WEST ORANGE—At its best, the East Orange offense can squeeze the life out of an opponent, churning out long drives in five- and six-yard chunks. But when the Jaguars found themselves backed up inside their own 10-yard line, trailing rival West Orange by a point early in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s NJSIAA North 1, Group 5 sectional final, they weren’t looking for “methodical” or “time-consuming.” They were looking for a bolt of lightning.
And when they need that extra special something, head coach John Jacob and his Jaguars know they can turn to a budding superstar receiver like Alex Hanks.
Facing 3rd-and-5 from his own 8, East Orange quarterback Sa’eed Cole fired a quick slant to Hanks over the middle. The 6-1, 185-pound junior bounced off one would-be tackler, dodged another, and then burst into the open field. The stunned onlookers in the West Orange bleachers could only watch as Hanks crossed the goal line alone with 10:03 to play, capping a 92-yard strike that will live on in the memory of East Orange fans for years to come.
Hanks’ touchdown, his second of the day, proved to be the game-winner as fourth-seeded EO knocked off second-seeded West Orange, 13-7, to claim the N1G5 crown in front of a packed house at Suriano Stadium.
“[Alex is a] special player,” said Jacob, EO’s third-year head man. “The thing that’s special about him is that his level of grit matches his level of athleticism. That’s a really rare combination.”
With the win, East Orange (9-2) earned its second sectional championship in four years (also winning in 2021). The Jaguars’ season will continue with a trip to Union City (10-1), the North 2 sectional champion, in the Group 5 semifinals next Friday, Nov. 22.
“It’s just an amazing feeling,” said Cole, who led the Jaguars with 86 rushing yards on 19 carries. “To go from having losing seasons the last two years to tonight, it just shows that East Orange football is back where it should be. I think tonight we showed that we’re tough, we’re disciplined, we go all out, and we work hard for each other.”
Cole completed 4 of 6 passes for 143 yards on the night, nearly all to Hanks (3 receptions, 142 yards). The duo also connected on a 12-yard TD pass on a 4th-and-4 late in the second quarter to give East Orange a 6-0 halftime lead. The senior quarterback also orchestrated an outstanding three-man rushing attack alongside Tyshawn Sewell and Shaler Jackson, which kept the Jaguars’ offense moving forward consistently.
Speedy junior RB Farad Green led West Orange (9-3) with 144 hard-earned rushing yards on 27 carries, including a 6-yard TD run in the third quarter that gave the home team a 7-6 lead.
In the fourth quarter, following Hanks’ long TD catch-and-run, the Mountaineers looked poised to retake the lead thanks to a drive highlighted by a spectacular 31-yard catch by WR Terrence Wilfong (4 catches, 47 yards) on a deep ball from QB Brandon LaBanca. But the drive stalled in the red zone, and LaBanca’s desperation 4th-down pass was intercepted by EO senior defensive back Shakur Taylor in the end zone with 7:09 to play.
With the lead and the ball once again, East Orange went back to its bread-and-butter, launching one of those trademark offensive drives: four yards here, seven yards there, with a physicality that takes its toll on a defense. Running behind their outstanding offensive line – senior center Wazyn King, senior guards Alvins Collin and Isaiah Robinson-Ward, and junior tackles Michael Wicker and Shaheem Dezonie – Cole and Jackson split 10 carries, gained 54 yards, and picked up three crucial first downs to drain the rest of the clock. It was the Jaguars’ third offensive drive to consume more than 7:00 of game time.
“That’s East Orange football, right there,” Jacob said. “I’m just so happy for these kids.
"We’ve had losing seasons the last two years, and so many of these kids were sophomores or juniors on those teams, starting in a tough spot against really tough schedules. But getting to this game, and winning this game, it really does speak to the character of this group, the amount of mental toughness they have. It’s a resilient group.”
On the other side of the field, the Mountaineers will certainly rue some missed opportunities that could have swung this game their way. West Orange only kicked off twice Friday night, and both times Mountaineer junior Bashir Moss recovered a loose ball – once following a Jaguar misplay, the other on a surprise onside kick. But West Orange’s offense couldn’t capitalize, going 4-and-out on both occasions, turning the ball over on downs.
Still, the Mountaineers found themselves in a winning position as the fourth quarter began, thanks to a dominant third period. After a physical, swarming EO defense limited the Mountaineers to just 40 yards of total offense in the first half, running lanes started to open as LaBanca found an effective rhythm throwing quick passes to Wilfong. West Orange took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 70 yards in 12 plays, with Green diving over the goal line on a 6-yard run to put the home team ahead, 7-6.
Later in the third period, Green broke off a 24-yard run down to the EO 1-yard line, giving West Orange a golden scoring opportunity. But the stout Jaguar front, led by King and Dezonie, held firm on three straight plays. On fourth-and-goal, LaBanca’s pass to Wilfong was batted away; Hanks broke off his game-changing touchdown reception three plays later.
NEWS & NOTES—East Orange won the yardage battle Friday night, 279-205, gaining 13 first downs to the Mountaineers’ 11. The Jaguars also controlled possession for 27:57 to West Orange’s 20:03 … Win or lose, East Orange’s season will continue following the Group 5 semifinal at Union City, as the Jaguars host Barringer in the traditional Thanksgiving game Nov. 28 at Robeson Stadium. Should EO advance past Union City, they would also play in the Group 5 championship game on Wednesday, Dec. 4 … Union City needed fourth-quarter heroics of its own to win its sectional championship game, as Xavien Rodriguez’s 15-yard TD pass to Khalil Sutton with :08 left lifted the Soaring Eagles to a 34-29 win over Passaic Tech. The winning score came just 41 seconds after PCTI took the lead on a 27-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion … West Orange entered Friday night seeking its second NJSIAA sectional football title in school history. Head coach Darnell Grant led the Mountaineers to the first title in 2022, his fourth season at the school … West Orange’s stellar RB Green finishes his season with 1,388 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Wilfong, the 6-foot-5 standout receiver, wraps up his campaign with 53 catches for 936 yards and 13 TDs. … East Orange avenged a 7-0 regular season loss to West Orange on Oct. 19 at Robeson Stadium, in a game that saw WO’s 1500-yard passer, senior quarterback Charlie LaMorte, suffer a season-ending injury.
BOX SCORE
#4 East Orange (9-2) 0 6 0 7 - 13
#2 West Orange (9-3) 0 0 7 0 - 7
1st quarter
No scoring
2nd quarter
EO—Alex Hanks 12 pass from Sa’eed Cook (kick blocked), 2:11
3rd quarter
WO—Farad Green 6 run (Mason Insana kick), 7:33
4th quarter
EO—Alex Hanks 92 pass from Sa’eed Cook (Samuel Adekolu kick), 10:03
NJSIAA NORTH 1, GROUP 5
Quarterfinals – Nov. 1-2
#1 Ridgewood 33, #8 Passaic 14
#4 East Orange 28, #5 Montclair 14
#3 Piscataway 42, #6 Bayonne 13
#2 West Orange 28, #7 Linden 21
Semifinals – Nov. 8
#4 East Orange 14, #1 Ridgewood 3
#2 West Orange 35, #3 Piscataway 0
Final – Friday - Nov. 15
#4 East Orange 13, #2 West Orange 7
NJSIAA GROUP 5
Semifinals – Friday, Nov. 22
East Orange (9-2, North 1 champion)
at Union City (10-1, North 2 champion)
Washington Twp. (10-2, Central champion)
at Toms River North (12-0, South champion)
Final – Nov. 29/30 or Dec. 4
Date, time and site TBD
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