Zhamir Rowan carries the ball against Livingston in the season opener.
MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE — The Columbia High School football team is 2-0 on the season.
Not only are the Cougars perfect through two games, they haven’t given up a point in those contests.
The Cougars were simply dominant in a 37-0 victory over Paterson Eastside on Friday night, Sept. 8, in Paterson in a Super Football Conference cross divisional game. The victory followed the 9-0 win over Livingston on Thursday, Aug. 31, at Lynn V. Profeta Field, the Cougars’ first home game since 2021.
Senior wide receiver Steve Memo scored the first three touchdowns of the game, each on runs, as Columbia built a 21-0 lead. In the third quarter, senior Henry Aaron kicked a 27-yard field goal and senior running back Max Gigante had a 6-yard TD run. Gigante closed out the scoring with a 2-yard fumble return.
Aaron booted four extra-points.
Memo finished with 94 rushing yards on 13 carries and three TDs. CHS senior quarterback Charlie Morrison completed five passes for 77 yards, all to senior wide receiver Zhamir Rowan.
Defensively, Gigante had nine tackles, including six for loss, from his defensive back position; senior linebacker Yassan Fields had 12 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery; senior defensive end Will Fanka had eight tackles; senior linebacker Ethan Parlin had seven tackles; Aaron had six tackles and one interception as a linebacker; senior defensive tackle Ryan Duval had five tackles and one forced fumble; and junior defensive back Andrew Randazza and Rowan, as a defensive back, each had four tackles.
Columbia will host Irvington in a SFC–Freedom White Division game on Thursday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Irvington defeated East Orange Campus, 50-20, Monday, Sept. 11, at Schools Stadium in Newark to improve to 1-2.
Photos by Joe Ungaro and Joe Ragozzino
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