Phillipsburg 31 East Orange 13
November 7, 2026
Phillipsburg used a ground-oriented attack to score 21 points in the first half and control the game, beating East Orange, 31-13, and advancing to the North Jersey Section 2 Group 5 finals Friday night, hosting Passaic Tech.
First Quarter: Phillipsburg went on an 8-play, 65-yard, 4-minute drive, mostly on the ground. After picking up two first downs, Vincent Berger ripped off a 35-yard run to the 6-yard line. Shane Moore scored on the following play to put the Stateliners in front, 7-0.
After an East Orange punt, P-burg had the ball on their 37. After three plays, they lined up to punt when Moore ran 20 yards to the 25 for a first down. A 12-yard Dominic Bracco to Donovan Samson pass moved the ball to the 13, and on third down, Bracco found Jaxon Matos for 9 yards to the 1. Two plays later, Moore scored on a 1-yard run to make it 14-0.
Second Quarter: Early in the quarter, Abdur-Rahman Ali recovered a fumble on the P-burg 43. Three plays later, Zachary Concepcion threw to Je’zi Lewis for a 31-touchdown, where he caught the ball over the middle before cutting across the field and down the right sideline.
The game’s momentum might have changed, but Phillipsburg answered.
After picking up a first down, Bracco found Matos for 11 yards, setting up a 38-yard touchdown run by Moore to make it 21-7 with five minutes left.
An interception by Berger set the Stateliners on the 19 with 1:15 left. The 45-yard field goal attempt was wide right when time expired.
Third Quarter: Lewis ran on the fake punt 25 yards to the East Orange 48, but the Jaguars ended up punting.
Their next possession lasted one play because David Pacewicz snagged an interception, turned around, and ran 40 yards for a touchdown and a 28-6 lead.
Fourth Quarter: Phillipsburg was in good field opposition when Samson forced a fumble that was recovered by Evan Wojciechowski on the East Orange 38. The Liners picked up a couple of first downs and added to the lead when Hunter Garrison kicked a 35-yard field goal, making it 31-6.
East Orange scored with 21 seconds left when Sean Smith ran 64 yards down the right sideline.
Comments: The game was all-Phillipsburg from start to finish. The first two drives put East Orange on their heels. Not including the drive they fumbled on the second play, the Stateliners scored on their first three drives. Their defense took care of the rest with three interceptions and stinginess against the run. East Orange gained 25 yards on a fake punt and 64 yards on the final play. Take those plays away, and they had 10 yards rushing for the game. Moore rushed for 106 yards and 3 touchdowns on 24 carries, with the Liners gaining 194.
Little went right for East Orange. A couple who stood out were Lewis on offense and linebacker Joel Martinez. Lewis had three receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown, while Martinez was around the ball.