The sports glory of last March at Rutgers will live on in the hearts and minds of dedicated Immaculate Conception ‘lifers’ like Pat Dyer, who spent more than half a century as a coach, teacher and administrator at the tiny Montclair-based Catholic school which closed last June after marking its 100th anniversary as a Catholic school landmark in Essex County.
Wearing his proverbial heart on his sleave as he watched the recent Essex County Tournament semifinals between third-seeded Arts High School and West Orange at the Mountaineers’ Tarnoff Gymnasium, the retired IC assistant principal smiled often as he watched three of his old school’s former players in Nilah Rivera and Niaja Troutman for Arts and London Caldwell for West Orange excel on the hardwood for their new schools.
The fact that the eventual ECT 2-time champion Lady Mountaineers would come from behind and defeat the Jaguars, 38-33, was not as important as the reality that high school careers can continue with gusto toward their finish when there is no choice but to move on to another destination to conclude a scholastic career.
“It’s tremendous to see them continue to excel in a sport they love to play while finishing their high school careers in tremendous fashion,” said Dyer, who was a state championship cross country and track coach at IC. “We were all of course very sad when Immaculate closed last June, but it’s great to see our former players excel in their senior years before heading off to what I’m sure will be terrific college years.”
The four current seniors who were key underclassmen in the 7-player rotation utilized by coach Jimmy Kreie as the IC Lions blew past Gloucester Catholic in the 2025 Non-Public B state championship game at Rutgers’ Jersey Mike’s Arena are all now playing for teams with very legitimate state championship hopes.
Rivera and Troutman are two of the top players for a strong Arts squad (21-4) which is the top seed in North 2, Group 1 and is a good bet to still be playing when the sectional final is held on Saturday, March 7.
“We had a very strong bond on our Immaculate team and coach Jimmy has a great passion for the game and did a great job preparing us,” said Rivera, who is one of the top point guards in the state this season. “Winning a state championship was a very special moment, but we also knew that the juniors on that team would have to play their senior years somewhere else.
“In the six months I have been at Arts High I have found another great community in the school at a place where everyone loves to be at and it feels like another family for me.
“I’ve learned to play the piano since I’ve come to Arts and the piano teacher here has taught me so much.
“The basketball experience has also been terrific. Niaja is my best friend so to have her here with me is another big plus, and all my teammates and coaches have been great.
“Our goal is definitely to go out and win a state championship and that final high school basketball journey begins now!”
Rivera, who averages a team-leading 17.1 points, 4.9 assists and 6 steals per game for coach Tarik Brown’s Jaguars, is complemented well by her former IC teammate Troutman (9 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and talented sophomore Harmoni Burgess (10.8 ppg), hopes to play college basketball next year with a number of possible destinations on the horizon while Brown University, Wagner, Indiana State and Merrimack among the colleges showing early interest.
A possible opponent in the March 7th N2G1 final could be second-seeded University, a finalist in the recent ECT final when it lost 48-45 to West Orange. The Phoenix were edged by Arts, 47-46, earlier this season in the Newark Public Schools Holiday Tournament championship game back on Dec. 27 at Weequahic.
