WEST ORANGE- A year ago, East Orange Campus and West Orange met twice, and the two teams split in one-score games as the Mountaineers won 7-0 in their regular season meeting at Robeson Stadium before the Jaguars gained redemption with a 13-7 triumph in the North 2, Group 5 playoff sectional final at Suriano Field.
So, when the two Super Football Conference-Freedom Red Division rivals met on a crisp Friday night back at Suriano Field in their first meeting since last November’s EOC sectional title triumph, one could certainly expect a similar, hard-fought finish in 2025’s ‘Battle of the Oranges.’
This time, the host Mountaineers prevailed, 14-13 in a matchup that was as close as the score would indicate.
The difference? Two mistakes on special teams.
A fumbled punt snap set up the first Mountaineers touchdown, a six-yard scamper by Farad Green Jr. (23 carries, 78 yd,. 2 TDs), and a missed extra point was the difference on the scoreboard.
The first West Orange touchdown came after an EOC defensive stand on the game’s first possession. After stopping the Mountaineers at the EOC 12, the Jaguars had to punt and the snap was fumbled, giving West Orange the ball at the 6, and it took just one play for Green to score. Aaron Godinez’s point after made it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
EOC answered immediately with a 7-play, 61-yard drive. A 41-yard burst by junior RB Jaleel Halsey (16 carries, 86 yd., 1 TD) moved the ball to the WO 20, and six plays later Halsey blasted in from the 1 to put the Jaguars on the board. The point after, however, was no good, and the score remained 7-6 late in the first quarter.
It would stay this way until late in the half, when EOC used the passing game to take the lead. A 10-yard strike from Zach Concepcion to Alex Hanks moved the ball to midfield. After a 5-yard run by Halsey, Concepcion found Hanks open deep down the right side for a 45-yard score and the PAT made it 13-7 with 1:47 left in the half.
That would be all the time the Mountaineers would need to regain the lead. A 44-yard strike from Daniel Lewis to Ahkir Morgan put the ball at the EOC 18. A penalty moved the ball to the 9, and that set up a 3-yard TD burst by Green with 31 seconds left in the half. The PAT by Godinez was good, which gave the Mountaineers the lead at the break.
West Orange coach Darnell Grant was quick to point out the work put in by the kicking game.
“We work on it every day. (Aaron’s) older brother Sam was kicking for us a couple of years back in 2022. (Josh) Pineda the snapper is a sophomore, Joey Palumbo is a first-year starter at holder, and Aaron.
“I said you guys can win or lose a game for us so it’s important what we do and we take it seriously!”
Both defenses dominated the second half, with neither team able to get inside the opponent’s 20 until late in the fourth quarter, when West Orange put together a seven-minute drive. It ended when EOC recovered a fumble in the endzone for a touchback with 1:14 left. A 21-yard pass from Concepcion to Nymir Johnson moved the ball to the EO 41, but a sack and three incompletions followed, putting the Mountaineers in victory formation.
Standing at 6-2, coach Grant feels the tough schedule is paying off for the Mountaineers.
“We’ve played Shabazz, we’ve played P-burg (Phillipsburg) and Passaic Tech. I mean we’ve played three Top-20 teams in the first six weeks so our schedule’s tough, but I think we’re battle tested.
“We’ve been in tight games. Some went our way, some didn’t go our way but we were in that moment and in that moment, we knew exactly what to do. We didn’t panic. My kids really stepped it up.”
The two teams combined for a scant 410 yards of total offense, with EOC outgaining West Orange 218-192. The Jaguars rushed 30 times for 129 yards, while the Mountaineers had 29 carries for 103 yards. Both teams had 89 yards passing. Lewis was 6-of-13 for West Orange, while Concepcion was 4-of-13 with a TD for EOC. Each QB had one INT.
Coming into Friday night’s action, these two teams were ranked in the top 5 in North, Group 5, so another postseason meeting is possible. If this first meeting is any indication, buckle up.
Next Friday (Oct. 24) will find both teams on the road. West Orange travels to Bloomfield, while EOC visits Clifton.
Super Football Conference-Freedom Red Division Game:
East Orange Campus (6-1) 6 7 0 0 13
West Orange (6-2) 7 7 0 0 14
WO – Farad Green Jr. 6 run (Aaron Godinez kick)
EO – Jaleel Halsey 1 run (kick failed)
EO – Alex Hanks 45 pass from Zach Concepcion (Jayden Jean kick)
WO – Green Jr. 3 run (Godinez kick)
