Irvington HS football team is rolling into the playoffs

Irvington sophomore Jayden Herron runs for yardage during the win over Columbia at Underhill Sports Complex in Maplewood this season. (Photo by Joe Ungaro)

Irvington High School football senior DJ Mangan, second from left, and West Orange High School senior Rayel Hunter, third from left, have been selected as the nominees of their respective schools for the Steve DiGregorio Young Man of the Year award, during the game at Irvington on Friday, Oct. 21. At left is Irvington head coach Ashley ‘Smoke’ Pierre and at right is West Orange head coach Darnell Grant, an Irvington HS graduate and former IHS head football coach. (Photo Courtesy of Irvington High School Athletics)

IRVINGTON, NJ — One can make a strong case about the Irvington High School football team being the most feared team going into the postseason.

Indeed, the Blue Knights are red hot after finishing the regular season with their third consecutive shutout victory.

Irvington, under eighth-year head coach Ashley “Smoke” Pierre, gained the No. 4 seed in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 state playoffs and will host fifth-seeded Middletown North High School in the quarterfinals on Friday, Oct. 27, at Ralph C. Steele Football Field on the IHS campus.

The Blue Knights are looking for the second state sectional title in program history. Their first state title came in 2021, when they defeated Middletown South, 28-13, in the North 2, Group 4 final at IHS. It marked the Blue Knights’ third sectional final appearance. Their other sectional final appearances were in 2006 against New Brunswick in North 2, Group 3, and in 2018 against Phillipsburg in North 2, Group 4.

If the Blue Knights defeat Middletown North on Friday, they will play the winner between No. 1 seed Roxbury and No. 8 seed Colonia in the semifinals.

The Blue Knights defeated West Orange High School, 14-0, Friday, Oct. 20, at IHS’ Ralph C. Football Field, to improve to 5-4 overall on the season. Irvington ended West Orange’s three-game winning streak. West Orange, which moved to 4-4, is the reigning North 2, Group 5 sectional champion.

The Blue Knights scored both touchdowns in the first quarter. Senior and Penn St. commit Vaboue Toure ran for a 6-yard TD to make it 6-0. The extra-point kick failed.

Junior Malachi Dudley scored on a 25-yard run and sophomore Na’cir Ransom ran for the two-point conversion later in the quarter.

Dudley finished with 96 rushing yards on 12 attempts. Ransom carried 11 times for 35 yards. Toure finished with 4 rushing yards on three attempts, along with the TD.

In their previous two games, the Blue Knights defeated Montclair, 27-0, and Livingston, 44-0, both on the road.

Irvington’s five wins this season include four shutouts. They defeated Columbia, 21-0, in week 3. Irvington played nine regular season games, having played in week 0.

The defense has been led by junior linebacker Jachai Little John, senior defensive back Jasin Shiggs, junior lineman Ismail Shabazz, senior linebacker Rashad Williams, senior linebacker DJ Mangan, senior lineman Maraad Watson, junior lineman DaJohn Fields, senior DB Zakaa Brown, DB Toure, senior defensive back Cam Richardson and senior linemen Jahide Lesaine and Aston Martin.

West Orange is under head coach Darnell Grant, a 1991 IHS graduate and former IHS head football coach who is in the IHS Athletics Hall of Fame. Grant was the head coach of the 2006 IHS team that finished runner-up in the North 2, Group 3 playoffs.

West Orange is the No. 6 seed in the North 2, Group 5 state sectional playoffs and will visit No. 3 seed Plainfield in the quarterfinals.

After beating Middletown South in the sectional final two years ago, Irvington defeated Northern Highlands, 19-14, in the North, Group 4 regional championship game at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium in Piscataway to cap an 11-2 season. Last season, the state public playoffs added another round, as state public group champions were crowned.

The current state playoff format began in 1974 and ended in sectional finals for the public schools before the regional title games were added in 2018. The public group state semifinals replaced the regional championship games.

North 2, Group 4 playoffs

No. 8 seed Colonia at No. 1 seed Roxbury.

No. 5 seed Middletown North at No. 4 seed Irvington.

No. 6 seed Sayreville at No. 3 seed Montgomery.

No. 7 seed Wayne Valley at No. 2 seed Mount Olive.

Irvington (5-4)