WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School football team is back in a sectional championship game.
The Mountaineers, under sixth-year head coach Darnell Grant, will face a familiar foe. They will host East Orange Campus in the final of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 state playoffs on Friday night, Nov. 15, at WOHS’ Joe Suriano Stadium at 7 p.m.
In the semifinals on Friday night, Nov. 8, the second-seeded Mountaineers cruised to a 35-0 win over Piscataway at Suriano Stadium, while the fourth-seeded EOCHS Jaguars defeated top-seeded Ridgewood, 14-3, at Ridgewood.
The Mountaineers improved to 9-2 on the season. The Jaguars improved to 8-2.
In the win over Piscataway, junior running back Farad Green rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries and junior quarterback Brandon LaBanca passed for 59 yards and two TDs, completing five of 10 passes. Senior running back Christopher Barrino had 19 rushing yards and a TD on two carries.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Mountaineers scored three TDs in the second quarter. LaBanca hit senior receiver and Syracuse commit Terrell Wilfong on a 23-yard TD pass. LaBanca connected with junior running back David Moore Jr. on an 11-yard TD and Barrino ran for a 3-yard TD.
In the third quarter, Green had a 1-yard TD run and senior Iyan Gainer intercepted a pass and returned it 84 yards for a TD. Senior Mason Insana kicked all five extra-points.
Wilfong finished with two catches for 31 yards and Moore had two catches for 24 yards.
Barrino, a linebacker, had 11 tackles and two forced fumbles. Senior linebacker Ryder Abdul Aziz had seven tackles, including two tackles for loss. Junior linebacker Micha Howell and senior linebacker EahJay Adams each had six tackles. Senior Somto Ndukwe had four tackles (four for loss). Senior defensive back Jemel Touze had five tackles (three for loss). Moore, a defensive back, had four tackles and one fumble recovery.
The Mountaineers advanced to a state sectional final for the first time since 2022, when they defeated Phillipsburg in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 sectional final in their first-ever sectional final appearance. In that season, they played all three sectional playoff games on the road.
In 2021, West Orange lost at East Orange, 14-0, in the semifinals of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 sectional playoffs to finish 7-4. East Orange went on to win the sectional and North, Group 5 regional titles to finish 13-0.
This will be the second meeting of the season between WOHS and East Orange. The Mountaineers defeated the Jaguars,7-0, back on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 19, at Paul Robeson Stadium in East Orange in a Super Football Conference–Freedom Red Division game. Since then, the Jaguars have won three straight. In that game, WOHS senior starting quarterback Charlie LaMorte suffered an injury. WOHS won the Freedom Red Division title with had 5-0 divisional record.
East Orange Campus head coach John Jacob was a former WOHS head football coach for 11 seasons from 2002 to 2012. Jacob is in his second year as the Jaguars’ head coach.
Jacob was the offensive coordinator for the 2021 Jaguars.
West Orange (9-2)
- 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
- Nov. 1, win, vs. (7) Linden, 28-21, quarterfinals*
- Nov. 8: win, vs. (3) Piscataway, 35-0, semifinals*
*North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 playoffs (WOHS is the No. 2 seed)
Photos Courtesy of Kerry E. Porter
West Orange HS football team will host East Orange Campus in the state secitional championship game added by Joe Ragozzino on
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