In a show of bravado and confidence, Campus Magnet proclaimed themselves the best team in the borough prior to the season. They sure looked the part in their season opener.
The Bulldogs shredded Beach Channel, 35-0, at home Saturday afternoon. Quarterback Datalia Holness threw for 154 yards and tossed touchdown passes to receivers Jason Weston (a 51-yard scoring strike on the first play from scrimmage), Stephan Benjamin and Jonathan Achab Syms.
Holness also ran for a score, as did halfback James Johnson, who piled up 44 yards on five carries. Benjamin, a senior linebacker, led the Bulldogs with eight tackles, Martin Thomas, and Nmesoma Okafor each made four stops.
“Nothing surprised us,” Campus Magnet Coach Eric Barnett said. “We did what we expected to do. The program is growing tremendously.”
Last year, John Adams and August Martin combined for just one victory. The two programs were each victorious in their season opener though this season.
Adams, 0-9 a season ago, won their debut in the Cup Division, the PSAL’s lowest level, topping Stuyvesant, 22-8, Friday night. Darren Baker ran for 40 yards and a touchdown and Luis Cerna threw a touchdown pass to receiver Kevin Patterson.
Despite being out-gained 256-139, the Spartans won it on the defensive side of the ball, picking off Stuyvesant quarterback Shafi Alam four times.
August Martin, meanwhile, got past Erasmus Hall, 22-8, behind a balanced offensive attack. Senior quarterback Mustafa Young threw a 75-yard scoring strike to Andrew Richards and Murphy Lee ran for two touchdowns and Thomas Greyer added another in a multi-back attack that yielded 235 yards.
Elsewhere, Bayside was walloped by New Dorp, 36-6, on Staten Island. Jamaica got new coach Michael Scaduto his first win, getting by defending Cup Division champion Long Island City, 22-6. Junior Kamario Darby threw for 213 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Elihu Barclay, who had 12 receptions for 279 yards. Lamont Wright scored on the ground for the Beavers, who shut down LIC’s talented wideout Troy Walker, limiting him to two catches for 17 yards.
Springfield Gardens routed Lafayette, 32-6, as three different running backs - David Dingle, Jermaine Mcleod, and Tadd Willoughby - found pay dirt.
In the program’s varsity football debut, Info Tech was a winner, 26-22, over Automotive. Christopher Bohan threw for 113 and two touchdowns to James Jeffries and Miguel Cespedes. Jeffries also ran for 43 yards and a score and had an interception on defense, and Charles Pierre returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Flushing, the borough’s other new team, did not even get a chance. Scheduled to play Stevenson in their first game since 2001, the Red Devils had their game canceled when both teams forfeited the opener. Several Flushing players did not have their proper paperwork filed in time while Stevenson did not have enough players available to suit up.
