EOCHS, OHS teams stellar in 2009-10

By Joe Ragozzino
Sports editor
East Orange Campus and Orange high schools witnessed some fine varsity teams in varsity sports during the 2009-10 school year.
Here is a look back at their achievements:
FALL
The Orange football team advanced to the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 2 championship at Giants Stadium. The sixth-seeded Tornadoes were leading top-seeded and undefeated Summit, 13-0, but Summit rallied for a 28-19 victory.
After beating third-seeded Lincoln of Jersey City, 41-18, in the first round, the Tornadoes upset second-seeded Caldwell, 10-7, in the semifinals, avenging a 34-0 loss to Caldwell two weeks earlier.
The Tornadoes finished with a 7-4 record.
The East Orange Campus football team also advanced to the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 championship at Giants Stadium against Roxbury in a battle of former Iron Hills Conference foes. Roxbury, the top seed, held on for a 14-6 victory.
The Jaguars were technically the No. 8 and final seed in the playoffs, but moved up to No. 7 after West Orange was banned from the playoffs after three of their players were ejected in the playoff-clinching win over Livingston. The Jaguars defeated second-seeded Ridgewood, 26-20, in overtime and posted a decisive 27-7 win over third-seeded Passaic Tech in the semifinals.
The Jaguars finished with a 7-5 record.
The East Orange Campus boys’ soccer team had a memorable season in the inaugural Super Essex Conference, winning the SEC-Independence regular-season championship and finishing with a 13-3 record.
WINTER
The East Orange Campus girls’ indoor track and field team tied with Irvington for third at the Essex Individual Championships.
The East Orange Campus boys’ basketball team beat Paterson Kennedy to win the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament title before losing to Plainfield in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals to finish with a 17-10 mark.
The East Orange Campus girls’ basketball team beat Montclair to capture the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament title before losing to North Hunterdon in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals to finish with an 18-11 record.
SPRING
The East Orange Campus baseball team went 13-6-1, winning the Super Essex Conference-Independence Division regular season champion and qualifying for the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament for the first time.
The East Orange Campus softball team went 18-4 and finished second in the SEC-Independence Division. The Jaguars also made the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 tournament.
The Orange baseball team qualified for State tournament for the first time in more than 40 years and finished with a 9-11 mark.