Curtis’ Prince Dukes needs to have a big game against Flushing, a very tough opponent. (Damion Reid)
Every week in the fall, NYPost.com’s Zach Braziller and Marc Raimondi will attempt to prognosticate the coming PSAL football weekend in the City Championship division.
RECORDS AFTER WEEK 9
Braziller: 84-23 (Last week: 10-2)
Raimondi: 84-23 (Last week: 9-3)
Here’s Week 1 playoffs:
Susan Wagner @ No. 7 Boys & Girls (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: Legendary Wagner coach Al Paturzo e-mailed us about our predictions last week. He said calling the Falcons “pretenders” – and that was Zach, not me, to clarify – was too harsh. I couldn’t agree more. Wagner has gone above and beyond expectations this year. This year’s team shouldn’t be held to that high of a standard, not with just 23 kids and everyone going both ways. That being said, Boys & Girls will be too deep for the Falcons, but a .500 record was a fine campaign. Pick: Boys & Girls
Braziller: Maybe you should’ve called me out at the time, not wait a week. Marc, you’re tough, huh? To clarify, I was wrong. Wagner has enjoyed a nice season with tiny roster numbers. Boys & Girls has enjoyed a solid season as well, despite dealing with MoonGate and four games against the top four seeds in the playoffs: No. 1 Tottenville, No. 2 Fort Hamilton, No. 3 Fort Hamilton and No. 4 Campus Magnet. Those experiences enabled The High to win three straight to end the year. The win streak will continue Saturday. Look for at least a few touchdowns from Wilbert Lee, the do-it-all senior headed for UConn in the fall. Pick: Boys & Girls
DeWitt Clinton vs. No. 5 Erasmus Hall (Saturday, 12 p.m. @ Midwood Athletic Complex)
Braziller: Like Boys & Girls, DeWitt Clinton’s season didn’t get off to the start it envisioned. The Governors lost games they should’ve won, then had to forfeit two more after the brawl with Flushing. They did make the playoffs by cleaning up in the soft Bronx, capped by last Sunday’s 48-6 whipping of Lehman. Erasmus Hall is clearly a different animal. In Wayne Morgan and Shaquell Jackson, the Dutchmen have game breakers Clinton lacks. Erasmus Hall has dealt with injuries and the lack of a practice or home field as well as possible. But Clinton is the more well-rounded team, better on defense. Erasmus won’t have an answer for bulldozing sophomore fullback Ashton McKenzie and quarterback Joaquin DeJesus will make enough plays with his left arm and legs to send the Governors back to the quarterfinals. Pick: DeWitt Clinton
Raimondi: Clinton might be bigger up front, but I’m not so sure if the Governors are better defensively. Erasmus has improved on that side of the ball a lot from last year – it’s one of the team’s strengths now. The Dutchmen have had a much more difficult year than 2009 when they went to the semifinals. A handful of key players have gone down for the season and E-Hall typically practices without blocking sleds in the school’s small courtyard. But when it comes right down to it, coach Danny Landberg’s team is the fastest in the PSAL. Speed kills and it’ll be enough to get the Dutchmen to the next round. Pick: Erasmus Hall
No. 10 Brooklyn Tech @ No. 8 Thomas Jefferson (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: I’m sure Brooklyn Tech can’t wait for this game. The Engineers fell, 40-38, to Jefferson in overtime in the regular season courtesy of seven turnovers. But they cannot — and won’t — look past the Orange Wave, no way. Jefferson does everything well and has the kind of game-turning athletes any team should be worried about in the postseason. Still, I like Tech in a gritty, defensive struggle. Pick: Brooklyn Tech
Braziller: Marc, you just completely skipped over Brooklyn Tech’s poor finish to the regular season. Sure, the Engineers did lose to solid foes Campus Magnet and Erasmus Hall, but coach Kyle McKenna couldn’t have been happy to go into the playoffs on a down note. While Jefferson did lose its regular-season finale to a desperate Boys & Girls club, snapping a five-game winning streak, the setback will likely serve as a wakeup call for the surprising Brooklyn program. Brooklyn Tech was unable to stop Jefferson in the first meeting and it won’t stop them on Saturday. Pick: Thomas Jefferson
Port Richmond @ No. 2 Fort Hamilton (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Braziller: Port Richmond can’t stop the run and Fort Hamilton has pounded the ball all year with a variety of backs. Obviously, this isn’t a good matchup for the Red Raiders. The Tigers have played one close game all season, a 22-16 win over Boys & Girls Oct. 16. This won’t be No. 2. Pick: Fort Hamilton
Raimondi: At the beginning of the season, I would have said this was a great first-round matchup. But Port Richmond hasn’t been quite as good as we thought it would be late in the season. Could the Red Raiders rebound here in a big way? I can see it being close for a while, but Fort Hamilton just has too much talent to not walk away with a relatively easy victory. Pick: Fort Hamilton
Sheepshead Bay @ No. 3 Lincoln (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: I was talking with a few people this week and they think that Lincoln might have its hands full with Sheepshead this week. If the Sharks play their ‘A’ game, it could happen. But I don’t see the Railsplitters losing. They’re too big up front, quarterback Andrew Vital is too good and Shawn O’Connor is too apt a coach to let it happen. Pick: Lincoln
Braziller: Who were these people and have they watched Lincoln play this year? The Railsplitters are healthy, hungry and determined to finish off a perfect season with four more wins. Sheepshead crawled into the playoffs. That’s not the way to pull a huge upset. Pick: Lincoln
Lehman @ No. 4 Campus Magnet (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Braziller: I couldn’t think of a better first-round matchup for the physical Bulldogs. Lehman is small and susceptible to a power running game, a Campus Magnet staple. The Lions lack size on each line while Eric Barnett’s club has depth at those spots. Look for another big game out of Wavell Wint, one of the most versatile backs in the PSAL. Pick: Campus Magnet
Raimondi: Campus Magnet coach Eric Barnett won’t be happy – he loves when I pick against his Bulldogs, calling me his good luck charm – but I have to agree with you on this one. I love what coach Michael Saunds is doing over at Lehman. But Campus Magnet is an elite team in the PSAL. The Bulldogs should prevail in a rout. Pick: Campus Magnet
No. 9 Flushing @ No. 6 Curtis (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: This is my favorite game of the weekend and I’m pretty jealous you’re going out to Staten Island to see it, Zach. These are two big, physical teams with a mean streak. Both are going to hit hard and play to the whistle. Flushing very easily could have been 7-2 instead of 5-4 and what coach Jim DeSantis has done with that program in four varsity seasons is nothing short of remarkable. But Curtis is more diverse offensively. Quarterback Prince Dukes is a future superstar and he’ll have a big game to lead the Warriors to the quarters. Pick: Curtis
Braziller: DeSantis has worked wonders at Flushing, but until he gets a quarterback I don’t see the Red Devils being a serious contender. Against good defenses, like Curtis’, you need a dual threat. Flushing doesn’t have one. Curtis, obviously, does and Dukes will show DeSantis exactly what he needs to take his program to the next level. Pick: Curtis
Grand Street Campus @ No. 1 Tottenville (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Braziller: Grand Street coach Mike Lightfoot talked about challenging for a city title in the preseason. The Wolves didn’t live up to their coach’s heightened expectations, but a win here would erase that inconsistent year. OK, now back to reality. Tottenville isn’t losing this game. I’d count this as a win for the Brooklyn school to be in the game at halftime. I wouldn’t expect that to happen, either. Pick: Tottenville
Raimondi: Wow, I thought for a second that you were going with a huge shocker. That would take serious stones. So yeah, I’m not going there either. I, too, thought Grand Street was going to be a pleasant surprise this season. Right now, the only pleasant thing the Wolves can hope for is to not hit traffic going over the Verrazano Bridge. Pick: Tottenville
