Sports

King-led Flushing aims for continued success

The NFL lockout upset fans nationwide. Andrew King, Flushing’s bulldozing running back/linebacker, wasn’t one of them. The labor strife allowed him the chance to work out with Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vinny Rey, the former Bayside star.

“It really improved my game a lot,” the senior recalled. “Every rep he told me not to rush what I do, make sure every rep is perfect and give it my all.”

The two lifted weights and worked on technique during daily sessions before Rey returned to Ohio once the labor dispute ended. King, who has heard from Ivy League schools Harvard, Dartmouth and Columbia in addition to Stony Brook, Holy Cross and other College Football Subdivision programs, feels he is better prepared for his senior year because of it.

“He motivated me, coming from where he came from,” said the 6-foot, 210-pound King, who ran for 516 yards and nine touchdowns last year. “It really pushed me. A lot of people take what they have for granted. I want to get to where he is.”

With several losses on both sides of the ball, particularly on defense, Flushing will need King to be at his best. The powerful King’s production may depend on quarterback Jason Gonzalez, who is entering his second year under center. Better with his legs than his arm last fall, Flushing coach Jim DeSantis said Gonzalez has improved throwing the ball downfield. They will also look to run a myriad of short passing patterns and screen passes to spread out opposing defenses.

“Jason’s the general this year — last year he struggled at times, but now he has the offense down pat,” King said. “If he sees the defense is gonna stack the box, we’re not just gonna run it. He can air it out.”

“We’ve got to be more effective throwing it and getting it into other peoples’ hands,” DeSantis said. “If we can do that, they can’t just play against Andrew.”

Returner starter Bromley Fairclough will be particularly important to Gonzalez in terms of a playmaker out wide while Darrell Webster will be significant for protection. The two will also be key cogs on defense, the 6-foot-1 Fairclough at cornerback and massive 6-foot-3, 320-pound Webster in the trenches in addition to King at outside linebacker. DeSantis is also expecting a lot from two-way lineman Andrew Taylor and undersized cornerback Jevon Gooden, who started as a sophomore.

“I don’t think Andrew can get it done by himself, I don’t think Bromley, I don’t think Jason can [either],” DeSantis said. “It’s collective. If there is a key, it’s the young guys stepping up. We’re gonna be pretty young. We don’t have great numbers, right now we’re at 35.”

Ever since DeSantis re-started the program six years ago, roster numbers have never been a Flushing staple. Success has, though, the team reaching the playoffs in its first two years in the City Championship division. DeSantis said in the offseason, he had 50 kids, but several fell off when the work got to be too much.

That hasn’t diminished the coach’s confidence as he thinks the playoffs are again a realistic goal in his continued quest to build a citywide name for Flushing. King, the team’s one distinct star, wants more coming off last year’s 5-4 season and 20-7, opening-round loss to Curtis.

“This is the year we’re gonna get over that hump, first round and out,” King said. “With the team we have right now, we can go further than the first round and the second round.”

zbraziller@nypost.com