SPORTS WRAP
BY WILLIAM HATHAWAY, JR.
Cover Photo Courtesy Peter Long, SHU Athletics
We have more champions out of Essex County. First, 6th seeded West Orange took a Section 2 Group 5 crown thanks to a 28-7 win over Phillipsburg. This marks the first ever Group title in West Orange High’s history. The Mountaineers have been on the road since the playoffs began, and will do so again this weekend against Passaic County Tech in the state sectional semifinal round. Leading West Orange was Adonis White with 127 yards on 14 carries, while junior Rayel Hunter and Jarvis Jones made key plays. WOHS is 8-3 on the season.
Another area team with a title is Weequahic, who sits at 10-1 on the season after beating Cedar Grove 21-10 for the Section 2 Group 1 championship. They will travel to mountain lakes this weekend for the game other area team. Finally, the 11-0 Caldwell Chiefs won themselves another Group championship, beating Newton 35-7 this past weekend for the Section 2 Group 1 crown.
In college basketball, the Seton Hall men’s basketball team has started off their season well, beating St. Peter’s 80-44 at the Prudential Center. Dre Davis gave The Hall 13 points and 3 rebounds, AL-Amir Dawes had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Tyrese Samuel had 12 points and 3 rebounds. St. Peter’s meanwhile got 13 points from Jaylen Murray. Seton Hall shot 52 percent as a team but turned the ball over 16 times. The 2-0 Pirates did outrebound the Peacocks 41-31. This game had added significance, as head coach Shaheen Holloway coached against the team he led to a magical run in the NCAA tournament.
After the game, Holloway said, “I don’t think we played well today. It’s a work in progress. I am proud of my guys we did a lot better than the last game against Monmouth.”
Seton Hall’s first win this year came in a 79-52 win over Monmouth University. The Pirates will next take on Wagner on Sunday.
In other sports, the Giants improved to 7-2 on the year after a 24-16 home win over the Houston Texans. The Jets enjoyed a bye week. In the NBA, the Nets promoted assistant Jacque Vaughn to head coach, all while Kyrie Irving serves a suspension over posting a link to an anti-Semitic film on Twitter.
Finally, the sports world is mourning the death of three University of Virginia football players. Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were all killed by Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who had been on the team but did not play in any game. The group and other students were returning from a field trip, where two others, Marlee Morgan and Michael Hollins, were shot but survived. Jones was denied bail, and faces several charges, including three charges of second-degree murder and three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.
The Cavaliers cancelled their final 2022 home game against Coastal Carolina, and the status of their season finale against in-state rival Virginia Tech is unclear.
