Irvington HS boys’ basketball team looks to make another great run this season

IRVINGTON, NJ – Coming off a state sectional tournament final appearance last winter, the Irvington High School boys basketball team hopes to achieve another strong season.

The Blue Knights, under head coach Elias Brantley, will tip off the season Friday, Dec. 14, at Montclair Kimberley Academy at 4 p.m.

Last season, the fifth-seeded Blue Knights advanced to the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 state tournament final where they lost to second-seeded Chatham, 61-45, to finish with an 18-11 record.

The key returning players for Irvington are juniors Karriem Thomas, Nazamier Brooks, Dezyln Sebastien, Kymani Dunbar, and senior Dameer Vital.

Thomas scored 22 points and 16 points, both team highs, in the wins over No. 13 seed Parsippany Hills and No. 8 seed Colonia in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively in the state tournament last year.

Brantley is a 2006 IHS graduate who played for Eugene Robinson, a 1993 IHS graduate who was a standout for the Blue Knights. Brantley succeeded Robinson and enters his fifth season at the helm. Robinson has been the head coach at nearby Columbia HS in Maplewood for the past five seasons as well.

IHS roster

0 – Shawn Bessellieu – JR

1 – Karriem Thomas – JR

2 – Nazamier Brooks – JR

3 – Dezlyn Sebastien – JR

4 – Kymani Dunbar – JR

5 – Dameer Vital – SR

10 – Kyle Benson – JR

11 – Jhazaire Head – SO

12 – Taiyon Battle – JR

13 – Moses Pierre – JR

Schedule

Dec. 14, at Montclair Kimberley, 4 p.m.

Dec. 18, Glen Ridge, 7 p.m.

Dec. 20, at University, 4 p.m.

Dec. 22, at Livingston, 1 p.m.

Dec. 26-27, 29, Hillside tournament

Jan. 3, Bloomfield, 4 p.m.

Jan. 4, at Shabazz,  4 p.m.

Jan. 8, at Cristo Rey, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10, at American History, 7 p.m.

Jan. 12, West Orange, 11:30 a.m.

Jan. 14, at Carteret, 5:30 p.m.

Jan. 15, at Nutley, 4 p.m.

Jan. 17, Newark Tech, 4 p.m.

Jan. 22, Montclair Kimberley, 4 p.m.

Jan. 24, at Glen Ridge, 4 p.m.

Jan. 25, at Ferris, 4 p.m.

Jan. 28, University, 7 p.m.

Jan. 29, Cristo Rey, 7 p.m.

Feb. 2, Eagle Academy, 1 p.m.

Feb. 12, Nutley, 4 p.m.

Feb. 14, at Newark Tech, 4 p.m.

  Irvington High School boys basketball