Erasmus Hall’s roster was filled with unproven players when the season began, but they’ve proven themselves now.
The Dutchmen defied critics to earn a first-place finish in the regular season, and are headed to the Public School Athletic League City Conference football title game at Yankee Stadium after a 39–22 victory over sixth-seeded Curtis at Sid Luckman Field in the semifinals last Saturday.
“We saw the blogs and heard the people saying that this was going to be a down year for us,” said senior running back Shavar Brathwaite. “But we knew what we had in us, and knew we could make it to Yankee Stadium. Now we just have to finish.”
Erasmus (11–1) was able to hold off a late charge by the Warriors (7–5) after jumping out to a 32–0 lead by the third quarter. The team advances to its third championship game in the last four years to face borough rival and defending champion Abraham Lincoln at 5 pm on Dec. 9.
Erasmus won the crown in 2012 and took this year’s regular season meeting with Lincoln 18–16 on Oct. 5.
“This is really exciting,” said Dutchmen coach Danny Landberg. “It’s a special feeling. It’s a reward for all the hard work we put in. I’m real proud of this team and this moment. I’m real proud that this team wasn’t considered to be a winner before the season started.”
Erasmus, which has been known for its defensive play, won this game because of the explosiveness of its offense against a tough Curtis defense. Aaron Grant threw for three touchdowns, two of which were hauled in by senior wide receiver Keon Gravenhise. Brathwaite ran for three scores, including the 70-yard dash that put the game out of Curtis’s reach in the fourth quarter.
“Honestly, for me I knew I was going to have a big game,” Brathwaite said. “I feel that every game I should have a big day.”
The whole first half belonged to Erasmus. On the game’s first drive Grant found junior wide receiver Jahsen Wint for a 29-yard touchdown and a 6–0 lead. Senior cornerback Xavier Brathwaite intercepted Curtis’s Maliek Kelly. It set up Shavar Brathwaite for a 21-yard rushing score. That gave the Dutchmen a 12–0 advantage, and his 40-yard scoring run made it 26–0 at halftime.
What looked like a rout took a fast turn as Curtis’s offense started to come alive. It forced a fumble and recover it in the fourth quarter. The turnover led to a one-yard run up the middle by Kelly for a touchdown and a deficit of only 32–16. Kelly followed that up with a 34-yard connection with senior wide receiver Andre Ridely and all of a sudden it was just 32–22, with 4:00 left in the game. Shavar Braithwaite stopped the Curtis charge short with a 70-yard touchdown run to seal the Dutchmen’s trip to the title game.
“This means everything to us,” Grant said. “We’ve been working since January. Everyone has been doubting us all year.”
