Alnazir Blackman runs for yardage
IRVINGTON, NJ (updated Monday Nov. 21, 11:06 a.m.) – The Irvington High School varsity football team’s dream season came to a heartbreaking finish.
The second-seeded Blue Knights fell to seventh-seeded Randolph, 13-12, in the first round of the state North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 playoffs at the IHS Sports Complex on Friday night, Nov. 18.
The Blue Knights, under first-year head coach Ashley Pierre, finished the season with an 8-2 record after losing their final two games.
The score was tied at 6-6 at the end of the first quarter. IHS scored on a one-yard touchdown, but missed the extra point kick, and Randolph got a pair of 25-yard field goals from Nick Zach.
The teams played a tight affair for the next two-plus quarters.
In the fourth quarter, the Rams broke the 6-6 tie when Justin Suarez connected with Eric Lubrano on a 10-yard touchdown pass, followed by Zach’s point-after kick.
The Blue Knights answered as senior quarterback Jyvon Brown threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jasiah Provillon to make it a one-point game with under two minutes to go in the game.
But instead of going for the game-tying extra-point kick, the Blue Knights went for the two-point conversion for the potential game-winner.
Brown dropped back to pass, but was pressured and took off for the end zone. Brown got stopped short of the goal-line, as Randolph held on for the win.
Randolph, which had a 2-3 record, has won five straight and improved to 7-3.
The game was postponed from the previous week after top-seeded Wayne Hills appealed its disqualification after playing a trio of brothers – Tyler, Hunter and Jaaron Hayek – who allegedly lived outside of Wayne. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ruled in favor of Wayne Hills.
Irvington was playing its first game since Nov. 4 when it lost to Wayne Hills, 48-27, at Wayne Hills in a game that determined the inaugural North Jersey Super Football Conference-Freedom White Division title.
Randolph will visit third-seeded Wayne Valley in the semifinals on Nov. 25. Wayne Hills defeated eighth-seeded Roxbury, 33-7, Sunday, Nov. 20, in the first round for its ninth straight win to improve to 9-1 and will host fourth-seeded West Morris in the semifinals on Nov. 26. West Morris defeated fifth-seeded Fair Lawn, 35-14.
The loss to Randolph, indeed, was devastating. Still, the Blue Knights had a strong season.
And make no mistake, the future is bright.
Said assistant coach Kyle Steele a day after the game, “The kids don’t notice it now, but they set the tone for the future for Irvington. The community was formed around them and they had everybody feeling positive. It gave the younger kids in town a good feeling of people to look up to and a blueprint of how it should be done. They should be real proud.”
The Blue Knights are going in the right direction with Pierre’s guidance.
“He did a great job this year,” said Steele of Pierre. “A real, real great job. He motivated guys and getting them to work, even doing things the right way. You can see a big coaching change in the guys.”
Growing up in Irvington, Pierre played for the Irvington Golden Knights youth football program. Steele is president and a coach for the Golden Knights program.
Pierre is “constantly in contact with those younger guys (on the Golden Knights) and making sure they stay together and come up together, so I can see that being even a stronger pipeline for years to come… Having all of those pieces together helps out a lot.”
Irvington (8-2)
Sept. 9, Won, at Lincoln of Jersey City, 46-24
Sept. 16, Won, West Orange, 22-3
Sept. 23, Won, Barringer, 36-23
Sept. 30, Won, Nutley, 20-0
Oct. 7, Won, at Millburn, 34-18
Oct. 15, Won, Wayne Valley, 52-25
Oct. 21, Won, at Belleville, 48-0
Oct. 29, Won, Passaic Valley, 33-20
Nov. 4, Loss, at Wayne Hills, 48-27
Nov. 18, Loss, Randolph, 13-12*
*North Jersey Section 1, Group 4 playoffs
Golden Knights Jr. Varsity team makes great run in East Region playoffs
Steele said the Golden Knights Junior Varsity football team, consisting of mostly 13-year-olds, lost to the East Orange Junior Jaguars, 19-16, in the Eastern Region Pop Warner playoff semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 19, at Watchung Hills. The Golden Knights were just one game from going to Orlando, Fla. for the championship.
The Junior Varsity team and the Flag team (5-year-olds) won championships for the Golden Knights program this season.
“It was a real good year for football for the youth,” said Steele.
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