The New York Post’s PSAL football beat writers, Zach Braziller and Marc Raimondi, take an in-depth look at Sunday’s Bowl and Cup division semifinals.
All games are at noon. Here’s the lineup:
BOWL
No. 4 August Martin @ No. 1 Truman
No. 3 Thomas Jefferson @ No. 2 John Adams
CUP
No. 4 Info Tech vs. No. 1 Automotive @ Grand Street Campus
No. 3 Petrides vs. No. 2 South Bronx @ Alfred E. Smith
BOWL DIVISION
No. 1 Truman Mustangs
Head coach: John Shepherd
Record: 8-1
Offensive player to watch: RB Isayah Muller
Defensive player to watch: LB Andrew Reid
No. 4 August Martin Falcons
Head coach: Mike Scaduto
Record: 6-3
Offensive player to watch: RB Anthony Duzant
Defensive player to watch: LB Matthew Lyttle
Outlook: Both teams feature stifling defenses and are not known for high-powered offenses. This could be a nip-and-tuck, 10-8 game. The last time the two teams played, though, it was actually a 26-20 win for Truman. So both teams are capable of putting up points at times.
The key for both will be on offense. Truman has a better running game, led by Muller and Cory Johnson, who has been injured. August Martin has gotten a boost from Duzant, who Scaduto moved from center to running back during the season. He’s an athletic kid who is hard to bring down – even for a defense as good as the Mustangs’.
No. 2 John Adams Spartans
Head coach: Gerry Weitzen
Record: 8-1
Offensive player to watch: WR Akeeme Chavis
Defensive player to watch: DL Victor Rosario
No. 3 Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave
Head coach: Stephen Edwards
Record: 8-1
Offensive player to watch: QB Ricky Joseph
Defensive player to watch: DE Maurice George
Outlook: At the beginning of the season, it seemed like this would be the Bowl championship game. Both teams started 2009 beating teams up and blowing them out. Jefferson began 7-0 before being upended by Truman and Adams was 6-0 before August Martin snuck by the Spartans.
Adams and Jefferson can both put up major numbers. The Spartans have nice balance with running backs Brandon Wilson and Chris McLaren while quarterback Daniel Perez loves throwing the ball to Chavis, one of the Bowl division’s elite playmakers.
Jefferson might not have as much diversity in its offense, but the Orange Wave can really air it out with quarterback Ricky Joseph. He’s one of the best signal-callersin the city that no one knows about, and Mark Thomas is a very solid wide receiver. Kadeem Bailey, the team’s premier running back, is also a threat.
CUP DIVISION
No. 1 Automotive Pistons
Head coach: Haseeb Khawaja
Record: 10-0
Offensive player to watch: QB Maurice Edwards
Defensive player to watch: DT Harrison Fontenelle
No. 4 Info Tech Blackhawks
Head coach: Bienvenido Hernandez
Record: 7-3
Offensive player to watch: QB Chris Bohan
Defensive player to watch: DL Romance Barber
Outlook: It’s been a dream season for the Pistons: undefeated and the top seed in the city playoffs just two years removed from going 0-10. Automotive has breezed in doing so, topping the 40-point plateau four times. The Brooklyn squad even blasted Info Tech, 28-8, last weekend.
The turnaround, Khawaja has said, is a credit to the consistent day-in, day-out work of his players, and the focus to get better. The JV program, where many of the starters developed, is 6-1 this year and went 9-0 last year. At the heart of the Pistons’ success is a blistering offense led by Maurice Edwards, who has thrown 15 touchdown passes and just three interceptions, and running back James Clark (1,1015 rushing yards, 13 TDs).
Info Tech, meanwhile, is also in the playoffs for the first time. The Blackhawks had won three in a row before last Sunday’s loss to Automotive, which included an impressive 14-6 victory over Petrides.
No. 2 South Bronx Phoenix
Head coach: Jose Cosme
Record: 10-0
Offensive player to watch: WR Luis Sanchez
Defensive player to watch: CB Arbely Soto
No. 3 Petrides Panthers
Head coach: David Olah
Record: 7-3
Offensive player to watch: RB William Caban
Defensive player to watch: DL Ivan McCall
Outlook: The Phoenix has been here before: an undefeated regular-season record, flying high entering the playoffs, only to fall short one week before the final. Last year, South Bronx lost to George Washington in this round. This year’s club enjoyed a similar regular season, but understands what playoff heartache is all about.
Cosme is confident they won’t overlook Petrides, despite their 38-0 victory Oct. 3. The Phoenix is explosive offensively, led by quarterback Michael Walker, a wide receiver last year, bruising running back Michael Drake Jr. and wide receiver Luis Sanchez. The latter two combined for 22 regular-season touchdowns.
Petrides is no slouch. The Staten Island school is in the playoffs in just its second season as a varsity program. Caban, furthermore, is dangerous. The senior has run for 970 yards and 10 touchdowns.