Veteran coach Brad Howard is not making any bold predictions. In fact, he had his typic al rather low-key tone when it came to talking about his 2025-2026 Payne Tech, although you could sense the confidence level was still quite high.
“We know that our conference is a battle every game with some really good programs your team is going to face every season,” said the very experienced 62-year-old head hoops mentor with more than three decades under his belt directing both boys and girls teams, mostly in his hometown Brick City. “Even with the graduation we had, we still have some real good talent here, but now we have to go out and prove it once again while facing a strong schedule in and out of the Super Essex Conference.”
Payne Tech finished 21-8 last season, including a 7-3 mark in the SEC-American, which was the same division record as perennial power Seton Hall Prep which split regular season meetings with the Lions before edging the Vo-Tech school, 65-61, in a highly-competitive Essex County Tournament final.
The Lions had a heartbreaking season-ending 57-56 loss at Mendham in the North 2, Group 3 state tournament sectional semifinals last March. It was the second straight season that Payne Tech’s season finished with a pulsating, narrow defeat, having also fallen at Millburn, 55-52, in a memorable 5-overtime affair in the N2G3 quarterfinals the season before.
The top returnee for this season’s Lions is 4-year starting forward Gerald Edwell (18.1 points and 13.2 rebounds per game last season), a powerful 6-foot-5 senior who is a veritable ‘double-double’ machine each and every night. He has already committed to accept a full scholarship to play his college basketball next year at Millersville State University, a highly-competitive Division II program in Pennsylvania.
“Gerald has been a workhorse and very productive player for us since his freshman year and we expect him to continue to excel with a strong senior season,” said Howard. “He is a tremendous young man with a ton of experience and is a handful for opposing teams to deal with.”
Other forwards to watch include rangy veteran 6-7 senior Akeem Paul (2.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg), who has improved his endurance and explosiveness around the basket with a strong summer and fall. Another forward to watch is 6-5 senior Henry Onyekwelu, who has a soft touch with his mid-range shot.
Gone are talented guards in 4-year starter Robert Foster (Dominican College) and Jamir Westry (19.5 ppg in 2024-2025), who had a superb senior season after transferring back to Payne Tech following a stint at Achieve Asbury Park, but the backcourt still has high potential with the return a 3-year varsity regular in quick and versatile 6-1 junior guard De’an Armstrong (10.7 ppg), a superb student who already has an offer from Division II Felician University.
Another young guard to watch is 5-9 sophomore Abdullah Parramore, who was coming on strong the second half of last season and is now a year older and stronger. A player to watch is 6-4 junior guard Tyree Saleem, who Howard compares to the Knicks’ Mikel Bridges in terms of his ability to sink the mid-range jump shot with precision.
Junior Darren Cordero and sophomore Isaac Johnson are other guards to watch in helping to make the overall guard position one of strength and depth once again.
The challenging schedule begins with an independent matchup as consistent Bergen County public school program Northern Highlands visits Payne Tech, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13, in the season opener.
The SEC-American Division action gets going quickly in the early going as East Orange Campus visits the Lions 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 16, before Payne Tech then makes the short trip over to St. Benedict’s Prep, 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18, and prior to another Brick City clash, this time a crossover contest at SEC-Liberty Division member East Side, 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20, in the Red Raiders’ gym.
The busy schedule continues as the Lions then host the defending Group 2 state champions, Thrive Charter (formerly Trenton Catholic), 5 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 21 prior to hosting North Star Academy, 4 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 23.
Holiday tournament action commences 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 27, as Payne Tech takes on a strong Linden squad in the Tigers’ Christmas Tournament.
It’s back to SEC-American Division battles 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 6, as the Lions once again make a short journey in the Brick City in visiting always-dangerous Arts High. The first 2025-2026 showdown with pre-season conference favorite Seton Hall Prep is slated for a noon tip-off on Saturday, Jan. 10, in the Lions’ gym.
“It’s going to be a busy stretch to start the season, no doubt about that,” said Howard. “Our players have been working extremely hard in preparation for what awaits us, and we’re excited about facing all the strong teams we’re going to see!”
NOTES- Howard is a 1981 graduate of Arts where one of his teammates was popular, former North Jersey coach Vernon Freeland…Howard, who has a BA from Kean and a master’s in administration supervision from St. Peter’s University, had taught math and science for 33 years, mostly at the South 17th Street School in Newark, before retiring as a teacher last summer…Howard’s dad, the late Frank Howard, was a lieutenant in the Newark Police Department and was once the supervisor for a young detective named Brian Logan when the recently-retiring Weequahic football coach was with the Newark PD. Logan and Brian Howard attended Kean University at the same time as well as undergraduates…Howard guided Bloomfield Tech to N2G1 state sectional titles in both 2014-2015 (when the Spartans also reached the overall Group 1 state final), and in 2017-2018, the final season that BT was open before combining with the old North 13th Street Tech to form Payne Tech….Howard’s superb Lions’ coaching staff includes former Bloomfield Tech players Mikal Corbett and Sharif Hair, former Barringer standout Kelvin Brown and ex-Vailsburg player Reggie Clark. Tom Patierno, a holdover from the Bloomfield Tech staff, coaches the Payne Tech JV team while Corbett heads the freshmen squad.
SUPER ESSEX CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT FOR 2025-2026:
(Note: SEC moved from 5 to 6 divisions last season adding the National)
AMERICAN DIVISION: St. Benedict’s, Arts, East Orange Campus, Seton Hall Prep, Payne Tech, Newark Tech
LIBERTY DIVISION: Central, East Side, West Side, Caldwell, Columbia, Newark Collegiate
COLONIAL DIVISION: Irvington, Orange, Bloomfield, Millburn, Montclair, Livingston
INDEPENDENCE DIVISION: West Orange, West Essex, Belleville, University, Science Park, North Star Academy, Glen Ridge
FREEDOM DIVISION: West Caldwell Tech, Verona, Shabazz, MKA, Newark Academy, Cedar Grove
NATIONAL DIVISION: Nutley, Weequahic, Barringer, Eagle Academy, Newark Lab, Technology, Golda Och, Bard
