A West Orange player runs for yardage during the win over Irvington.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School football team will begin its quest for a state championship.
The Mountaineers earned the No. 2 seed in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 state playoffs. They will host No. 7 seed Linden in the quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 1, at WOHS’ Joe Suriano Stadium. The top seed is Ridgewood. The winner of West Orange and Linden will face the winner of No. 3 seed Piscataway and No. 6 seed Bayonne in the semifinals.
West Orange, under sixth-year head coach Darnell Grant, defeated Bloomfield 41-12 on Friday, Oct. 25, at Suriano Stadium for their third win in a row. The Mountaineers,who improved to 7-2 on the season, were led by junior Farad Green Jr. and junior quarterback Brandon LaBanca.
LaBanca completed 10 of 10 passes for 105 yards, including TD passes of 20 yards to senior wide receiver Terrell Wilfong and 11 yards to Sydney Padilla.
Green rushed 10 times for 100 yards, including TD runs of 25 yards and 6 yards.
Junior wide receiver David Moore had a 12-yard TD run and senior running back Christopher Barrino had a 4-yard TD run for the Mountaineers.
Two years ago, the Mountaineers won in their first-ever state sectional championship game, beating No. 1 seed Phillipsburg 28-7 in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 final. WOHS, seeded No. 6, won all three sectional playoff games on the road, including upsetting No. 2 seed Ridgewood 34-31 in the semifinals in overtime, when then-senior Amir Stewart threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to then-senior Saboor Karriem to end the game.
Last season, the Mountaineers lost to Union City in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 semifinals to finish 5-5. Union City is the No. 1 seed in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 state playoffs this year.
NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 state playoffs
Quarterfinals
- No. 8 seed Passaic (4-4) at No. 1 seed Ridgewood (5-3)
- No. 5 seed Montclair (4-5) at No. 4 seed East Orange Campus (6-2)
- No. 6 seed Bayonne (6-2) at No. 3 seed Piscataway (6-3)
- No. 7 seed Linden (4-5) at No. 2 seed West Orange (7-2)
2024 WOHS results
- Aug. 30: win, vs. Orange (inaugural Mountaineer Football Classic), 48-0
- Sept. 6: loss, at Passaic County Tech, 28-21
- Sept. 13: win, vs. Irvington, 34-10
- Sept. 20: win, at Livingston, 41-7
- Sept. 27: win, vs. Barringer, 37-0
- Oct. 4: loss, vs. Phillipsburg, 21-14
- Oct. 10: win, Montclair, at Hinchliffe Stadium (Paterson), 33-14.
- Oct. 19: win, at East Orange Campus, 7-0
- Oct. 25: win, vs. Bloomfield, 41-12
Photo Courtesy of West Orange High School
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