WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School football team will get another shot at beating East Orange Campus High School.
The fourth-seeded Mountaineers will visit top-seeded and undefeated East Orange Campus in the semifinals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5, playoffs at Paul Robeson Stadium in East Orange on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m.
In the quarterfinals, the Mountaineers defeated No. 5 seed Westfield, 28-14, on Friday night, Nov. 5, at Joe Suriano Stadium at WOHS. The win improved the Mountaineers’ record to 7-3 overall on the season.
East Orange Campus defeated No. 8 seed Elizabeth in the quarterfinals on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 6, at Paul Robeson Stadium to improve to 9-0 on the season.
The Mountaineers are seeking their first-ever appearance in a state sectional championship game since the current playoff format began in 1974.
The Mountaineers lost to EOC, 21-14, in week 4 on Sept. 24 at Suriano Stadium at WOHS in a Super Football Conference–Freedom Division game. EOC won the division title with a 6-0 record, while West Orange finished second at 5-1.
West Orange, under third-year head coach Darnell Grant, has made the semifinals for the second straight time. Last season’s playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic. In 2019, Grant’s first year at the helm, the Mountaineers lost to eventual champion Union in the semifinals.
This is the first time that East Orange Campus has entered the playoffs with an undefeated record.
The other semifinal pits No. 3 seed Passaic Tech at No. 2 seed Ridgewood.
Against Westfield, the Mountaineers took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on Makhi Green’s 6-yard touchdown run. Westfield tied it at 7-7 in the second quarter on a TD pass.
WOHS quarterback Zander Lipsey threw a 31-yard TD pass to Jarvis Jones for a 14-7 lead in the third quarter. WOHS extended the lead to 21-7 in the fourth quarter on Lipsey’s 44-yard TD pass to Saboor Karriem. Westfield cut it to 21-14 with a TD run before the Mountaineers sealed the win on Marcus Green’s 10-yard TD run. Sam Godinez kicked all four extra points for WOHS.
Lipsey completed 13 of 27 passes for 170 yards. Jekhi Williams rushed for 84 yards on 18 carries and Green had nine carries for 73 yards.
East Orange Campus and West Orange have met each season since 2009. In 13 meetings in that span, West Orange leads the series, 7-6, but East Orange has won four of the past five meetings.
Photo Courtesy of WOSD
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