WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School football team enjoyed a great day at the Essex Shootout at WOHS on Saturday, July 20.
The Mountaineers finished in second place in “A” division of the 7-on-7 event.
They went undefeated in pool play, winning four games. As the No. 3 seed, they defeated No. 2 seed Somerville.
The championship game was a thriller against top-seeded Newark East Side, which defeated Plainfield in the semifinals.
East Side jumped out to a 9-0 lead on an interception, which counted for three points, and a touchdown. West Orange answered on a TD and converted the ensuing two-point play to cut it to 9-8.
East Side scored a TD to make it 16-8, but West Orange responded with a TD. With no time left in regulation, West Orange scored on the ensuing two-point play, as quarterback Charlie LaMorte hit 6-foot-5 wide receiver and Syracuse University commit Terrell Wilfong in the corner of the end zone on a jump ball.
In overtime, each team gets just one play. The team with the most completed yards on its play is declared the winner. East Side went for the 40-yard touchdown and miraculously got it on a deep bomb. West Orange had to answer with a deep bomb, but the pass was broken up, as East Side clinched the title.
West Orange has hosted the Essex Shootout for the past few years in July. This year’s tournament featured 25 teams from throughout the state. The event utilized three fields: Suriano Stadium field, the secondary football field near the baseball field for the freshman teams and Lincoln Field, which is normally used for soccer.
Though his team came up short in the champoinship game, WOHS head coach Darnell Grant was gracious in defeat.
“In these tournaments, it’s great to win, but I love to see other teams play and win, who normally don’t get a chance to win (championships) in the regular season. It’s just awesome. It’s a great atmosphere. This is what I wanted to do; to bring football experience to the town and to the county.”
West Orange will host the inaugural Mountaineer Classic to kick off the regular season, Thursday to Saturday, Aug. 29-31.
Jefferson will face Verona on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m.
On Aug. 30, Hillside will face Snyder at 3 p.m. and West Orange will face Orange at 7:30 p.m. On Aug. 31, Columbia will face Newark West Side at 3 p.m. and Plainfield will face Newark East Side in a rematch of the Essex Shootout semifinal.
Photos by Joe Ragozzino
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