Saturday, September 17, 2011
Cougar boys run into dominant East Orange team in first home night game
The Columbia football team's first taste of life in American Division didn't go as well as the boys would've liked. In the first ever home night game in Columbia football history on Friday night, in front of a capacity crowd, East Orange had its way with the Cougars, trouncing the locals 48-0. Things got ugly very quickly, and the game started getting away from Columbia almost instantly, with East Orange taking a 9-0 lead within the first two minutes and a 22-0 lead into the second quarter. Najee Williams had a monster first quarter for East Orange, scoring on a three yard run and then a two yarder, before intercepting a pass and returning it 45 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. The game was pretty much over after that. The …
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Nieves, McGriff and Vaughn play for winning east team
Denzel Nieves, Matt McGriff and Will Vaugn of the Columbia football team, added one more win to their high school careers in the 17th annual Paul Robeson East/West All-Star Football Classic on Monday night. The East team, made up of 44 senior athletes from Essex County and parts of Passaic County, earned a 35-28 win over the West, behind three touchdown passes from Caldwell’s Chris Lawshe’s three touchdown passes. “It was a great honor, playing with guys you compete against and two of the guys I played with,” McGriff said. “It was great. I had great coaches and I played with great players.” Following an opening 99-yard kick-off return by Al-Malik Walker, sprung by an outside block from Nieves, the East never trailed in the contest, and …
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Columbia has second straight winning season, wins division
After losing more than 20 seniors to graduation last fall, many football fans worried that the Cougar team would take a step back this season. It was quite the contrary. This was arguably Columbia's second best season ever (they won the state title in 1951) and no one save the coaches and players inside of Underhill's locker room, knew just how good they were going to be this fall. "Nobody thought we could do it. That's what makes it more special," said Columbia head coach Dave Curtin. Columbia took things to the next level this season, winning more games than any other football team in CHS history at 9-1. The locals were unbeaten in the conference, unbeaten during the regular season and qualified for the state playoffs for a second …
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Columbia football holds off Irvington on Thanksgiving
In his last performance as a Cougar, Denzel Nieves decided to put on a show for the Red and Black faithful on Thanksgiving morning. Nieves rushed for 185 yards, scored three touchdowns and earned 371 total yards in Columbia's 26-21 victory over Irvington at Lynn V. Profeta Field. "I wanted to go out with a bang," Nieves said after the game. "Last year it was killing me all off season that we lost, that we ended with a loss and we had a great team last year. This year I was happy that there was a Thanksgiving game." After being stopped on a gutsy fourth and one try from their own 40, the Cougar defense needed to make a play. The locals were up by five and Irvington had 52 seconds to score. This coming after Columbia's defense forced a …
Saturday, November 13, 2010
On a perfect fall afternoon, fans and players see the end of good run
The 2010 Cougar football team can take with them one conference title, the first undefeated season in 59 years and their second winning season in a row. But their hopes of going further in the state tournament ended in a 27-7 loss to the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers Saturday afternoon. The community came out in droves, dressed in red and black, to support the home team and the Panthers brought a pretty big crowd themselves. Those who showed up were treated not only to some decent football but a flashy half-time show put on by the CHS marching band and color guard with flags, rifles, swords and drumline. Here are a few pictures from the day. Do you have some you'd like to share? Sports photos, fan shots? Upload and share them here.
Columbia football eliminated from state playoffs
The Columbia football team's state championship hopes were snuffed out on Saturday afternoon at Lynn V. Profeta Field in the Underhill Sports Complex. The locals turned the ball over three times and were gashed for 241 yards rushing in a disappointing 27-7 loss to Bridgewater-Raritan in the first round of the North II Group 4 state sectional playoffs. Columbia turned the ball over twice in the span of four plays between the third and fourth quarters, stifling their chances at a comeback. The first came at the end of the third quarter, with the Cougars down 20-7, at the Panther 16-yard-line, threatening to get within six points. But Demetrius Cooper was intercepted at the one-yard line, ending the scoring threat. A botched option play on …
Can the Cougar football team keep proving the doubters wrong?
Although there are dozens upon dozens of teams around the state that would love to be headed to the playoffs on Saturday like Columbia's football team is, the Cougars are not exactly in an enviable position this postseason. Saturday's showdown against Bridgewater Raritan is not only about the Cougars getting a win and moving on in the playoffs. No, Saturday's first round contest is hugely important as far as the Cougars taking another step forward as a program and as far as the rest of the state giving them credit for having two good, if not great seasons. Last year's 8-2 campaign was marred by a 41-6 beat down on the road against Westfield in the first round of the playoffs. A loss like that on Saturday will have all of the nay-sayers and…
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Columbia football captures first division title in 28 years with Friday's drubbing of Belleville
Four years ago, when Columbia football head coach Dave Curtin took over the job, one of the goals he set was winning a conference championship. Many laughed at him at the time, with the Cougars mired in a 26-game losing streak. Look who's laughing now. With a 35-0 throttling of the Belleville Buccaneers in Belleville on Friday, the Cougars locked up the Super Essex Conference Liberty Division Championship. It was their first championship of any kind since 1982 and they completed their first undefeated season since 1951, ending the regular season at a perfect 8-0. "I thought I was nuts because I was in the middle of a 26-game losing streak and my wife said to me at the time that you have to have goals," Curtin said after the game. "Four …
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Columbia football knocks off West Essex to take lead in division
It's likely that the West Essex Knights spent all week preparing to stop the run against Columbia on Saturday. Luckily for the Cougars, it was the Demetrius Cooper coming out party, as the senior quarterback completed 8-of-14 passes for two touchdowns and 190 yards, leading Columbia to a 27-9 home win. "I feel great about the way I played. I knew I could do it, but it seemed like in previous weeks we really couldn't put it together," Cooper said. "To come against West Essex, a team of that caliber, it feels great." The victory improved the Cougars to 7-0 and leaves the three win Belleville boys as the only team standing in the way of Columbia's first outright division championship since 1982. "It will mean the world to us to the coaches …
Friday, October 29, 2010
Columbia football has a chance to lock up the division on Saturday
The most important football game in the Super Essex Liberty Division this season will be played on Saturday at 1 p.m. For the second straight season, it all comes down to the Knights, the Cougars and the gridiron, as the two will square off at The Hill with the division title up for grabs. For Columbia, last season's loss was the one that got away. Bad special teams play and three untimely turnovers allowed the Knights to steal the game, the division title, Columbia's undefeated season and probably a home playoff game. "It feels exciting that we get a chance to get back at West Essex. We're ready to go, we're ready to beat them," said Columbia co-captain Denzell Nieves. "It haunts me from last year cause I had a fumble and that obviously …
Laura Griffin
8:04 pm on Sunday, November 14, 2010
Thanks to Joe Morgan for adding some photos. more ›