West Deptford's Pete Orio has chance to stand alone in famous football family

Pete Orio knows the history.

He used to hear about it during Sunday dinners at his grandmom's house.

"All the time," Orio said. "They would tell me, 'Hey, we were all-South Jersey. Were you all-South Jersey yet?'"

The all-South Jersey teams for 2017 haven't been announced, but Orio has performed at that level in leading West Deptford (10-1) to a berth in Sunday's South Jersey Group 2 championship game against arch-rival Haddonfield (8-3) at Rowan University.

A top quarterback and linebacker as well as a consummate leader, Orio has guided an inexperienced team to the brink of the program's eighth sectional title, all since 2002.

"I'm not sure I've ever had a team that's over-achieved as much as this one," West Deptford coach Clyde Folsom said.

West Deptford's younger athletes, such as two-way junior end Jason Collier and junior linebacker Jake Paratore, have emerged as playmakers, but Folsom traces much of the Eagles' success to the steady play and veteran leadership of the latest member of one of South Jersey's top football families.

"His ability to lead on the field, in the classroom, in the weight room, is about as good as anyone we've had," said Folsom, who is finishing his 27th season as West Deptford's coach.

Orio, who has been selected a scholar-athlete award winner by the Brooks-Irvine Memorial Football Club and is considering continuing his athletic and academic career at the University of Pennsylvania, takes pride in his leadership.

"That was one of my major goals this year," Orio said. "It wasn't so much to win another championship or go undefeated again. It was more that I wanted to make a name for myself in this program as a leader."

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Orio is a playmaker as well. He is coming off one of his most productive offensive games, having passed for 137 yards and a touchdown and run for 84 yards and a touchdown in a 35-26 victory over Paulsboro Saturday in a Thanksgiving weekend clash of teams headed to sectional finals.

For the season, Orio is 61-for-99 passing for 972 yards with seven touchdowns. He also has run for four touchdowns.

On defense, Orio has made 48 tackles and leads the Eagles with seven sacks.

"He plays his best games against the better opponents," Folsom said. "And he's playing his best football at the end of the year, just like last year."

Orio transferred to West Deptford from Kingsway before last season. He played one of his best games as a junior in helping West Deptford complete a 12-0 season with a 19-13 victory over Cedar Creek in the South Jersey Group 2 title game, running for 43 yards and a score and passing for 70 yards and another touchdown.

"He's not a kid who goes in the tank if something goes wrong," Folsom said. "He's got that competitiveness to keep battling."

The Orio family football tradition is rich, but the West Deptford senior has a chance to separate himself from his father, uncles and cousins at the Sunday table.

Two of Orio's uncles, Al and Tony, were all-South Jersey first-team selections as linemen at Deptford in 1975 and 1978, respectively. Another uncle, Mike, was a second-team selection at Paul VI in 1976.

Orio's father, also named Pete Orio, was a first-team all-South Jersey lineman at Deptford in 1981. He currently is a West Deptford assistant coach.

The young Pete Orio's cousin, Al Jr., was a second-team all-South Jersey lineman at Deptford in 2002. Another cousin, Ray, was a first-team selection as a lineman at Deptford in 2006.

And still another cousin, Anthony, was a first-team all-South Jersey quarterback after leading Eastern to the South Jersey Group 4 title as a No. 8 seed in 2003.

"Me and my cousin, Anthony, we were the only backs," Pete Orio said. "The rest of them were all linemen."

A few of the Orios have won South Jersey titles.

But none of them have won two.

So the young guy at Sunday dinner has the chance to turn the table on his uncles and older cousins, setting himself apart as a member of the famous football family.

"I have a chance to do something none of them have ever done," Pete Orio. "But we have to win first."

South Jersey Group 2 title game Sunday at 11 a.m. at Rowan University.

Road to Rowan: West Deptford beat Pleasantville 51-12 and Cedar Creek 28-20. Haddonfield beat Sterling 17-7 and Cinnaminson 35-8.

Previous titles: West Deptford, 7 (2016, 2012, 2011, 2007, 2004, 2003, 2002). Haddonfield, 3 (2014, 2013, 2010).

Coaches: West Deptford's Clyde Folsom is 261-72-5 overall in his 32d season. He is 227-61 in his 27th season at West Deptford. Haddonfield's Frank DeLano is 119-55 in his 16th season.

West Deptford players to watch: Senior QB/LB Pete Orio (61-for-99 passing, 972 yards, 7 TDs, plus 48 tackles and 7 sacks); junior RB Kenny Lim (106 carries, 1,036 yards, 13 TDs); junior TE/DE Jason Collier (22 catches, 323 yards, 3 TDs); junior LB Jake Paratore (96 tackles).

Haddonfield players to watch: Junior DE Gabe Klaus (68 tackles, 10.5 sacks); junior AP Davis Smith (9 catches, 248 yards, 3 TDs); senior RB Nick Patrizi (165 carries, 821 yards, 9 TDs); junior QB Jay Foley (102-for-188 passing for 1,568 yards, 12 TDs); junior WR John Foley (32 catches, 440 yards, 3 TDs).

Fast fact: This game will mark the fourth time since 2010 these teams have played in the South Jersey Group 2 final.

Fast fact II: West Deptford beat Haddonfield 17-14 in overtime on Oct. 20 on the Eagles' field.

Pick: Haddonfield, 20-17.