By Walter Elliott & William Hathaway, Jr.
IRVINGTON – It was 11:30 a.m. Jan. 8 when Irvington Public Schools Athletic Director, Dr. John Taylor, was walking to the head of the parade line here at D. Bilal Beasley Civic Square, looking to hand off a large flag he was carrying.
The white-on-blue flag, adorned with an Irvington High School Blue Knights logo, simply read: North Group IV Football State Champions.
“We’ve had state championships before,” said Taylor while walking south before the Irvington Public Safety Building. “We’ve had football since 2018 – but never a football state championship until now.”
Irvington High School (or Frank H. Morrell High School in some reports), by “Local Talk” count, has won 28 team or individual state championships in Baseball, Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls indoor and outdoor Track and Field, Cross-Country, Bowling and Golf since 1918. This record goes back to when IHS was at the Madison Avenue School, before the Superintendent Morrell High School building was constructed in 1926.
Taylor, indeed, was wearing one of the 2019 state basketball championship letter jackets.
“We’ve held celebrations,” added Taylor, “but never a parade before.”
Irvington’s drive to the 2021 NJSIAA North 2 Group IV State Championship became one to remember and celebrate.
The gridiron squad, guided by six-year Head Coach Ashley “Smoke” Pierre, had built a regular-season team watermark 7-2 win-loss record before facing four teams in the playoffs.
The top-seeded team first tamed the eighth-ranked Linden tigers, 11-6, at home in the Nov.5 quarterfinal. They then conquered the fifth-ranked Colonia Patriots, 14-7, also at home, in the Nov. 12 semifinal.
In their third-ever sectional finals and second in the last four seasons, the Blue Knights, beat the second-ranked Middletown South Eagles, 28-13, again at home, Nov. 19.
They did not have long to savor their North 2 Sectional Championship. The 12-0 Northern Highlands Regional High School of Allendale was the last team standing between them and the Group IV State Championship.
The Blue Knights stopped the Highlanders’ steamroller Dec. 4 in Rutgers University IHS Stadium in Piscataway by coming from behind with two minutes left in regulation play.
NHRHS was ahead in the fourth quarter, 14-13, when IHS quarterback Saquan Gordon, No. 16, threw the ball to fellow senior, wide receiver Trenton Jones. Jones, No. 7, sprinted 61 yards for a touchdown. Blue Knights’ defense made sure that the final score remained 19-14 – Irvington.
Taylor was not the only one among the estimated 85 marchers, dignitaries, family and well-wishers who were climbing onto the four floats and getting either into formation or back on the sidewalk.
Mayor Anthony “Tony” Vauss, who was walking among floats on Civic Square, looking to help with the last-minute details. Vauss said he began sending out e-mails and making phone calls once the Blue Knights clinched their title.
“We started on this since they won the championship, coordinating with the school district, police, fire other agencies,” said the mayor.” This is the first championship and Coach Pierre was named Coach of the Year. I’ve been getting congratulations from other mayors – including my good friend, East Orange Mayor Ted Green.”
Green had made good on his promise to the East Orange Campus High School team with a parade in his city Dec. 11 – the Saturday after the Jaguars capped a 13-0 undefeated season by winning the North I Group V state championship in triple overtime against the Clifton Mustangs.
Both the Blue Knights and the Jaguars played their respective championship games at Rutgers’ ISH Stadium Dec. 4 Both would leave Piscataway with their respective first-ever state football titles.
Essex County Commissioner Wayne Richardson, who was named its president Jan. 5, was also walking between the floats, bestowing congratulations. The District 2 Commissioner – whose territory includes Irvington, Maplewood and parts of Newark – paused to reflect on having two state football championship teams next to each other.
“We have a lot of talent here,” said Richardson (D-Newark). “It shows what can be done with great players and great coaching.”
Weather here, like with East Orange’s victory celebration Dec. 11, threatened to put a damper on the celebration.
An overnight cold front brought wind chills in the teens. The Irvington Public Library’s sign was reading 72 degrees as of 11 a.m. – the parade’s scheduled step-off time.
While some marchers were present 11 a.m., most waited until the last minutes to mount the floats, get in line and hold a brief practice.
Taylor handed his big blue flag to one of the high school’s JROTC advisors. The advisor, in army fatigues, passed it onto one of his charges.
“Wherever you go,” said the advisor to the young man, “they will follow you.”
The teenager, headed only by a pair of IPD cars, led the stepping off at 11:39 a.m. He was leading some 85 people – including a detail each from the IHS marching band and cheerleaders on a 3.4-mile, 31-block and four-turn route.
The victory parade first went south from Beasley Civic Square and Lincoln Place before turning west onto Chancellor Avenue. Irvington’s police and fire personnel took turns blocking or temporarily barricading side streets in advance. Traffic – including uses on NJTransit’s 25, 26, 37, 39, 70, 90, 94, 96 and 107 routes – were detained.
Bystanders – including those waiting at bus stops or coming out from their homes – stopped to see what the drumming, the cheering and the mobile DJ’s shouting was all about.
Many caught onto festivities, cheering or waving. At least one detained motorist waved and took cell phone pictures from her car. Several people walked alongside the paraders several times.
The parade crossed over Lightning Brook into Maplewood so it could hook a turn onto eastbound Springfield Avenue. A Maplewood “stealth” police car helped out by blocking 44th Street.
It was along eastbound Springfield Avenue, a county road, where “Local Talk” noticed paper “No Parking” signs affixed on posts and parking meters. That posting helped detour traffic in both directions.
The parade turned onto northwest Clinton Avenue at “Five Points” business district hub for the home stretch. The parade ended at 12:53 p.m. when the floats parked before Irvington High School.
Most marchers and family continued through the passageway between IHS’s 1972 North Annex and the 1953 Basketball Court/Gymnasium to get to the Blue Knights stadium. The stadium, still blanketed by Jan. 6’s snow, was replaced by the gym for an indoor presentation.
The stadium’s “Snack Shak,” Busy B’s Hot Dog wagon and delivery from Halal Boys supplied lunch for the celebrated and the celebrators before entering the gym.
Gordon, Jones and their 17 fellow seniors on the squad were hailed indoors one more time before their anticipated June graduation. Pierre and his staff will eventually start seeking the 19 seniors’ successors – but not on Jan. 8.
Meanwhile, in college football, for the first time since 1980, the Georgia Bulldogs can call themselves National Champions, after a 33-18 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. A win by either team would have continued the dominance of the SEC, as that conference has won more than half of the championships in this century.
In pro football, the Jets and Giants ended their seasons on losing notes, with the Giants looking for a new GM after Dave Gettleman retired, and a new coach with Joe Judge relieved of his post. Those who were canned include Broncos coach Vic Fangio, Vikings GM Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer, Bears GM Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy, and despite winning seven of the last eight games, the Dolphins parted ways with coach Brian Flores.
Finally, the New York Yankees made hist when they hired Rachel Balkovec to manage their Class affiliate ball club in Tampa. Balkovec is now set to become the first woman to ever serve as manager of a MLB affiliated team. As for the big league squad, fans are hoping that there will be a season amid the current work stoppage.
