ORANGE, NJ — Wearing the program’s unretired uniform No. 3 for the first time, senior quarterback Maurice Williams passed for 321 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 63 yards and another score to power the Orange High School football team to an emphatic 50-0 win over Paterson Kennedy on Friday night, Sept. 1, at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson in the Zone6ix High School Football Classic.
With his seven touchdowns, Williams broke his own school record for most touchdowns in a game for the Tornadoes, who are now 2-0 on the season. He had six touchdowns to set the record in the season opener in the 42-6 road win over Wayne Hills in the previous week.
In the win over Kennedy, Williams threw two touchdowns apiece to senior Ma’khy Acey and junior Samir Wilkins and one TD each to juniors Brandon Tejada and Sameir Ward. Acey finished with four receptions for 154 yards and Wilkins had three receptions for 111 yards.
Williams switched from uniform No. 1 to No. 3, which is a special number in Orange Tornado program history. Several OHS legendary players, such as former NFL running back Cory Boyd, Class of 2003, have worn No. 3, which had been retired. This past spring, Williams received the blessing to wear No. 3 this season.
Williams was elated for breaking his own school record.
“I’m very excited about breaking the record,” Williams said. “It has been a dream of mine since I’ve been a kid. I’m glad I was able to break it in the new unretired No. 3, which is very poetic.”
The Tornadoes’ hard work in the offseason has paid dividends with a great start to the season. The Orange want to keep the momentum going.
“The great start to the season is because of all the hard work we’ve put in since December,” Williams said. “I expect nothing less from my group of guys. We have a lot to prove this year.”
Williams was coming off a stellar performance in the season opener when he threw for 381 yards and five TDs and ran for 42 yards and a TD on six carries against Wayne Hills on Friday, Aug. 25.
The Tornadoes will visit Bayonne on Friday, Sept. 8, at 6:30 p.m. Bayonne defeated Belleville, 57-0, Friday, Sept. 1, to improve to 1-1.