It’s the most wonderful time of the year — if you’re a Peekskill basketball fan. The boys and girls varsity basketball teams are gearing up for the start of the postseason, after the regular season ended earlier this week.
Boys’ Basketball
Jaden Chavis, Isaiah Crawford and head coach Tyrone Searight will have a lot of eyes on them this weekend, as Peekskill prepares for its first hurdle on the road to the County Center in White Plains, where semi-finals and finals take place.
On Saturday, Feb. 22, Peekskill (No. 4) will host John Jay Cross River (No.13) for the first round of sectionals. Tip-off is at 4 p.m.
The Peekskill Red Devils, who are reigning Class AA champions, will enter this clash as the favorites for many reasons. Firstly, Peekskill High School has been turned into a fortress this season, with no team being able to beat Peekskill at home. In addition, John Jay (JJCR) and Peekskill have already met this season, and it did not got well for the John Jay Wolves. In their first encounter this season, the Red Devils comfortably beat JJCR on the road, 66-40.
This past Monday, Peekskill finished the regular season, picking up a victory over Edgemont and ending with a record of 14 wins and six losses. JJCR wrapped up its season last week with a loss to Lakeland. Their season record is 11 wins and nine losses.
Isaiah Crawford will be crucial for Peekskill in this game. Crawford, who is averaging 20 points per game, has stepped up his performance at the end of the season. Most recently, Crawford gained 33 points against both Sleepy Hollow and Edgemont.
Senior Jaden Chavis will also play a vital role in the team’s success in postseason action. Chavis is Peekskill’s leading scorer. No one can forget his heroics last season during the regional semifinals, when a sick Chavis came off the bench with six minutes left and carried the Red Devils to a win over Binghamton. Chavis will hope to leave a mark during this postseason campaign as it will be his last as a Red Devil.
One JJCR player to look out for is sophomore guard Colin Bishop (#20). In JJCR’s last three wins, Bishop has led his team in points, with 22 against Somers, 13 against Panas, and 21 against Lakeland. Earlier this month, Bishop won Lohud’s “Basketball Player of the Week”, beating Peekskill’s Isaiah Crawford and other athletes in a poll to claim top spot.
The winner of Saturday’s match will face the winner of Poughkeepsie vs Clarkstown North in the quarter-finals of sectionals, on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Girls’ Basketball
With Riverside not getting the necessary points needed to qualify for the postseason, Peekskill has moved to No. 17 in Class AA . They will face Brewster (No.16) in an outbracket game on Thursday, Feb. 20, at Brewster High School at 2:30 p.m.
For the Peekskill girls, it’s been a rough couple of weeks. The team is currently on a four game losing streak. Their last victory came against Sleepy Hollow at home on Jan. 31. The girls have also been without star player Amari Murphy for the last seven games. (When reached by the Herald, Coach Nyrie Holliman said she could not comment on any player’s absence.)
On Monday, Peekskill finished the regular season with a loss to Poughkeepsie at home. Peekskill’s season record is six wins and 14 losses. Brewster finished their season last week with a victory over Poughkeepsie. Their season record is seven wins and 13 losses.
A lot of players on the Peekskill girls basketball team have had to step up and help fill the gap left behind by Murphy. One of those players includes Jealina Searight, who has scored 74 points in the last seven games.
“I feel like it’s going to be a competitive game but defense definitely wins games. As long as we play hard the entire time, it should work in our favor,” said Searight when reached by the Herald.
The girls are led by Coach Nyrie Holliman and assistant coach Kyron Chandler. This is Holliman’s first full season as head coach but she is no stranger to postseason action. During her time as PHS student, Holliman won two Section 1 titles (2012 and 2013).
It will be a tough game for both sides on Thursday, but it won’t get any better for the winner. Whoever wins will face the best team in Class AA, Walter Panas (No.1), at their home this weekend. May the best team win.
All games will be streamed on Local Live. All postseason games will be password protected by the district, following the games conclusion. Make sure to watch live.
