Orange HS football team seeks to bounce back after first loss

ORANGE, NJ – The Orange High School varsity football team will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season.

The Tornadoes will visit West Essex this Friday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. in North Caldwell in a North Jersey Super Football Conference Patriot White Division game.

OHS made the long trek to Mahwah, located near upstate New York, where they lost to Mahwah, 42-16, to move to a 1-1 record in a NJSFC non-division game.

Senior slotbackTyrese Harris scored on a 40-yard run and sophomore quarterback George Crespo added the two-point conversion run for the Tornadoes, who led 8-7 at the end of the first quarter.

Mahwah took a 14-8 lead at the half and extended it to 28-16 at the end of the third quarter. Mahwah put the game away with two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-0.

Senior slotback Dequan Battles scored on an 84-yard TD pass from Crespo, who then threw the two-point conversion to senior running back Umar Jenkins, in the third quarter.

West Essex lost at West Morris, 28-12, Sept. 16 in a NJSFC non-division game to move to 1-1.

In their last meeting, West Essex defeated the Tornadoes, 28-22, in the 2013 state North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 quarterfinals. In that same season, West Essex beat OHS, 35-20, in Week 4.

Orange (1-1 overall, 1-0 NJFC Patriot White)

Sept. 9, Won, Ferris, 53-6*

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

Sept. 23, at West Essex, 7 p.m.*

Sept. 30, Passaic Valley, 7 p.m.

Oct. 8, at Barringer, 1 p.m.*

Oct. 15, Nutley, 1 p.m.*

Oct. 21, Parsippany Hills, 7 p.m.

Oct. 28, Central, 7 p.m.

Nov. 5, at Chatham, 1 p.m.*

*NJSFC Patriot White