By Patrick McCormack
Flushing was one game shy of getting to Yankee Stadium for the championship game last year and, despite a new look roster, quarterback Terrance Chavis plans on helping his team make another run at playing for the crown.
He is using last season’s 55-7 loss to eventual city champion Abraham as motivation to return to the top of the PSAL this season. Flushing is coming off a historic year in which it made the City Conference semifinals for the first time since the early 1990s.
“I think about that game every day,” Chavis said. “Not the best way to go out. That’s something I do not want to happen again, especially in my senior year. That’s definitely motivation. Every day I see the score and it reminds me not to let it happen again.”
He knows what it takes to bring his team to where it needs to be this season.
“It all starts on the field with our attitude,” Chavis said. “We have to be focused and we have to think positive. We have to be able to deal with adversity.”
The Red Devils also have other key pieces returning from last year’s 9-3 season. Flushing is bringing back four members of the offensive line, including Abel Joseph. Chavis, who threw for 1,371 yards and 17 touchdowns in his junior year, is back under center. Despite returning many key pieces, Flushing lost running back Deandre Ross-Lomax and three wide outs, including star Kevaun Dunn.
Chavis will try to replace his key receiver from last season with Besim Muminovic, Marcus Mendez and Keron Hermitt. The Red Devils are looking to Demetrie Narcisse to fill the void left by Deandre-Lomax. Even with the losses at the skill positions Chavis is confident his offense can get to where they were last season.
“I think this year we will be fine with the receiving core and I think it is going to help us get to the same position as last year or even further,” he said.
The Red Devils play an ironman-style of football, with plenty of two-way players. Their defense will feature Joseph on the defensive line, Muminovic and Hermitt at the corners and Narcisse and Mendez playing at the linebacker position.
The return of many key players leads Flushing Coach Jim Desantis, the reigning TimesLedger Newspapers All-Queens Coach of the Year, to think his team can be strong again, but he also knows top-level games will be a challenge for his squad.
“Ideally I want to win them all, as far as a goal,” Desantis said. “We are in that B bracket of the championship division I think a realistic goal is to win all the games in the B part of the schedule. As well as in the C and the D, and be really competitive.”
That is exactly what the Red Devils plan on being with plenty of talented players back from a group that knows how to win.
“I am excited, I think next year is going to be a rebuilding year,” DeSantis said. “This year we are going to have to get things done.”
