West Orange, NJ — Passaic Tech used a pair of defensive touchdowns to seize early control, then unleashed a dominant ground attack after halftime to power past West Orange, 56–42, in the North 1, Group 5 championship game on Nov. 14.
The 56-point outburst marks the highest scoring performance in a postseason game in program history.
The turning point came on the final snap of the first half. With West Orange threatening at the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line, defensive back Tony Balwin-Harris jumped a route, picked off a pass near the 5, and raced the length of the field for a stunning pick-six. What could have been a game-tying Mountaineers score instead became a 14-point swing heading into halftime.
“Coach told me to be ready for the switch route,” Balwin-Harris said. “I stayed patient, the ball came right at me, and I just took it home.”
Passaic Tech coach Matt Demarest said the sequence was exactly the reversal his team needed after a regular-season loss in which West Orange scored before halftime and again to start the third quarter.
“This time, we made the play before the half and then got the stop coming out of halftime,” Demarest said. “We needed something big to flip the game.”
The night featured offensive fireworks from both sides: 14 total touchdowns, only three punts, and 23 penalties. West Orange running back Farad Green Jr. delivered a remarkable performance with five rushing touchdowns and a kickoff return for another, but the Mountaineers could never claw back from Passaic Tech’s constant blows.
What it means
Passaic Tech (9–3) continues to rule North Jersey Group 5, earning its third sectional championship in four years. The Bulldogs now advance to face Bridgewater-Raritan on the road in the Group 5 state semifinals.
“They’re a strong program,” Demarest said of the upcoming opponent. “We’ve watched the common opponents. We feel prepared for what we’re walking into.”
West Orange closes its season at 9–3. The Mountaineers won the regular-season meeting, but Passaic Tech’s players felt confident the rematch would be different.
“We watched the film and knew we were better,” said Bulldogs running back Kadir Younge. “We knew we had more talent and could dominate all around.”
And dominate they did. Passaic Tech’s young, all-underclassmen offensive line took over after halftime, helping the Bulldogs rack up 344 rushing yards after the break and avoid punting entirely in the second half.
Younge powered the offense with 169 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Quarterback Gabe Miles added 63 rushing yards and a score, Randy Lewis ran for 63 yards and a touchdown, and Naz Mitchell broke loose for a 53-yard scoring run.
Demarest praised the offensive line’s growth throughout the year.
“They love each other and they love this game,” he said. “We said all season the line controls everything, and tonight they showed what they’re capable of.”
Younge agreed: “Our offensive line is amazing. I trust them completely. We all do our part and they keep pushing.”
Game balls
Jose Trinidad, Passaic Tech defensive back, returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Farad Green Jr., West Orange, accounted for six total touchdowns (five rushing, one kickoff return).Gabe Miles, Passaic Tech quarterback, completed 8 of 12 passes and hurt West Orange repeatedly with his scrambling.
