Punter Off To College In Ireland
After Enjoying Robeson Classic

Time will tell if Montclair’s Oscar Crosbie-Smyth will ever play American football again in his burgeoning and exciting young life, but if the recent 32nd Paul Robeson East-East All-Star Classic was in indeed his final time performing his punting skills on the gridiron, it was quite the enjoyable experience.

The Mounties’ graduated special-teams standout had five punts, including a long one of 50 yards, in helping the East’s efforts in a 18-3 victory over the West in the 2026 Robeson Classic played on Tuesday, June 9, before a large crowd at Robeson Stadium in East Orange.

“It was a great experience and just tremendous to be with some really talented football players in what right now is my final football game,” said Crosbie-Smyth, who really began to emerge for the Mounties as a standout sophomore on the 2023 North 1, Group 4 playoff runner-up squad. “I was born in Ireland before we lived in Australia before we moved to Montclair when I was in the eighth grade, and I will now be heading back to my roots in a sense when I attend Trinity College in Dublin this fall.

“It was a tough decision and after considering a few schools like The College of New Jersey I have decided that I won’t be playing football in college at this point, as I am going back to my roots - in a sense – where -who knows - I may even look to play a little cricket or rugby.

“We’ll see what happens in the next couple of years because there could always be a couple of pathways back to America involving college and football, but whatever happens – despite a tough senior season - I had a really good time all four years on the football team at Montclair where I made some great friends and had terrific teammates and coaches.”

Montclair struggled through a 1-8 season last fall with only four seniors on the varsity squad; however, the future looks bright as a young nucleus will return under the guidance of first-year head coach Manj Singh, including the potential heir apparent to Crosbie-Smyth and the graduated placekicker Quinn Previdi in Oscar’s rising junior brother Nicolas Crosbie-Smyth.

“Nick has great potential and I’ve been trying to work with him as he continues to improve as a kicker,” said the elder Crosbie-Smyth. “I think the Mounties look good heading into the new season with a new coach and some talented, young players.”

One of Oscar’s best friends, football placekicker and lacrosse attackman Previdi, will be attending McDaniel University in Maryland to continue his lacrosse career at the next level.

“Quinn is one of my best friends and I’m glad to know that he’ll be playing college lacrosse,” said Crosbie-Smyth. “I know that we both thoroughly enjoyed kicking for Montclair and being part of the special teams with (assistant) coach (Chuck) Anderson, and I’m hopeful that there are more great sports moments ahead for both of us moving forward.”

The Crosbie-Smyth brothers have been world travelers at a young age as their parents, who were both also born in Ireland, are busy professionals now working out of their Montclair home and beyond.

Dad Jamie Smyth writes for the Financial Times and mom Judith Crosbie is with the Sunrise Project, a worldwide climate-aware organization.    

As far as the recent Robeson All-Star Classic went the graduating Mountie punter Oscar Crosbie-Smythe had the opportunity to work along with Verona’s Monmouth University-bound long snapper Ryan Cavallo and get to know the Shabazz placekicker Basit Raimi, who will next play for Montclair State University.

The East squad is comprised of players from Essex, Union and Hudson counties and goes up against a West team which draws its all-stars from Morris, Sussex and Passaic counties in the game which honors the legendary athlete and musical artist Paul Robeson, who once starred at Rutgers.

“I was glad to have five opportunities in the game, including one crazy rugby punt after taking a high snap, but I was still able to pin it back at the 5-yard line,” said Crosbie-Smyth. “We had six practices plus a walk-through at both Bloomfield and East Orange, and it was great to get to know some really great lads who are also very talented football players.

“All told, it was a great way to close out my high school football career!”

Newark Central Coach Enjoyed Robeson Classic Experience

On what was an ideal late-spring weather night in front of an enthusiastic crowd of family, friends, and football fans from across North Jersey, the East All-Stars defeated the West All-Stars for the second straight season. The East has won 23 Robeson games to the West’s 9 all-time.

“We had a great group,” said Newark Central and East head coach Mark Ingram. “We had a great coaching staff with [Glen Ridge DC] Marc Polynice and [West Orange OC Khalfani] Alleyne leading the guys. And we had kids who were just active and attentive in paying attention to detail. I didn’t have to tell them anything twice, and I think that’s why we came out prepared to play today.”

Hoboken quarterback Isaiah Blanks was unquestionably the single standout performer on the night, connecting on 12 of 20 passes for 182 yards and accounting for both East touchdowns en route to being named the East’s Offensive Most Valuable Player. He tossed a perfect strike to Barnes for the first, then put the game out of reach on a 3-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter.

Defensively, the East’s front seven dominated the game from the jump, limiting the West’s potent rushing attack and forcing them into passing situations – perfect for the East’s group of big, fast defensive linemen and linebackers, who made life miserable for the opposing quarterbacks. All told, the West managed just 87 yards of total offense and 5 first downs.

“We had tons of guys get after it defensively,” Ingram said. “It just made things very easy when we got them into passing downs, and guys could just let it rip. Because we had some really talented guys up front who could just do their thing.”

Hillside defensive end Daysun Looby picked up 2.5 sacks to earn Defensive MVP honors, but a strong case could also be made for Livingston end Matt Steiner, who had a sack of his own and was potent in setting the edge opposite of Looby. Another Essex County standout, Newark Central lineman Mamoudou Kamara, had possibly the defensive play of the game when he recovered a critical fumble to halt a potential game-tying drive for the West early in the fourth quarter.

The East’s victory drew down the curtain down on the high school careers of dozens of standouts from schools across North Jersey, continuing a tradition that has grown since the Robeson Classic’s founding in 1993.

“It’s really a blessing to be here, and to be working with these kids in this game,” Ingram said. “I let them know, you know, they’re a part of the brotherhood now. This is a bonding experience, where, you know, they can call me anytime if they need anything before they get to college, when they’re out there. I want to be there for them.”

Named in honor of Paul Robeson (1898-1976), the Rutgers All-American football player, artist and activist, the all-star game is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the organizing committee led by Mike Carter, Dr. Stephen Cowan, Ken Trimmer, and the late Larry Schumacher. Under their leadership, the Robeson Classic continues to thrive as one of the highlights of the New Jersey high school sports calendar.

Essex Coaches Association Hall of Fame Welcomes Class of 2026

In addition to honoring outgoing senior stars, the Robeson Classic also annually pays homage to coaches who have been integral parts of the football fabric in Essex County over the past several decades.

The Class of 2026 in the Essex County Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame were enshrined at halftime of Tuesday’s contest, presented with plaques and enjoying a moment with friends and family.

This year’s honorees include former Irvington head coach and West Orange assistant Pete Pascarella, Newark West Side coach Ronly London, former Columbia head coach and current Union assistant Gary Mobley, and retired longtime Montclair State University defensive coordinator Charlie Cocuzza.

Additionally, the Essex Coaches Hall provided special recognition to veteran sportswriter Mike Lamberti, who has been covering the area high school sports scene since 1976.

Pascarella had a successful six-year run in charge of Irvington (2010-15), including seven-win seasons in both 2012 and 2014. Over the last decade, he has been an integral part of the coaching braintrust around Darnell Grant at both Shabazz and West Orange. Both schools have won state sectional championships under Grant and Pascarella’s leadership, Shabazz in 2017 and West Orange in 2022.

London, who will enter his fourth season at the helm of West Side this fall, has been a fixture of the coaching scene in Essex County for more than two decades. A graduate of Clifford Scott High in East Orange, London started his coaching career as an assistant under Marion Bell at East Orange Campus in 2004. (EOCHS was created from the merger of Clifford Scott and East Orange High in 2002.) After a decade with the Jaguars, London earned his first head coaching job at Barringer High (2015-17), before rejoining Bell’s staff at West Side, leading the Roughriders to a nine-win season and a playoff win in 2019.

Mobley led Columbia for nine seasons (2016-24), leading the Cougars to three straight years of .500-or-better football in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Prior to his stint in Maplewood, Mobley was also a highly successful coach at Rahway, leading the Union County school to nine playoff appearances in 11 seasons.

Cocuzza, who played college football at Upsala College in East Orange, served for 27 seasons as the offensive coordinator at Montclair State (1976-2002), working with fellow coaching legends like Clary Anderson, Fred Hill, and Rick Giancola to lead the Red Hawks to five NCAA Division III quarterfinal appearances.

32ND ANNUAL ROBESON CLASSIC ALL-STAR GAME
East    3          8          0          7          -           18
West  0          0          3          0          -           3
Most Valuable Players:
East Offense: QB Isaiah Blanks (Hoboken)
East Defense: DE Daysun Looby (Hillside)
West Offense: RB Dylan Roemmele (Pequannock)
West Defense: DE Evan Taibl (Wayne Hills)
Scoring summary:
First quarter
EAST—Basit Raimi 43 field goal, 1:14
10 plays, 70 yards, 5:26 – East leads, 3-0
Second quarter
EAST—Jeremiah Barnes 25 pass from Isaiah Blanks (Shymir Burgess pass from Nico Sampson), 0:38
3 plays, 37 yards, 0:28 – East leads, 11-0
Third quarter
WEST—Niko Martinez 31 field goal, 2:36
7 plays, 67 yards, 4:40 – East leads, 11-3
Fourth quarter
EAST—Blanks 3 run (Raimi kick), 7:00
6 plays, 60 yards, 3:14 – East leads, 18-3