Sports
West Orange High School Seniors Set for One Last High School Game
Standouts Christian, Smith ready for Robeson Classic
West Orange High School seniors Christian Smith and George Christian get one last chance to perform together tonight at the 17th Paul Robeson East/west All-Star Football Classic at Robeson Stadium in East Orange. Game time is 6 p.m.
The game pits graduating seniors from Essex County against graduating seniors from Morris, Passaic, Sussex and Warren counties.
Smith, heading to Wheaton College in Illinois in the fall, will get plenty of time as quarterback. Christian will be lining up at defense end. Both players helped the Mountaineers finish last season with a 8-2 record and the top seed of the North Jersey, Section 1 Group IV playoffs.
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Smith threw for 1,945 yards and 19 touchdowns
"I'm feeling pretty good and looking forward to playing," said Smith. "We have been practicing hard. It's a pretty good way to get prepared for college. The thing I've been working on is being prepared to make quick decisions."
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Christian, who said he's not yet sure of his college plans, said he's looking forward to "attacking the quarterback." He was in on 47 total tackles and forced three fumbles in his senior season.
"I want to look good for the people and this is my chance," said Christian, who was the Essex County Wrestling Tournament champion at 215 pounds. "When you think of all star games, you think of people like (New England Patriots' quarterback) Tom Brady, (former Giant defensive end) Michael Strahan and (former San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer) and Jerry Rice. It's really an honor to be part of this. I've never been a part of anything like this."
Cedar Grove Ed Sadloch, Seton Hall Prep coach John Finnegan and former Shabazz coach Dave McCombs will be inducted into the Essex County Football Coaches Hall of Fame at halftime. Sadloch has won 224 games in his career, 164 at Cedar Grove, and has led his team to three North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 titles since 2000. Finnegan has 159 career victories between the Prep and Montclair Immaculate and McCombs retired after the 2009 season with 106 victories in 23 seasons.
