Upsets and history: Brooklyn football dominates in first round of playoffs

These Hornets took flight to notch a first-round postseason upset.

Midwood’s football team — the No. 11 seed in the Public Schools Athletic League championship bracket — stunned sixth-seeded Wagner on Nov. 12, cruising to a 34–16 victory on the arm of quarterback Tyshawn Young.

The junior standout tossed four touchdown passes, including three to Lliam Mareus, as he picked apart the Wagner secondary throughout the game. Young finished with 298 yards through the air, going 16-of-26 with 55 yards on the ground.

Midwood (6–4) took the lead late in the first half when Young found Mareus on an eight-yard strike, grabbing momentum and never letting go.

Young was the spark that made Midwood’s offense go, but the Hornets defense also dominated the game. Senior Isaiah Lombard notched an 85-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter — cementing the victory — and the Hornets held Wagner’s vaunted run game to just 155 yards. Wagner’s Artie Stimus was kept out of the end zone and recorded just 41 yards — a far cry from the 311 yards he racked up when the two squads faced each other in the regular season.

But it doesn’t get any easier for the Hornets as the squad treks back to Staten Island for a second-round matchup with top-seeded Curtis on Nov. 19.

Lincoln 43
Boys & Girls 22

Railsplitters head coach Shawn O’Connor made a bit of history as the program’s all-time win leader with 119 career victories in his team’s first-round playoff matchup. And his players put on quite a show in the record-breaking win.

Senior running back Naim Coakley led the offensive charge with 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Quarterback Faruq Shittu chipped in 119 passing yards, as well as 35 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown of his own.

Lincoln’s defense also held its own down the stretch, shutting out the Kangaroos in the fourth quarter.

The No. 5 Railsplitters take to the road for the second round of the postseason, heading to No. 4 Tottenville for a 12 p.m. kickoff of Nov. 19.

Grand Street 27
New Dorp 6

Wolves senior quarterback Chris Mattocks racked up the yards and jumpstarted his squad’s offense with three touchdown passes in the one-sided playoff victory. Mattocks finished the game nine-for-12 with 121 yards under center and threw just one interception. He also chipped in 41 rushing yards on six attempts.

Darius Thompson added a few of his own highlights, racking up a game-high 118 rushing yards and one touchdown in addition to 47 receiving yards and another trip to the end zone.

Aaron Patterson led the defensive charge with a team-high eight tackles, including four for a loss and four sacks.

The seventh-seeded Wolves will face off against No. 3 South Shore in the quarterfinals of the championship bracket on Nov. 19.

James Madison 18
Eagle Academy II 14

The 10th-seeded Golden Knights bounced back after a loss in the regular-season finale with a playoff upset, taking down the No. 7 Eagles. The victory sets up a road battle against McKee-Staten Island in the bowl conference quarterfinals on Nov. 20.

Sheepshead Bay 14
Tilden 6

The Sharks kept the season alive with a late-game touchdown in the fourth quarter after the squad’s defense did its best to shut down Tilden. Sheepshead Bay gave up just 13 passing yards and only 151 total yards in the slim victory.

Sheepshead Bay takes on top-seeded Truman in the quarterfinals of the Public Schools Athletic League bowl conference on Nov. 20.