WOHS senior Jordan White leaps for the catch in the end zone in the home win over Columbia this season.
WEST ORANGE, NJ (updated Tuesday Oct. 30, 11:05 a.m.) – In the season opener, the West Orange High School varsity football team pulled of a stunner.
Facing one of the top teams in the state, the Mountaineers erased a 16-0 halftime deficit and defeated Montclair, 24-19, at home on August 30, sending shock waves throughout the state. Montclair was then-ranked No. 8 in New Jersey.
The Mountaineers, though, struggled for much of the rest of the season. But with an overtime win over Barringer last Saturday, Oct. 27, a win that snapped a four-game losing streak, the Mountaineers clinched the eighth and final spot in the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 5 state playoffs.
And in a strange twist of fate, the Mountaineers will visit defending champion and No. 1 seed Montclair in the quarterfinals this Saturday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. at Woodman Field. The winner will face the winner of No. 4 Hackensack and No. 5 North Bergen in the semifinals.
The Mountaineers, under head coach JIm Matsakis, couldn’t build off that big win over Montclair. They had just one more win after that monumental victory and brought a four-game losing streak into last Saturday’s game against Barringer at Schools Stadium.
Under rainy conditions, the Mountaineers emerged with a 14-6 victory to improve to 3-6 overall.
In overtime, WOHS sophomore quarterback Sean Brown laterealed to sophomore receiver Dorian Rawls, who completed a pass to senior receiver Tayo Akinboada at the 1-yard line. That set up senior receiver Jordan White’s 1-yard TD run, followed by sophomore Shakhi Carson two-point conversion run for the game-winner.
The Mountaineers took a 6-0 lead on senior defensive end Nate Dalger’s 42-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Barringer tied the score in the fourth quarter on a 27-yard pass from Zamar Wise to Cameron Sabb. Barringer fell to 4-4.
Montclair fell at Irvington, 34-21, Friday, Oct. 26, to move to a 5-4 record. Last season, Montclair won the North 1, Group 5 state championship to cap a 12-0 campaign.
NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 5 state playoffs
Quarterfinals:
(8) West Orange at (1) Montclair, Saturday, Nov. 3, 1 p.m.
(7) Passaic County Tech at (2) Ridgewood, Friday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.
(6) Kennedy at (3) Clifton, Friday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.
(5) North Bergen at (4) Hackensack, Friday, Nov. 2, 7 p.m.
West Orange (3-6)
August 30, Won, Montclair, 26-19
Sept. 7, Loss, at Paterson Kennedy, 21-0
Sept. 14, Loss, Don Bosco Prep, 47-20
Sept. 21, Won, Columbia, 42-7
Sept. 28, Loss, Livingston, 13-12
Oct. 5, Loss, at East Orange Campus, 14-7
Oct. 12, Loss, Passaic County Tech, 12-6
Oct. 19, Loss, at Bloomfield, 22-21 (OT)
Oct. 27, Won, Barringer, 14-6 (OT)
Editor’s note: This article was updated to include the semifinal potential matchups.
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