By Josh Baker
Correspondent
WEST ORANGE, NJ (corrected Tuesday Oct. 24, 11:18 a.m.) – On Friday night, October 20, the West Orange High School varsity football Mountaineers lost heavily to the Montclair HS Mounties, led by senior quarterback Tarrin Earle at the Homecoming football game, 48-7.
After coming off a win against Barringer, WOHS had only one objective: improve. “Anytime you can have a win against a quality opponent it gives your team the confidence to play at the next level,” said WOHS coach Jim Matsakis. “Our main focus is to improve on what we did last week and take it one play at a time against a very explosive Montclair team looking to avenge their lone conference loss last season.
“The only pressure is that this is another conference game with a playoff berth at stake,” added Matsakis. “In football we try to treat every game the same but when it comes to playing the best team traditionally in the conference the kids tend to get up emotionally easier than versus other opponents.”
Five minutes into the game, Montclair scored a touchdown on second-and-goal, followed by a two-point conversion, taking a 8-0 lead that they would never relinquish. WOHS would later block a seven-yard field goal attempt to keep the score 8-0.
Early in the second quarter, Montclair would recover a WOHS fumble, only to have WOHS recover their fumble and run it in for their only score of the game, making it 8-7 Montclair. With 5:22 to go in the first half, Montclair would score another touchdown, taking a 15-7 lead.
15 seconds into the second half, Montclair would pass to Murphy for another touchdown, but a blocked extra point would round the score out to 21-7. Montclair would dish another blow three minutes later with another touchdown and 2-point conversion, taking a 29-7 lead. Two minutes later, Montclair would score again from the WO 33-yard line, taking a 35-7 lead after a missed extra point, and do it again with 3 minutes to go in the third quarter, taking a 43-7 lead.
Montclair would score five minutes into the fourth quarter to seal the score at 48-7. After intercepting a pass with three minutes to go in the game, Montclair would burn the clock down for the remainder of the contest.
The Mountaineers moved to a 3-4 record.
WOHS’ next game is home against Livingston on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.
Correction: The game against Livingston on Oct. 27 is home.
West Orange HS football team falls to Montclair added by Editor on
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