It only took one pass for Lincoln’s football team to set the tone on Nov. 19, cruising to a 32–14 victory over Tottenville in the Public Schools Athletic League City Conference quarterfinals.
Railsplitters quarterback Faruq Shittu found Jordan Jones for a 83-yard touchdown pass on the team’s first play from scrimmage, giving No. 5 Lincoln (8–3) a lead it would never surrender. Shittu, however, wasn’t done after that first strike. The senior went seven-for-12 in the postseason tilt, racking up 166 passing yards and two touchdowns, as well as 55 yards on the ground.
Senior running back Naim Coakley added his own big-time plays, including a pair of touchdown runs from 60 and 51 yards out, to give Lincoln an 18–0 lead in the second quarter. He finished with 181 rushing yards and made three trips to the end zone.
Tottenville (6–4) did its best to claw back into the game when junior quarterback Jason Feldman threw his second touchdown — a 33-yarder to Charles Chustckie — to make it a 25–14 game early in the third quarter. The Railsplitters responded in kind on the squad’s ensuing drive, marching 75 yards down the field to pad the lead and effectively wrap up the victory.
Lincoln will square off against No. 2 Erasmus Hall in the semifinals on Nov. 25, looking for a bit of gridiron revenge after falling to the Dutchmen earlier this season.
Erasmus Hall 38
Kennedy Campus 8
The Dutchmen got off to a slow start, as upset-ready Kennedy jumped out to a first-quarter lead, but the squad bounced back on the arm of quarterback Aron Cruickshank. The junior got Erasmus Hall (10–1) on the board early in the second quarter with a 60-yard strike to Sean Ryan, finding a hole in the Kennedy secondary, and it only got better from there. Cruickshank followed up with a two-yard scamper to give Erasmus Hall a 14–8 lead midway through the second.
Erasmus Hall’s defense stood tall down the stretch, shutting down Kennedy from every angle. Keesawn Abraham led the charge with a pair of interceptions, setting the tone for the Dutchmen throughout the postseason tilt.
Curtis 48
Midwood 12
The Hornets (6–5) defense couldn’t find an answer for the top-seeded Curtis offense on Nov. 19. Quincy Barnes threw for 219 yards and four touchdowns, while Amad Anderson caught one touchdown and rushed for another in the lopsided playoff matchup.
Josh DeCambre almost single-handedly shut down Midwood’s offense, notching a pair of interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
The Warriors host seventh-seeded Grand Street campus in the semifinals on Nov. 25.
Lehman 51
Jefferson 0
The Orange Wave stumbled from the opening snap and never got its footing in the Bowl Conference quarterfinal tilt. Lehman jumped out to a 16-point lead after the first quarter, but it was the Lions’ defense that did the most work, making it all but impossible for Jefferson (6–5) to move the ball.
Truman 40
Sheepshead Bay 12
The Sharks struggled from the get-go on Nov. 20, turning the ball over in the first quarter to set up Sadeeq Nathanel’s 16-yard touchdown reception. It was an early hole Sheepshead Bay (6–5) could never quite get out of, unable to take down the reigning Bowl Conference champions.
McKee 50
James Madison 6
No. 10-seeded Madison couldn’t find an answer for McKee’s ground-and-pound run game, falling behind 28–6 after the first quarter. The Seagulls racked up five rushing touchdowns during the Public Schools Athletic League Bowl Conference quarterfinal matchup.
The Golden Knights’ best offensive moment came in the first quarter when Jatelle Wilcher ripped off a 74-yard touchdown run, but Madison (6–5) couldn’t maintain the offensive explosion. Wilcher finished the game with 118 yards on 14 carries.
