WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School boys soccer team got its payback.
The second-seeded Mountaineers defeated third-seeded Kearny, 1-0, in the semifinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state tournament on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 2, at Lincoln Field on the campus of WOHS.
Jack Dvorin, a junior, scored the goal on assists by seniors Mason Bashkoff and Jared Charles.
Senior goalie Justin Scavalla made nine saves for the shutout.
The Mountaineers ended Kearny’s 36-game unbeaten streak. They also avenged last season’s 2-1 overtime loss to Kearny in the North 1, Group 4 championship game.
West Orange, under head coach Doug Nevins, improved to 16-3 this season. The Mountaineers will visit top-seeded Clifton in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 5.
Kearny, ranked No. 2 in the state by the Star-Ledger, ended with a 17-1-1 record.
West Orange is ranked No. 13 and Clifton is ranked No. 11 in the state by the Star-Ledger. Clifton defeated Passaic Tech in the other semifinal to improve to 16-1-1.
The Mountaineers have won four straight games. After beating Memorial, 4-0, in the regular season finale, West Orange defeated No. 15 seed Bloomfield, 1-0, in the first round; defeated No. 10 seed Columbia, 2-0, in the quarterfinals and defeated Kearny in the semifinals.
Nevins has been the WOHS head coach for 23 seasons. He became the head coach in 2000.
The Mountaineers have won two Group 4 state championships in 2006 and 2013. They also were Group 4 state runner-up in 2015.
Under Nevins, the Mountaineers have now reached 12 sectional finals in his 23 years at the helm. They have won six sectional titles in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2013, and 2015, and were runner-up in 2004, 2007, 2012, 2016 and 2021.
Photo Courtesy of WOHS Sports Media Association
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