BY KEITH IDEC
STAFF WRITER | THE RECORD
PATERSON — Ramir Tann-Davis recalled Friday night that first-year Paterson Charter coach Jerry Wimberly told the Lions during their first official practice three months ago they would “shock” plenty of people.
That’s exactly what they’ve done.
Inspired to honor late teammate Armoni Sexton, second-seeded Paterson Charter fended off defending champion Cresskill, 59-54, in overtime to reach the North 1, Group 1 boys basketball final. The Lions, in just their third varsity season, will host fourth-seeded Verona, which defeated top-seeded Park Ridge on Friday night, in the sectional final Tuesday.
“It means a lot because we want to do this for him,” Paterson Charter junior guard Dazmir Staton said, referring to Sexton. “We want to do all this for him. Everybody from Paterson doubted us and everybody outside of Paterson doubted us. So we had to make a statement. We made a statement and now we’re going to keep pushing.”
Staton, who scored a game-high 18 points, and his teammates have endured an emotional season in the aftermath of the Sexton tragedy. The 6-foot-7 Sexton, a star freshman forward for Paterson Charter last season, was shot to death in April on a Paterson sidewalk.
“This is great,” Wimberly said. “After the tragedy that happened last year, the school and these kids need something to be upbeat about.”
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