IRVINGTON, NJ — Irvington High School seniors Vaboue Toure and Janasia Wilson have been selected to participate in their respective U.S. Army All-American Bowl games in San Antonio, Texas. The two were honored during a ceremony at the IHS auditorium on Monday, Nov. 6.
Wilson, a quarterback, will play in the inaugural girls flag football U.S. All-American Bowl on Monday, Dec. 18.
In addition, IHS girls flag football head coach Kyle Steele will serve as the East team coach in the girls flag bowl game.
Toure, a 6-foot, 195-pound wide receiver-safety and Penn State commit, will play in the bowl game on Saturday, Jan. 6.
Toure was a key player this fall for the Blue Knights, who reached the semifinals of the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 state playoffs and finished with a 6-5 overall record, including posting four shutouts.
Wilson helped the Irvington girls flag football team capture the state tournament championship, beating Hawthorne in the final held at the New York Jets practice facility in Florham Park in the spring of 2022.
The previous year, Irvington was the state tournament runner-up in the first-ever state girls flag football playoffs
held at MetLife Stadium.
In August, the Irvington girls flag football team traveled to Beaverton, Ore., where the Blue Knights won the Nike Kickoff Classic title. Irvington was among five participating teams in the nation selected by Nike and the NFL.
Wilson also is a member of the State Island Giants club team that won the regional girls flag football tournament and will play as part of the NFL Pro Bowl in January.
Wilson is a standout player for the IHS girls basketball team. Last season, she scored her 1,000th career point.
In a statement emailed to the Irvington Herald, Dr. John Taylor, IHS director of Athletics, said, “We are all so happy for coach Steele, Janasia and Vaboue – the entire community is. As anyone who was at their announcement ceremony at Irvington High School will tell you, the entire student body recognizes the significance of their accomplishment. This type of thing doesn’t happen: two All-American players and an All-American coach at one high school in the same year. This is a testament to their work ethic, character and performance. But more importantly, as (IHS football assistant) coach Nhemie Theodore said in the ceremony, they are all All-American people before they are All-American athletes.”