ORANGE, NJ –
For many years, Orange High School has always been classified as a Group 2 or Group 3 school by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for postseason competition.
But recently, the NJSIAA reclassified the OHS football team to Group 4 status. Group size refers to school enrollment.
OHS will be in North Jersey Section 2, Group 4. The other schools reclassified to that section are Barringer, Irvington, Ferris, and Linden.
With 921 students enrolled, Orange High has the smallest enrollment amount among the 15 schools in that section.
OHS head football coach Randy Daniel told the Record-Transcript that if Orange High School had about five less students, the football team would have remained in Section 2, Group 3, and Chatham would have moved up to Section 2, Group 4 instead.
Daniel also pointed out that the enrollment figure is “deceiving” in which “a lot of kids come and go” by the time September arrives for the start of the school year.
A major disadvantage for the Tornadoes is the fact that they won’t receive many power points because they play mostly Group 2 teams on their schedule. One of the factors in the power-point system is Group size of opponents. The power-point system is used to determine the teams that qualify for the state section playoffs.
Nevertheless, Daniel accepts the change.
“We just have to go with the schedule. There’s nothing we can do about it,” he said.
NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 4
Barringer 1,012 students
Colonia 1,024
Irvington 970
Ferris 989
Kennedy Iselin 994
Linden 1,252
Mendham 931
Millburn 1,097
Montgomery 1,242
North Hunterdon 1,238
Orange 921
Phillipsburg 1,259
Sayreville 1,293
Scotch Plains-Fanwood 1,293
Woodbridge 1,107
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