After their 33-7 pasting of Bayside, Campus Magnet rules Queens. There is no doubting that. Now, they take on Brooklyn’s best - no easy feat.
In their first playoff game in quite some time, the 14th-seeded Bulldogs will meet No. 3 Canarsie and their all-everything senior running back Brandon Jones Saturday at noon.
After two consecutive losses midway through the year, which included blowing a 20-point fourth-quarter lead to Long Island City, postseason play seemed in doubt. But Eric Barnett’s squad rebounded, handing Grand St. Campus their first loss and blasting Jamaica and Bayside.
In the win over the Commodores, their first loss to a Queens opponent since falling to August Martin November 4 of 2001, it was the aerial attack that took flight. Datalia Holness threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Achab-Syms and returned an interception 90 yards for a score. Achab-Syms caught another touchdown from Neakale Moreno and James Johnson scored from a yard out.
“If I can block them, I’m going to beat them,” Barnett promised. “I’m going to put [the ball] up because I got three talented receivers and I got a talented quarterback. I’m going to extend all my bullets. I’m not going to leave this game saying ‘what if.’”
They also must slow down Jones. In nine games, he has amassed 1,006 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns, good for first and second in the city, respectively. Quarterback Sha Tim Pratt isn’t bad as quarterback, either; he threw for 952 yards and 10 scores. The spotlight will be on two-way 300-pound linemen Jamel Dolloway and Malachi Freeman, who will have to contend with the Chiefs’ superior size.
“If we can’t stop the run,” Barnett said, “it’s going to be a long day.”
Campus Magnet isn’t the borough’s only representative in the playoffs. August Martin, courtesy of their 33-0 win over Long Island City, got the 15th seed. Mustafa Young ran for two touchdowns and Christopher Dulcio and Robert Mullings scored once. The 6-3 Falcons will travel to Staten Island to take on No. 2 Port Richmond (7-2).
Long Island City and Jamaica each qualified for the second-tier Bowl Division Playoffs. Jamaica (4-5) got in after beating Truman, 26-16, behind three touchdown passes by Kamario Darby, two to Elihu Barclay. Seeded sixth, the Beavers get a rematch with No. 2 Brooklyn Tech (2-7), who knocked them out in the same game one year ago. LIC (4-5), meanwhile, will visit Truman (6-3).
In the Cup Division, John Adams bounced back from their first loss of the year in a big way, routing Springfield Gardens, 28-8. Kevin Patterson ran for 131 yards and scored two touchdowns. At 8-1, the Spartans remained in a first-place tie with Wadleigh, Lane and Bryant, who blanked Flushing, 14-0, with one game remaining.
