Irvington HS football team to host Camden Eastside in the season opener on Aug. 25

Irvington eighth-year head coach Ashley ‘Smoke’ Pierre is shown at the end of a morning practice at the Irvington Sports Complex on Saturday, Aug. 12. (Photo by Joe Ragozzino)

IRVINGTON, NJ — High school football is back.

A number of area teams will kick off the season in Week 0, including Irvington High School.

Irvington will host Camden Eastside at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25.

Irvington originally was scheduled to begin its season in Week 1 at Millville. Last season, Irvington and Millville faced each other at Rutgers University’s SHI Stadium in Week 1, with Irvington winning, 25-17, in a battle of 2021 New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s state regional Group 4 champions. Irvington was the North Jersey champion, while Millville was the South champion.

But the Blue Knights, under eighth-year head coach Ashley “Smoke” Pierre, recently added a Week 0 opponent when Camden Eastside reached out to them after Camden Eastside’s original Week 0 opponent, Hudson Catholic, backed out.

Irvington last season finished 8-3, losing to Northern Highlands, 17-13, at home in the NJSIAA’s North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 state semifinals. Irvington, which won the North 2, Group 4 sectional title in 2021, was moved to Section 1. Northern Highlands won its second straight Section 1 title and avenged the loss to Irvington in the 2021 regional title game at SHI Stadium. Camden Eastside last season reached the semifinals of the South Jersey, Group 3 state playoffs, falling to Delsea, 49-14, before beating Camden, 25-2, to finish 5-5.