MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Columbia High School head football coach Gary Mobley doesn’t have to worry about his offensive skill players.
The Cougars boast a collection of talented and experienced running backs and wide receivers, who will spark the offensive attack.
However, the line on both sides of the ball is a bit of a concern. Mobley acknowledged that the Cougars struggled with line play during last year’s 2-7 season. But with better performance from their linemen, Mobley feels the Cougars can make a strong run this season, led by their skill guys.
“If we can shore up our line, we’re going to be more than perfect,” said Mobley, entering his eighth season at the helm. “We feel like our skill guys can line up against the best guys in the area. They are experienced, most of the guys are two-year starters. We’re hoping we can correct some of our line ailments from last year. If we do, we feel like we will be more than competitive and get to being at least .500 and being a playoff contender.”
The Cougars will be led by senior all-Essex County receivers Zhamir Rowan and Stevenson Memo. Both also are accomplished track and field standouts for the Maplewood school.
“They are state-ranked track athletes and returning all-Essex County football players,” said Mobley, who guided Rahway to tremendous playoff success before coming to Columbia. “They are well-rounded athletes with a lot of D-1 potential. Hopefully, we can win some games and get ourselves into a playoff position where we can open more eyes on those guys so that they can get the offers that they deserve.”
Mobley also is pleased with his quarterbacks. Senior Charlie Morrison has some experience as a part-time starter last season, while sophomore Eli Angelou is a dual-threat signal caller with exceptional athleticism.
The running game also will be led by senior returnees Yassan Fields, Max Gigante and Hank Aaron. Gigante also is a standout lacrosse player.
Defensively, Mobley has been impressed by his ‘back seven.” Fields, Gigante and senior Ethan Parlin are the linebackers. Senior newcomer Khrishad Clark is another player to watch at linebacker. The secondary will be led by Rowan at cornerback and Memo at free safety.
The linemen are inexperienced, but hungry and eager to develop, said Mobley.
The Cougars especially are happy to be back at home. Last season, the team played all of its games on the road while Lynn V. Profeta Field at Underhill Sports Complex was being renovated. The field officially opened last spring.
“It will be good to get back to Underhill,” Mobley said. “Underhill is probably one of the best high school atmospheres in Essex County on a Friday night. The crowd is really loud and raucous, so we need that type of support. They did a great job laying down the new turf. They did an outstanding job with the home and away bleachers; we got a double-decker press box that has air conditioning and heating, so it’s top notch. We couldn’t be happier with the facilities.”
The Cougars are entering the season with good vibes following a successful summer. They won the Essex County 7-on-7 Shootout title, beating highly-regarded Hillside in the final. The event, which took place at West Orange High School on Saturday, July 15, featured more than 20 teams from throughout the state.
Prior to last season, the Cougars were 5-5 in 2021, 4-3 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season; and 5-5 in 2019.
“We want to be a playoff team,” Mobley said. “The last four or five years, subtract last year, we were above .500 and garnered a few playoff spots. That’s where we feel we should be. We should be .500 or better and definitely get ourselves a playoff spot, and hopefully when we get to the ‘second’ season, anything can happen.”
Columbia is in the Super Essex Conference–Freedom White Division. The other teams in the division are Irvington, Livingston, Montclair and Union City.
Columbia was awarded a forfeit road win over Montclair in Week 8 after Montclair, which had defeated Columbia, 21-7, was ruled to have used an ineligible player. The Cougars first win of the season was against Bloomfield, 13-3, at Bloomfield in Week 6.
Schedule
- Aug. 31: vs. Livingston, 6:30 p.m.
- Sept. 8: at Paterson Eastside, 6 p.m.
- Sept. 14: vs. Irvington, 6:30 p.m.
- Sept. 22: at Hudson Catholic, 7 p.m.
- Sept. 29: at Passaic County Tech, 6 p.m.
- Oct. 6: vs. Bloomfield, 6:30 p.m.
- Oct. 13: at Union City, 7 p.m.
- Oct. 21: vs. Montclair, 1 p.m.
Photos by Steve Ellmore
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