at Chatham on Saturday, Nov. 5, in a North Jersey Super Essex Conference-Patriot White Division game.

The Tornadoes won their second straight and fourth in five games to move to a 5-4 record. Chatham fell to 2-7.

Crespo threw both touchdown passes in the first quarter to give the Tornadoes a 12-0 lead. Crespo connected with sophomore Nyquee Hawkins on a 55-yard scoring pass. Crespo hit junior Quesean Waite on an eight-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion passes failed.

In the second quarter, Jenkins ran for a three-yard touchdown run. Jenkins then ran for the two-point conversion to make it 20-0. Chatham scored a touchdown in the second quarter.

Crespo was 5 of 11 passing for 90 yards. Hawkins finished with three receptions for 73 yards.

Defensively for the Tornadoes, Hawkins had 10 tackles and one sack; senior tackle Tazmir Holcomb had nine tackles and one sack; junior linebacker Mahkye Boswell had eight tackles; senior defensive end Michael Pennix had six tackles and one interception; junior linebacker Kyron Copher had four tackles and one interception; junior linebacker Nasier Givens had five tackles and one sack; Jenkins posted three tackles and a sack as a linebacker; and sophomore linebacker Nigel Thomas and junior defensive back Louis Thompson each had three tackles.

North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 playoffs

8-Nutley at 1-West Essex

5-Snyder at 4-Parsippany Hills

6-Governor Livingston at 3-Morris Hills

7-Orange at 2-Ridgefield Park

Orange (5-4)

Sept. 9, Won, Ferris, 53-6

Sept. 16, Loss, at Mahwah, 42-16

Sept. 23, Loss, at West Essex, 20-14

Sept. 30, Loss, Passaic Valley, 20-12

Oct. 8, Won, at Barringer, 33-0

Oct. 15, Won, Nutley, 36-29 (OT)

Oct. 21, Loss, at Parsippany Hills, 23-13

Oct. 28, Won, Newark Central, 22-7

Nov. 5, Won, at Chatham, 20-7

  Orange High School football