ORANGE — With a new head coach, the Orange High School boys basketball team has a message for its opponents this upcoming winter season: get ready for a battle.
Jason Battle recently has been named as the new Tornadoes head coach, looking to guide the program on a winning path. The Tornadoes are looking to bounce back from a 4-19 campaign last winter. They were led by Amadou Traore, who was an All–Super Essex Conference–Colonial Division Second Team selection as a junior, as voted by the divisional coaches.
Two seasons ago, Orange finished 16-9 and shared the Super Essex Conference–Independence Division title with Livingston, going 9-1 in the division.
“I just want to develop young men,” Battle said in an interview with the Record-Transcript. “Of course, everybody wants to win games. That’s my focus. I want to bring back that winning culture. If you start your approach that way, all the wins will take care of itself.”
The Tornadoes made a strong impression on Battle this summer, as they won the Bloomfield High School Summer League championship. OHS defeated the host school in the final.
“I was definitely ecstatic about it,” said Battle of the summer league championship. “I didn’t have any expectations coming in. They played really hard. They played gritty, all the things that I expected them to do. They brought the energy and were able to make plays.
“I love the fact that they are gritty. That’s going to be our identity this year, just the grit and the grind. They’re tough. I played the same way that they play. I’m trying to make it a reflection of me. The guys already have those intangibles.”
Battle comes over from New Jersey City University, where he was an assistant coach after playing there and graduating in 2023.
Prior to NJCU, Battle attended Roselle Catholic. In 2018, as a guard, Battle helped lead Roselle Catholic to the Union County Tournament title, Non-Public B sectional title, Non-Public B state title and the state Tournament of Champions title, as the team finished 29-4. He led the team in assists that season.
Battle replaces Esak Crawley, who was the OHS head coach for four seasons.
About the Author
