Abraham Lincoln’s familiar faces and its legendary coach are no longer at the Coney Island school, but the tradition and expectations still remain.
“The pressure at Lincoln is there,” said first-year coach Kenny Pretlow. “It’s not going to go away because I took over. We try to win a championship every year.”
This year is no different for Pretlow and his young and talented roster. He was an assistant under Dwayne “Tiny” Morton for 12 years and helped the Railsplitters win numerous Public School Athletic League City titles. Petlow wears his championship ring regularly as a subtle reminder of the hard work it takes to get one. It keeps the younger players hungry to get one of their own now that the likes of McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Whitehead and stars Desi Rodriguez and Elisha Boone have graduated.
“We know our history, Lincoln’s history,” said senior guard Eziekel Charles. “Every year we have to try to relive that history and keep it going. Every time we see the banners in the gym, it makes us want to work harder to keep it going.”
The 6-foot-4 Charles, a superb shooter and scorer, is one of just two seniors on the squad, along with 6-foot-6 forward Greg Poleon, who is expected to be a big-time rebounder. Pretlow hopes they can become a inside-outside combo that will give opponents fits.
Defenses’ biggest headache may be Brooklyn Collegiate transfer Jahlil Tripp. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound junior missed nearly all of last season after being shot in the leg and then breaking his patella upon his return. He has the potential to be one of the city’s best players. His ability to play a guard or forward makes him a versatile piece.
“He’s a big part of our team,” Poleon said. “He is a mismatch problem for other schools.”
It will be sophomore point guard Donald Flores’s job to run this offense after transferring from St. Raymond. Pretlow described him as a talented offensive player and one of three underclassmen that are the future of the program. Freshman Tyler Bourne is a finesse player and 6-foot classmate Paul Pearson is a more physical presence. It gives Lincoln, which is off to a 2–0 start, the potential for a deep and explosive lineup.
“We have to uphold the tradition of the program, so I need some young guys to grow up pretty fast,” Pretlow said.
Last season’s loss in the semifinals to Thomas Jefferson still stings the players who were a part of it. The whole team wants to continue the school’s tradition of winning, but many observers have dubbed Cardozo, Wings Academy and Jefferson the early favorites to win the city title.
“I think there is a lot to prove, but in the team’s heart we know what we can do, and everyone will just have to wait for the season to see, because everyone is counting us out,” Tripp said. “We are really young, a lot of our stars left, but nobody really knows what we got.”
