IRVINGTON, NJ — The Irvington High School football team, as many expected, proved to be one of the best in the area during the regular season.
The Blue Knights were rewarded for their great regular season with the No. 1 seed in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4, state playoffs.
Irvington, under sixth-year head coach Ashley “Smoke” Pierre, will host No. 8 seed Linden in the quarterfinals on Friday night, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. The winner will face the winner between No. 5 seed Colonia and No. 4 seed Randolph in the semifinals. Middletown South is the No. 2 seed.
The Blue Knights, boasting several major college-caliber players, entered the season with high expectations. But in the season opener, IHS lost at Mount Olive, 2-0, which surprised many observers. The Blue Knights, though, bounced back from that loss and went on to have a stellar regular season.
The Blue Knights defeated a strong West Orange team, under head coach Darnell Grant, who was the IHS head coach from 2002 to 2009, by a score of 21-7 on Friday night, Oct. 29, under rainy and windy conditions at the IHS Sports Complex in the regular-season finale. Irvington won its third straight game and seventh in the last eight games to improve to 7-2 overall on the season.
In the first quarter, Nasir Addison, who has committed to the University of Maryland, scored on a 47-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Saquan Gordon, and Anthony Ellis kicked the extra point to give the Blue Knights a 7-0 lead.
Raheem Wright returned an interception 61 yards for a touchdown, and Ellis kicked the extra point in the second quarter, for a 14-0 halftime lead.
West Orange broke the shutout with a 12-yard touchdown run by Jehki Williams and Leo Levine’s extra-point kick to cut it to 14-7 in the third quarter. But the Blue Knights sealed the win when Famah Toure ran for a 64-yard touchdown and Ellis kicked the extra point in the fourth quarter.
Linden, under head coach Al Chiola, made the playoffs despite losing its final five regular-season games after starting the season at 3-0. Irvington and Linden were former Watchung Conference foes. In 2004, Linden upset Irvington, 14-6, at Irvington in the quarterfinals of the North 2, Group 4, playoffs. Irvington was the No. 4 seed and Linden was the No. 5 seed.
Irvington is seeking its first state sectional championship under the current format, which began in 1974. The Blue Knights have reached two sectional finals, in 2006 and 2018, losing to New Brunswick and Phillipsburg, respectively.
Last season, the playoffs were canceled due to the pandemic. The Blue Knights went 7-2 in 2020.
In 2019, Irvington lost to Northern Highlands in the semifinals of the North 1, Group 4, playoffs.
The following are the 2021 North 2, Group 4, playoff matchups:
- No. 8 seed Linden at No. 1 seed Irvington.
- No. 5 seed Colonia at No. 4 seed Randolph.
- No. 6 seed Middletown North at No. 3 seed Sayreville.
- No. 7 seed North Hunterdon at No. 2 seed Middletown South.
The following are the season records:
- Irvington, 7-2.
- Linden, 3-5.
- Colonia, 7-2.
- Randolph, 7-2.
- Middletown North, 5-3.
- Sayreville, 7-2.
- North Hunterdon, 5-4.
- Middletown South, 6-1.
Photos by Felicia Laguerre Owens
Irvington HS football team is No. 1 seed in the state playoffs added by Joe Ragozzino on
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