Sports

NYC football rankings: Week 6

As the playoffs grow near, The Post’s NYC football rankings do some shuffling. After two weeks of no movement, Sheepshead Bay replaces Tottenville, Curtis moves up to No. 5 and Monsignor Farrell drops two spots.

In the CHSFL this weekend, both No. 2 St. Joseph by the Sea and No. 4 Holy Cross picked up wins on Staten Island, with the Vikings beating Chaminade and the Knights winning at No. 7 Monsignor Farrell for a third straight time. No. 10 Xaverian, which started off the season with back-to-back wins, has fallen on hard times and is clinging to its spot in our rankings after three straight losses.

No. 3 Fort Hamilton and No. 8 DeWitt Clinton held its respective spots in the PSAL. Curtis moved from seventh to fifth after knocking off Tottenville, who was replaced by ninth-ranked Sheepshead Bay, winners of four straight. Erasmus Hall fell to No. 6 after rallying past one-win Boys & Girls.

1. Poly Prep (5-0) (Last week: 1)

After grinding out back-to-back wins, the undefeated Blue Devils cruised to a 35-6 victory against Hopkins (Conn.) in New Haven Saturday afternoon. Ashton Ghaffaar made up for lost time, returning from a deep thigh bruise to score a pair of touchdowns and the explosive Devante Wheeler also threw a pair of TD passes for Poly.

Next: @ Benedictine (Va.) (Oct. 17, Noon)

2. St. Joseph by the Sea (4-0) (2)

Greg Manos takes exception to the notion that his playbook could actually be placed on a single indeed card. “There’s wrinkles in it that people don’t see,” he said after Sea’s 39-17 win against Chaminade Sunday. We’ll take the coach’s word for it, but the truth is that Sea doesn’t hide what it’s doing and who is getting the ball and yet nobody has been able to stop the Vikings yet.

Next: @ St. Francis Prep (Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.)

3. Fort Hamilton (6-0) (3)

Through six weeks, two-third of the way through regular season, the MVP of the PSAL is Frank Laino, coach Vinny Laino’s son. Nobody has been more valuable, on the field and off than Vinny Laino’s son. He has completed over 46 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and has run for more than 400 yards and nine touchdowns. He is an extension of his father on the field – tough, smart and intense. He has started 15 regular-season games and won them all.

Next: @ No. 7 Lincoln (Oct. 17, 12 p.m.)

4. Holy Cross (4-1) (4)

Dean Marlowe was spectacular, although that seems like the norm of late for the James Madison-bound quarterback/defensive back. He rushed for 142 yards on eight carries, including a stunning 71-yard touchdown in a 28-7 win at Monsignor Farrell Saturday night. Also impressive was senior running back Barrington Wallace and junior tight end Adrian Paljevic.

Next: Kellenberg (Oct. 17, 1:30 p.m.)

5. Curtis (5-1) (7)

It’s easy to overlook James Timmins because he shares duties with Dominique Easley, the Penn-State bound lineman. Friday’s 12-tackle, three-sack performance in a 36-14 victory over bitter rival Tottenville – with Easley nursing turf toe on the sideline – showed why there may not be a more underrated defensive player in the city. Overall, the 6-foot-3 senior leads the city with nine sacks, two more than Easley, has 42 tackles and has also scored a pair of touchdowns.

Next: @ Susan Wagner (Oct. 17, 1 p.m.)

6. Erasmus Hall (6-0) (5)

How long can the Dutchmen continue to walk this tight rope? In Week 3, Erasmus trailed Campus Magnet by three touchdowns before staging a second-half rally. Victory No. 5 started with a 14-0 deficit, and last week, Danny Landberg’s club needed an Alik Robinson 45-yard reverse with 1:50 remaining to avoid defeat against one-win Boys & Girls. Credit the Dutchmen’s resolve, but sooner or later, this penchant for drama is gonna come back to haunt them.

Next: No. (Oct. 17, 12 p.m.)

7. Monsignor Farrell (3-2) (7)

It was a long night at the Lions Den for Farrell, which saw its modest two-game winning streak snapped by Holy Cross Saturday. Sophomore Michael Viegas was never able to get going, which forced quarterback Jake Barbaccia to go to the air and that yielded mixed results. It will be interesting to see how the Lions respond when they face Fordham Prep in a critical game at Coffey Field.

Next: @ Fordham Prep (Oct. 17, 8 p.m.)

8. DeWitt Clinton (5-1) (8)

The Governors have built upon last year’s 7-2 campaign thanks to the steady play of quarterback Joaquin DeJesus, a stingy defense led by middle linebacker Onell Dishmey and a team-wide philosophy of toughness and grit instilled by fifth-year coach Howard Langley. Alanzo Merchant, a talented running back/wide receiver, shouldn’t be lost in the mix. An import from New Jersey, he is a threat to find the end zone whenever he touches the ball. He has transformed Clinton’s offense from effective to explosive. He has scored five touchdowns, but set up so many more with long pickups.

Next: @ John F. Kennedy (Oct. 16, 5 p.m.)

9. Sheepshead Bay (4-2) (NR)

The Sharks don’t have just one or two playmakers opponents can zero in on. There is no Andre Civil or Ayo Isijola. But coach Fred Snyder has a bunch of difference-makers that can turn a game, whether it is quarterback Deejay White, running back Davontai Carlie, defensive backs Paul Fyfe and Naquan Alexander or pass-rusher David Dyce. Sheepshead Bay hasn’t won four straight, including victories over Susan Wagner and Midwood, with smoke and mirrors. They are deep and talented.

Next: @ Port Richmond (Oct 17, 12 p.m.)

10. Xaverian (2-3) (10)

The season started off promisingly enough for the Clippers, but after opening the campaign with two wins, there have been three straight losses. Now Xaverian is in danger of not making the CHSFL Class AAA playoffs a year after reaching the semifinals. Joe DeSiena’s squad needs to turn things around quickly, beginning with a must-win game against Mount St. Michael in Brooklyn Friday night.

Next: Mount St. Michael (Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.)

New: Sheepshead Bay (4-2)

Dropped out: Tottenville (4-2)

On the bubble: Fordham Prep (2-3), Mount St. Michael (1-3), Cardinal Hayes (4-0), Moore Catholic (4-0), Fieldston (4-1), Tottenville (4-2), Lincoln (4-2) and Brooklyn Tech (4-2)

zbraziller@nypost.com

dbutler@nypost.com