The West Orange High School football team gathers after winning the Essex Shootout title on Saturday, July 12, at West Orange’s Joe Suriano Stadium. West Orange head coach Darnell Grant is standing, fourth from right.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange High School football team captured the title at the annual Essex Shootout, a 7 versus 7 flag football showcase, on Saturday, June 12, at WOHS’ Joe Suriano Stadium.
West Orange, under head coach Darnell Grant, defeated Cedar Grove, 24-20, in the final for its first Essex Shootout title.
The one-day tournament, which has been hosted by the WOHS Mountaineers for the past few summers, featured several schools from around the state. Some of the other schools were Verona, Columbia, Somerville, North Arlington, Hillside, Roselle, Newark Central and Ewing.
The Mountaineers are coming off a great season last fall, when they advanced to a state sectional title for the second time in program history. WOHS lost to East Orange Campus, 13-7, in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 state playoff championship to finish with a strong 9-3 record.
Grant, who will enter his seventh year at the WOHS helm, was elated for his team in winning the Essex Shootout title.
“The team is coming together,” said Grant to the West Orange Chronicle. “We lost 33 seniors to graduation, so we have a lot of young players who are proving themselves. We are fortunate to have strong leadership from quarterback Brandon LaBanca, wide receiver/defensive back David
Moore, running back Farad Green and (WR/DB) Akir Morgan.”
In 2022, WOHS won the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 5 state playoff title and finished 8-4.
Action photos by Joe Ragozzino
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