Strong, passionate, talented, inspiring – Peekskill High School basketball stars Jaden Chavis and Isaiah Crawford epitomize these adjectives.

Over the past four years, this dynamic duo has impressed Peekskill basketball fans with their skills and passion for the game. The boys, under the guidance of Coach Tyrone Searight, have played a pivotal role in making the Peekskill varsity boys basketball team become a serious contender after years on the sidelines.

In the 2023-24 season, the pair led Peekskill to their first sectional semifinal appearance at the Westchester County Center in over a decade. That season, the Red Devils made it all the way to the regional finals, where they ultimately lost to Lourdes.

This season, during their senior campaign, the boys helped Peekskill finish the regular season as league champs, with a record of 14-6. In the postseason, the Red Devils beat John Jay Cross River and Poughkeepsie. Their season ended with a loss to Tappan Zee in the semifinals of sectionals. 

With the winter season now behind them, Chavis and Crawford are gearing up for their last ride as Red Devils – graduation. From raw freshmen to senior captains, the duo leave behind a new standard for Peekskill basketball and a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

Jaden Chavis: A Journey to Basketball Stardom

Jaden Chavis has emerged as one of the most captivating athletes to grace Peekskill High School’s gymnasium in recent memory. Lohud described Chavis as a player “who thrives when the level of competition and the magnitude of the moment are highest.”

Surprisingly, basketball wasn’t always his passion. In fact, it was even his first love. 

At four years old, Chavis fell in love with football. It caught his attention and was his passion throughout elementary school. At age seven, Chavis started playing basketball casually, more for fun than anything else.

“I was definitely not the best by any means. I always had an IQ for the game but I wasn’t the fastest, I wasn’t the tallest, I wasn’t the most skilled – I just did it because that was what my friends were doing and I just wanted to be around them.”

Despite a modest start, Chavis’ basketball skills steadily improved throughout high school. For three years, Chavis juggled football in the fall and basketball in the winter. On the basketball court, Chavis found his place as a guard, a position that is typically responsible for controlling the ball, setting up offensive plays, and scoring.

As a junior, Chavis made history in both sports. In November 2023, Chavis, Crawford, and their teammates won the Hudson Valley Football Tournament. The last time Peekskill had reached the championship finals was 1994.

Just months later, during the basketball season, he and Crawford helped Peekskill win its first Gold Ball since 2009. The Class AA champions came close to reaching states, but fell short against Our Lady of Lourdes in the regional finals. Chavis’ outstanding performances that season earned him a spot on the Class AA All-State Second Team and All-Lower Hudson Basketball Coaches Association (LHBCA) First Team. (View a recap of Chavis’s 2023-24 season here by GameDay One.)

After his breakout basketball season, Chavis knew he couldn’t afford an injury his senior year. He was faced with a tough decision – continuing with both sports or fully committing to basketball. He chose the latter.

“I had to pick what I wanted to do with my future and basketball is what I want to do,” said Chavis.

Chavis hasn’t always had an easy time succeeding on the court. He has had to grind to become one of the most skilled players in the region. This, according to Chavis, was one of the many reasons why he chose basketball over football.

“I always wanted to play football growing up. I was always good at football. Football came to me easily. But basketball, I wasn’t that good. That’s why I fell in love with basketball. I loved the process of getting better year after year.”

Heading into the 2024-25 school year, expectations were high for Chavis and he delivered. The senior captain led his team to many victories behind several high scoring performances. In January, Chavis was a recipient of Lohud’s Boys Basketball Player of the Week, after scoring 35 points against Somers and surpassing 1,000 career points. At the end of the season, Chavis was named All-Section by the LHBCA, Westchester/Putnam Third Team All-Star by Lohud, and Class AA Eighth Team All-State by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

Despite his natural ability, Chavis emphasizes that talent alone isn’t enough – it takes a lot of effort including countless hours practicing at the gym. He revealed his ultimate goal is to continue basketball and make his family proud, especially his mother, Melissa Pagett.

“My driving force is my family. My mom and my little brother – those are the people that I do it for. I want to take basketball far so that my mom doesn’t have to work, and my brother doesn’t have to worry about paying for college or anything like that.”

When the game gets tough, Chavis finds strength in their presence. “When I feel like I’m playing a bad game, I just look at them and I just lock in.” 

Paggett, who has been his biggest supporter since day one, is both his foundation and inspiration.

“I give my mom full credit. She played both roles – mom and dad. Our bond is unbreakable.” Pagett and his young brother Cameron can always be found at Chavis’ games, cheering him on.

With four seasons under his belt, Chavis says he has several Red Devil moments that he cherishes. Beating Suffern in the Class AA finals in the 2023-24 season is one of his favorites. 

“It was a feeling that I don’t think I can describe. When that buzzer sounded at the County Center against Suffern, you could just tell the Peekskill fans were so proud of us. The energy in the gym was crazy. People stormed the court and were on top of me,” said Chavis. Chavis scored 16 points in that game and was named Most Valuable Player of the match. 

Perhaps even more special was the reception he and his teammates received when they returned to school the following week. 

“You can definitely tell the teachers were proud of us, the staff members were proud of us, even the students were excited for us because it had been a long time since Peekskill won something,” recalled Chavis.

Outside of high school, Chavis has played Amateur Athletic Union travel basketball for several years. Most recently, he played for New York’s (NY) Finest Athletes, a nonprofit basketball organization based out of Middletown.

NY Finest Coach and Executive Director Lewis Sampson praised Chavis for his inspirational journey.

“Nobody makes a jump like he did and gets the accomplishments that he has. But he’s a hard working kid, so I always knew he was going to achieve whatever he put his mind to.”

Isaiah Crawford: The Unsung Hero

Point guard Isaiah Crawford is one of the hardest workers on the varsity boys basketball team. While he may not always be in the spotlight, Crawford has been a steady, reliable force for Peekskill.

This was especially evident on January 30, when Peekskill took on Ardsley at home. Early into the game, Peekskill’s main star Jaden Chavis got hit in the eye and had to be sidelined. Having already lost to Ardsley earlier in the season, Peekskill seemed doomed to fall short again to the Panthers. Crawford refused to let that happen.

As a senior captain, Crawford kept his composure, lifted his team’s spirit, and put on a strong showing with 27 points. The game ended, Peekskill 58-52 Ardsley.

With Chavis unable to play at full strength for a few games, Crawford took on more responsibilities on the court. The following game, on Feb. 1, Crawford scored 23 points against Poughkeepsie in a 60-39 win. This performance earned Crawford a nomination for Lohud’s “Boys Basketball Player of the Week”. Although he did not win, Crawford was proud to be considered for the recognition.

“It felt pretty good. It was an honor. I’ve never been nominated before,” he said.

For the rest of the season, Crawford’s momentum never slowed. In Peekskill’s last three games of the season, he racked up 80 points. At the end of the season, Crawford received All-Section honors by the LHBCA, and honorable mentions for Lohud’s 2025 Westchester/Putnam All-Star teams and New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA All-State teams.

Unlike Chavis, Crawford noted his basketball journey was more conventional. “In my family, my grandpa, my uncles and my dad – they all used to play basketball. I picked up where they left off.”

After playing for fun with friends for several years, Crawford realized his potential and worked hard to improve. It was a long process, he recalled.

“I was not always the best at basketball. But I knew the game would just become easier the more I kept putting the work in.”

In 2021, as a freshman, Crawford made the varsity boys basketball team during what was a challenging time for Peekskill basketball. “We were a losing team. We were getting blown out almost every game,” recalled Crawford. Peekskill’s record in the 2021-22 season was 3-17. The Red Devils finished the season as the No. 27 seed in Class A.

As losses piled up, Crawford says he began to doubt his ability on the court and became less confident in himself. But things dramatically changed when Head Coach Tyrone Searight took over in 2022.

“Ever since he came, things have been getting better and better, especially our record. Last year, we made history,” noted Crawford, referring to the Devils’ championship win. 

Crawford also credits Assistant Coach Daquan Brickhouse as another key influence. During Brickhouse’s time as a Red Devil, he was state Federation Champion. After graduating in 2010, Brickhouse played Division 1 basketball at Coppin State University and then played professional basketball overseas. “Coach Brickhouse is kind of like the secret weapon because he’s had so much success in the past. He knows what you have to do to become a winning team, and what a winning team looks like. He’s very knowledgeable. I just soak in as much as I can when he’s talking. He’s a role model.”

Crawford attributes his success over the years to his relentless work ethic. “I’m in the gym every day. I try to get at least three workouts or at least two workouts in.” 

Another factor is the friendship he and Jaden Chavis have created over the years. “Me and Jaden have been playing basketball with each other for a while. That’s probably why we play so well on the court together because of our chemistry.”

Their bond is one that stretches beyond the Peekskill High School gymnasium, says Crawford. “He’s more like a brother to me. I’m around his family a lot. He’s around my family a lot. Even outside of basketball, we were always talking. We’re always hanging out.”

While his time as a Red Devil may be over, Crawford plans to train this summer with his younger brother, Zaiden, and prepare him for the future. 

Life after Peekskill High School

While graduation marks the end of an era for the basketball duo, both Chavis and Crawford are looking ahead with hope and determination.

Reflecting on his time with them, Coach Searight said, “We had our ups and downs in my three years with these young men but they have matured a lot.”

“Those guys grew up before my eyes. I’m a proud coach. This is what coaching is all about,” added Assistant Coach Brickhouse.

Both Jaden Chavis and Isaiah Crawford have expressed interest in playing at the collegiate level this fall. Several colleges have reached out to Chavis and he’s toured a few. As of now, Chavis has not yet committed to a school but he plans on studying sports management or psychology.

“Growing up, I didn’t really know how to use my words, so I bottled in all my emotions. I want to help kids understand that it’s okay to feel certain kinds of ways and express their emotions,” said Chavis.

Meanwhile, Crawford is still exploring his options.“I would like to maybe go overseas or get a contract somewhere, but I just want to continue playing basketball for a while.” Crawford is considering business management as a major.

Coach Brickhouse believes both players have bright futures. “I think they both have what it takes to play at the collegiate level. Those are just two great, coachable kids, and I know any coach at the collegiate level would be lucky to have them.”

According to Chavis and Crawford, Peekskill basketball is in good hands. “We have a lot of talent coming up, and Peekskill is going to be the team to watch out for,” said Crawford.

For years to come, Chavis and Crawford will almost certainly be remembered as sectional champions and regional finalists. However, if you look deeper, their true legacy lies in being prime examples of where hard work, perseverance, and teamwork can lead.