This week will shape the Public School Athletic League City conference playoff picture.
The No. 1 seed is still up for grabs, despite unbeaten squads Grand Street, Tottenville, and South Shore not playing each other in the regular season. Those match-ups may have to wait for the semifinals — or the bright lights of Yankee Stadium on Dec. 6.
And Erasmus Hall can play spoiler and help its own playoff standings if it can take down Tottenville at home this Sunday. Similarly, the Dutchmen could move up to No. 3 if Curtis can knock off South Shore.
An Erasmus win would likely vault Grand Street into the top spot and make an important statement heading into the post season. Grand Street should take care of New Utrecht and position itself to claim what Coach Bruce Eugene and company believe they deserve.
We will learn plenty about South Shore — currently third — when it heads to Staten Island to play Curtis. The Warriors, who hung with Abraham Lincoln, have won three of the last four games and have been one of the top programs in the league in recent years.
At 5–4, Curtis will be the first team with a winning record to play South Shore this season, because it has a lower-tiered schedule than Tottenville and Grand Street. The Vikings will earn plenty of respect and go flying into the playoffs with a victory.
Two-time defending champion Lincoln will need some help to remain a top-four seed. The Railsplitters should beat Flushing (1–8) to close out the regular season with backup quarterback Faruq Shittu filling in admirably for injured starter Jordan Hannah.
Lincoln, which has only lost to Tottenville and Grand Street, needs to win and have both Erasmus and South Shore taste defeat if it is going to remain fourth or higher.
Bronx power Dewitt Clinton rallied a win over rival Kennedy last weekend and all but eliminated Canarsie from postseason play. Conversely, New Utrecht is likely even if it loses, because of the power points. Midwood could move up a spot and earn a home game if Curtis falls to South Shore.
Plenty of movement could happen before the playoff road map is drafted. No matter what happens, Brooklyn teams will be major players, and if Grand Street is sitting on top when the smoke clears this weekend, the borough will have its favorite.
