West Orange's Green Is Excited
To Be On North In Simms Classic

Farad Green, Jr. is intent on being the very best football player he can be, a journey which began way back in his Pop Warner years for a team in East Orange, right up through him becoming one of Essex County’s top running backs for West Orange High School.

Now, as he is also looking to finalize his college destination for this summer and next fall, and being a first-time member of the West Orange lacrosse team, he is continuing to work on improving his speed and strength with his regimen of off-season training for his favorite sport.

Plus, on Saturday, June 20, he will be a member of the North squad in the 48th Phil Simms New Jersey North-South All-Star Classic being played this year at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.

The Simms Classic has moved out of Kean for this year with the Union-based university serving as one of the host sites for World Cup soccer practices in June.

The 2026 Simms Classic day on June 20 will once again include the popular girls Flag Football All-Star Game at 3:30 p.m. preceding the 48th Simms North-South Classic at 7 p.m.

“We’re very excited about being at TCNJ this year and they’ve been very accommodating with what we are planning for that weekend,” said Simms Classic Game Director George DiGrande. “TCNJ is more centrally located for our South team and I think it will be a very successful event once again in a different but very good setting for our great game!”

For Green, the quick and powerful 5-foot-9, 175-pound running back, it’s also an exciting game to prepare for.

“I can’t wait to play for the North in the Phil Simms Classic,” said the enthusiastic West Orange senior who completed his superb gridiron career last fall for coach Darnell Grant’s Mountaineers. “It’s been a tremendous game through the years with some great players!

“I look forward to meeting all my teammates on the North squad. I know Chance Fischer (running back from Bayonne) going back to our junior football days playing against each other and it will be great to now be his teammate in a senior all-star game.”

In addition to Green, other Essex County players set to play for the North in the June 20th Simms Classic at TCNJ include cornerback Rayquan Clark of Shabazz, safety Jayden Herron of Irvington, quarterback Paul Jones III and O-Lineman Javon Tyler of Weequahic, wide receiver Jeremy Tejada of Bloomfield; placekicker-punter Declan Farrell of Seton Hall Prep (Middlebury College), safety Jeremiah Tirado of Nutley; cornerback Abdoul Traore and defensive end Andrew Wheeler of Newark Central, linebacker Bodie Maisano of Verona, O-Lineman Shaeem Dezonie of East Orange Campus and O-Lineman Hans Archer of Columbia.

For Green, it’s a very active period both in and out of his workout regimen at ExtremeTtraining Systems in Teterboro and also as a first-year attackmen for the West Orange lacrosse team.

The very athletic Green can adapt to all situations on a field, that’s for sure, and now he is also concentrating on his decision as to where he will be for college football.

He recently decommitted from West Point and is now looking at other possibilities headed by Marshall University, the University of Albany and New Haven.

Green’s former West Orange teammate, linebacker EahJay McAdams, is a redshirt freshman for Marshall in looking ahead to the 2026 college season.

“(Decommitting from West Point) was a family decision and what we thought would be best for me moving forward,” said Green. “I will most likely visit Marshall and Albany and I hope to make my college decision by sometime in May.

“What I do know for sure is that I definitely want to play college football and I am excited about continuing to prepare for that, including with the upcoming opportunity to play for the North while looking to help my team beat the South in this year’s Simms Classic!”  

Green’s former West Orange backfield mate, quarterback Charlie LaMorte (now heading into his sophomore year at Bucknell) was the North’s offensive MVP in last summer’s Simms Classic.

Green Had Senior Year And Scholastic Career To Remember

West Orange’s dynamic senior running back set a new school record for touchdowns in a game in his final high school game last November as he scored six TDs in his team’s season-ending 54-42 setback to Passaic Tech in the North 1, Group 5 playoff sectional final.

It’s been a persistent quest to always keep battling back for Green who overcame hamstring injuries which limited his sophomore season to just a handful of carriers, finished his scholastic football career with very impressive numbers including 2,887 total rushing yards and 31 TDs.

He completed 2025 season with 200 carries for 1,115 yards and 19 TDs after he rushed for 1,388 yards and 11 TDs as a junior for another Mountaineers’ N1G5 runner-up squad.

In his final high school game against PCTI, the dynamic West Orange RB was an unrelenting force despite his team’s eventual playoff setback with 20 carries for 130 yards and 5 rushing TDs, while he also returned a first quarter kickoff 93 yards for another score.

While his team was in the process of falling to the surging Bulldogs, he never let up scoring three of those rushing TDs in the fourth quarter.

“Farad is an absolute warrior, a throwback kid and the kind of player and person that you build a program around,” said veteran West Orange head coach Darnell Grant. “He has so much heart and never shies away from the moment.

“He’ll continue to be the hard worker he’s always been as he moves on to the next level.”

Green originally had 17 college offers, including from the Air Force and Naval Academies in addition to West Point (Army), and had originally selected West Point on Aug. 31 as Army was preparing to face Tarleton State in its 2025 season-opening Game Day

Green has a strong interest in engineering which is one of the top areas of study at West Point, but will now continue with his studies at another top college.

In the meantime, the West Orange senior will continue train on the weights and maintain his speed training in addition to lacrosse this spring.

The Simms Classic will also help serve as a time to take another positive look back on a splendid West Orange football career and all the players and coaches he enjoyed being around.

“Our coaching staff, including Coach Grant, (assistant head) Coach (Cyrus) Harbin and Coach (Andrew) Mazurek, have been tremendous, and I will always appreciate the brotherhood we had on the team,” said Green. “And, all I accomplished running the football could not have happened without my O-Line, which has been phenomenal, and we had such an outstanding group of guys blocking this season.”

The Mountaineers’ powerful O-Line during the 2025 season included veteran senior tackle Greg Andrews, junior tackle Alexaner Pineda, veteran junior center Aiden Watt, junior guard Wagley Auguste and sophomore guard Samuel Ferr along with highly-recruited junior tight end Sydney Padilla, who has made a verbal commitment to play for coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers.

Green finished his scholastic career as one of only three Mountaineers to rush for more than 2,000 yards joining Michael Osjuji (2017) and Lance Smith (2012) in achieving that milestone along with establishing a single-game record for TDs with six.

From Roosevelt Middle School to West Orange High School and now preparing to head to college this fall it’s been quite the journey already for one of Essex County’s top players over the past two seasons.

“I always think about what coach Grant says about playing to the end with a lot of heart and passion while always keeping your foot on the gas,” said Green. “That’s the way I approached every game and how I was determined to finish the playoff game with Passaic Tech even if it would wind up being the last high school game I ever play.

“Now there is much more work ahead for me and I’m ready to get going again while looking to learn and also enjoy the entire process!”

South Rebounded To Edge North In 2025 Simms Classic At Kean

Well, it lasted for a year.

That is the only lead the North has had in this football all-star series as the South came back in the fourth quarter in last summer’s Simms Classic to edge the North for its first win in seven years.

It was an interception at the South 10 on the final play of the game by South safety Khajauan "Peaky" Rosborough of Atlantic City that clinched the South's first triumph since 2018.

The South came back in the fourth quarter with the game's final points on its third touchdown of the contest to edge the North 19-18 in the 47th annual Phil Simms North-South High School All-Star Football Classic held on Sunday, June 8th, at Kean University's Alumni Stadium.

Despite throwing his third interception of the game as he led the North down the field almost to the winning points, quarterback Charlie LaMorte of West Orange still earned North Offensive MVP honors for his play under center. He threw two touchdown passes.

LaMorte completed a beautiful 63-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Antoine Blount of Elizabeth with 6:40 left to put the North back ahead 18-13.

The throw was about 50 yards in the air down the right sideline, with Blount making a spectacular two-handed catch and then escaping the South player attempting to bring him down.

LaMorte also completed a touchdown pass in the third quarter to pull the North to within one.

This was the South's first win since a 38-16 triumph at Kean in 2018. The five games since then have all been decided by five points or less.

The series is now tied once again at 21-21-2. There were no games played in 2002, because of inclement weather, and in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

47TH Simms N.J. North-South All-Star Classic, June 8, 2025, at Kean
NORTH (21-21-2)                   06               00               06               06 - 18
SOUTH  (21-21-2)                  00               13               00               06 - 19

FIRST QUARTER:
North: Jaysyn Reid 10 run, kick failed (N 6-0)

SECOND QUARTER:
South: Demetris Williams 5 pass from Owen O'Toole, Ian Spicer kick (S 7-6)
South: Nasir Davis Jackson 15 pass from Derek Anderson, kick failed (S 13-6)

THIRD QUARTER:
North: Mark Boyd 13 pass from Charlie LaMorte, pass failed (S 13-12)

FOURTH QUARTER:
North: Antoine Blount 63 pass from Charlie LaMorte, pass failed (N 18-13)
South: O'Toole 1 run, pass failed (S 19-18) 

2025 NORTH-SOUTH MVPs:
North offense: No. 10, Charlie LaMorte, West Orange, QB, (6-2, 220)
North defense: No.50, Terrence Hanratty, Bernards, LB, (6-0, 210) 
South offense: No. 10, Derek Anderson, Woodbridge, QB, (5-10, 165)  
South defense: No. 19, Bryan Anderson, Woodbridge, S, (5-11. 170)

2025 KEN TRIMMER AWARD FOR EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM:
North: No. 53 Dean Mangiocavallo, Randolph, DT, (6-3, 300)
South: No. 52 Blaise Boland, Toms River North, OLB, (6-0, 225)

NORTH-SOUTH SCOREBOARD
SERIES TIED AT 21-21-2
2025: South 19, North 18 - at Kean University
2024: North 20, South 18 – at Kean University
2023: North 10, South 6 – at Kean University
2022: North 21, South 16 – at Kean University
2021: No game because of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020: No game because of the COVID-19 pandemic
2019: North 24, South 23 – at Kean University
2018: South 38, North 16 - at Kean University
2017: South 30, North 22 - at Kean University
2016: North 7, South 0 - at Kean University
2015: South 23, North 21 - at Kean University
2014: South 20, North 14 - at Piscataway High School
2013: North 54, South 8 - at Kean University
2012: North 14, South 7 - at Kean University
2011: South 21, North 14 - at Kean University
2010: North 17, South 3 - at Kean University
2009: South 7, North 0 - at Kean University
2008: North 31, South 25 - at Rutgers Stadium
2007: South 14, North 7 - at Rutgers Stadium
2006: North 31, South 16 - at Rutgers Stadium
2005: North 9, South 7 - at Rutgers Stadium
2004: North 26, South 21 - at Rutgers Stadium
2003: South 3, North 0 - at Rutgers Stadium
2002: No game was played at Rutgers
because of inclement weather before kickoff.
2001: North 24, South 0 - at Rutgers Stadium
2000: South 20, North 5 - at Rutgers Stadium
1999: South 22, North 19 - at Rutgers Stadium
1998: North 33, South 31 - at Rutgers Stadium
1997: South 28, North 24 - at The College of New Jersey
1996: South 32, North 23 - at Rutgers Stadium
1995: North 37, South 15 - at Rutgers Stadium
1994: South 21, North 16 - at Trenton State College
1993: South 9, North 8 - at Giants Stadium
1992: North 7, South 7 (tie) - at Giants Stadium
1991: North 26, South 12 - at Giants Stadium
1990: North 14, South 10 - at Rutgers Stadium
1989: South 24, North 0 - at Rutgers Stadium
1988: South 12, North 9 - at Rutgers Stadium
1987: North 21, South 10 - at Rutgers Stadium
1986: North 20, South 17 - at Rutgers Stadium
1985: North 10, South 10 (tie) - at Rutgers Stadium
1984: North 7, South 0 - at Rutgers Stadium
1983: South 41, North 7 - at Rutgers Stadium
1982: South 16, North 7 - at Rutgers Stadium
1981: South 32, North 0 - at Rutgers Stadium
1980: North 13, South 6 - at Rutgers Stadium
1979: South 34, North 13 - at Rutgers Stadium