Brooklyn Tech’s lucky number last year was 12. That’s where the Engineers were seeded in the PSAL boys volleyball playoffs and they used it as a rallying cry throughout the postseason.
“We love 12,” coach Noreen Begley would say frequently.
Their Cinderella run didn’t end until the semifinals and with almost the entire nucleus back from that squad, Brooklyn Tech won’t be looking at a double-digit seed again. Actually, Begley’s boys are potentially one of the top teams in the city.
“People are saying we could be the team to beat in Brooklyn,” she said. “I told them, ‘Everybody is gunning for you in this division. Every time you put on that uniform, they want to beat you.’”
Getting used to being the favorite has had mixed results so far. Brooklyn Tech is 3-0 in Brooklyn XII after a win Monday against East New York Family Academy. But the Engineers lost a set to Boys & Girls last week – something they didn’t do at all in league play last year. And at the Tottenville tournament Saturday they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by Grover Cleveland.
“It’s a whole different mindset,” Begley said of being one of the top teams. “They’re feeling a little pressure now. … Last year, it was not expected. Whatever we did accomplish was great.”
Brooklyn Tech got better as the season went on last year and that will probably happen again. For one, 6-foot-6 middle O’Shane McRae cannot play on Saturdays due to religious reasons. Without him at Tottenville, Begley had to mix in three different players at middle.
That also happened last year until the playoffs when McRae, a Seventh-Day Adventist, made the sacrifice and played on two Saturdays. But it’s hard to get into a rhythm when facing the best competition in tournaments when one of your best players isn’t there.
“O’Shane is a big part of our offense,” Begley said.
Outside hitter Jonah Park shifted to middle last year in the absence of McRae, but he’s been so effective on the outside that Begley has not wanted to mess with it now. Park, one of the captains, is the backbone of the team and one of the best players in the PSAL. Begley lauds his ability to put the Engineers on his back at times – and that happened routinely in last year’s playoffs.
“He practices hard, does work with the younger kids,” Begley said. “He’s a leader and just a pleasure to coach.”
Brooklyn Tech is also depending on setter Adrian Liang, the other captain, who split time last year with Eugene Remennik. But Remennik was sick during the playoffs and Liang took over permanently with impressive results. Begley is hoping that big-match experience carries over.
“Once we got on that roll, he just stepped up big time,” she said.
The Engineers will be looking to get on one of those again. But if they do it’ll surely be as one of the higher seeds in the playoffs. Begley will probably need a new number to latch onto.
“It’s not how you start the race,” she said. “It’s how you finish.”