ORANGE, NJ – Down by three touchdowns in the second half, the Orange High School varsity football team made a furious rally to get to the state championship game.
But the Tornadoes’ comeback fell short as they lost to Morris Hills, 21-14, in the semifinals of the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 19, in Rockaway.
The seventh-seeded Tornadoes, under Randy Daniel, finished the season with a 6-5 record.
Morris Hills took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 58-yard run by Daymon Fleming, followed by Damion Gonzalez’s extra point kick.
The Tornadoes had a chance to tie it late in the second quarter with a first-and-goal at the Morris Hills 8-yard line. But on third down, Fleming intercepted OHS sophomore quarterback George Crespo in the end zone to preserve Morris Hills’ 7-0 lead.
Earlier in the first half, OHS twice drove deep in Morris Hills, but was stopped on fourth down both times.
In the third quarter, Morris Hills broke the game open. Devon Caruso scored on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Fleming, followed by Nick Walls’ three-yard scoring run. Gonzalez kicked both extra points to make it 21-0.
But the Tornadoes responded as Crespo hit senior Dequan Battles for an 80-yard touchdown pass later in the third quarter. Crespo completed the two-point conversion pass to senior Rasheed Boyd to cut it to 21-8.
Crespo fired a 13-yard pass to Boyd in the fourth quarter to draw the Tornadoes within 21-14. The two-point conversion pass failed. The Tornadoes later got the ball back after a Morris Hills punt, but turned it over on downs as Morris Hills held on for the win.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Tornadoes showed tremendous resolve this season. After losing three straight games to fall to a 1-3 record, the Tornadoes regrouped to win five of the next six games, including a 13-0 win at second-seeded Ridgefield Park in the first round of the playoffs, avenging last year’s first-round loss to the same team.
Morris Hills (8-3) will face fourth-seeded Parsippany Hills in the championship game at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. Parsippany Hills upset top-seeded West Essex in the other semifinal on Nov. 18 for its fifth straight win to improve to 7-4. West Essex finished 7-4.
Orange (6-5)
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, Central, 22-7
Nov. 5, Won, at Chatham, 20-7
Nov. 11, Won, at Ridgefield Park, 13-0*
Nov. 19, Loss, at Morris Hills, 21-14*
*North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 playoffs
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