Boys & Girls star Wilbert Lee has a chance to help his team to a signature win against Jefferson. (Brit Worgan)
Every week in the fall, NYPost.com’s Zach Braziller and Marc Raimondi will attempt to prognosticate the coming PSAL football weekend in the City Championship division.
RECORDS AFTER WEEK 8
Braziller: 74-21 (Last week: 12-0)
Raimondi: 75-20 (Last week: 12-0)
Here’s Week 9:
New Dorp @ No. 2 Lincoln (Friday, 7 p.m.)
Braziller: Curtis coach Pete Gambardella held out All-American Dominique Easley last year for three games when the stud lineman had a minor injury. Lincoln’s Shawn O’Connor has done the same with his All-American, Ishaq Williams. He should do the same this week, too. Even without Williams, Lincoln should cost to a perfect regular season. New Dorp can’t handle its size up front. Pick: Lincoln
Raimondi: It feels like so long ago that Lincoln was 1-8, doesn’t it? In reality, that was just two years ago. Now the Railsplitters are among the city’s elite once again and will likely finish the regular season undefeated. An incredible line, tough defense and the playmaking of quarterback Andrew Vital could take them a long way in the playoffs. Pick: Lincoln
No. 2 Fort Hamilton @ John F. Kennedy (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Raimondi: Kennedy needs a win desperately to get into the playoffs, but that will be a tall order against a team like Fort Hamilton. Knights coach Andy Lancberg said it best last week after his team’s loss to Lehman: that was almost like a playoff play-in game. For the second straight year, Kennedy will likely be on the outside looking in. It’s only a matter of time before the first-year coach rights the ship, though. Pick: Fort Hamilton
Braziller: That has to be an awful feeling, needing a win to get in the playoffs and seeing Fort Hamilton on your schedule. The Tigers just don’t lose during the regular season — they have won 31 straight. That continues against Kennedy. Pick: Fort Hamilton
No. 6 Curtis @ No. 1 Tottenville (Saturday, 7 p.m.)
Braziller: I understand it was windy and Prince Dukes threw two interceptions, but I don’t quite get why Curtis coach Pete Gambardella opted to have the freshman standout and senior Tynell Brown split time under center again. The Warriors’ defense is solid, yet not elite, but their offense can be lights out with Dukes slinging the ball all over the place and Shaquan Coles chewing up yardage on the ground. That being said, Tottenville is the best team in the city and I’m not sure Dukes is ready to go to Huguenot and pull this kind of an upset after last week’s effort. It won’t be a blowout and it won’t be a nailbiter, either, but the Pirates, led by Player of the Year candidate Gil Mendoza, pull away late. Pick: Tottenville
Raimondi: I actually do think this is going to be a tight one, Zach. The stage is set for a classic game under the lights in Huguenot. Tottenville is the best team in the city, there’s no doubt. But the Pirates haven’t faced a team nearly as good as Curtis all season. It’ll be gut check time for coach Jim Munson’s kids. I’m sure they’ll respond, but this will be a war. Pick: Tottenville
No. 5 Erasmus Hall @ No. 9 Brooklyn Tech (Sunday, 11 a.m.)
Raimondi: It’s been a rough year for Erasmus. After making the PSAL city semifinals for the first time ever, the Dutchmen have caught the injury bug and worse, they have no field. Coach Danny Landberg’s group has taken to practicing in the school’s small courtyard. That means no blocking sleds and other essential things. The line has suffered and Brooklyn Tech’s is one of the biggest and best in the PSAL. Pick: Brooklyn Tech
Braziller: You jump off your bandwagons fast, huh Marc? Erasmus, I should remind you, is 6-2, a game better than Brooklyn Tech with a tougher schedule, and one of those losses came to undefeated Lincoln, a city title contender. Brooklyn Tech has the edge in size, but what about speed and playmakers? There’s no comparison there. The Engineers won’t have an answer for Erasmus star Wayne Morgan. Pick: Erasmus Hall
No. 4 Campus Magnet @ No. 8 Flushing (Saturday, 11 a.m.)
Braziller: This isn’t for the faint of heart. Expect physical, hard-hitting from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, a few late hits, maybe an injury here or there, and a Campus Magnet win. Flushing has one of the top five defenses in the city and a stud back in Andrew King, yet Campus Magnet has too much depth for the Red Devils and its defense is No. 2, behind only Lincoln’s. Pick: Campus Magnet
Raimondi: Flushing is a bully. The Red Devils will push you around, steal your lunch money and laugh as they do it. How can you not love a team like that? Flushing might be meeting its physical match in Campus Magnet, but I’m not sure if the Bulldogs can match their Queens rival’s intensity. So yes, I’m back to picking against the boys from Cambria Heights. Pick: Flushing
Lehman @ DeWitt Clinton (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: Emotions should be riding high in this one. Both teams would greatly increase their playoff chances with a victory, plus these have been the two best teams in The Bronx all year. Bragging rights will be on the line. Lehman is coming off an emotional victory against rival John F. Kennedy in the closing seconds, but Clinton is far better than its 3-5 record would attest. Pick: Clinton
Braziller: Forget the record, Clinton is a top 10 team. There were the two forfeits because of the brawl with Flushing and the injury to underrated quarterback Joaquin DeJesus. The Governors have turned the page, though, with two straight wins and seem destined to be a postseason sleeper. Lehman, well, the Lions had a nice win last week, but they will be overwhelmed on Sunday. Pick: Clinton
Sheepshead Bay @ Canarsie (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Braziller: Sheepshead Bay needs a win this week against one-win Canarsie to continue its playoff streak. Seems like a slam dunk? Well, it’s not. Canarsie could easily have three or four wins, having fallen just short against Boys & Girls, Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln. The Chiefs may be young and inexperienced, but they are talented, led by middle linebacker Donchervel Smith and his City Championship division-leading 86 tackles. Pick: Canarsie
Raimondi: Sheepshead might still get in with a loss and extend its playoff streak to 14 years, but believe it or not I agree with you. Canarsie has been playing some very solid football, even going back to early in the year. The wins aren’t there to show for it, but coach Mike Camardese should have a pretty solid squad next year. Pick: Canarsie
Boys & Girls @ No. 7 Thomas Jefferson (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: After playing the toughest schedule in the league by far, Boys & Girls has a chance to get its first signature win of the season against a one-loss team. The Kangaroos are a lock for the playoffs, but they might be able to get a home game with a victory here. That’s no small feat after all they’ve been through. Jefferson is more than game, but the Orange Wave have been playing with fire in close games lately. Pick: Boys & Girls
Braziller: You talk about this being a signature win for Boys & Girls, but the same can be said for Jefferson. Who, exactly, have the Orange Wave beaten? You can’t count Flushing; that was in Week 1 when the Red Devils lost all their equipment on the way back from camp and barely practiced. Port Richmond doesn’t count, neither does Brooklyn Tech, because the Engineers turned it over seven times. Boys & Girls, however, would. UConn-bound Wilbert Lee will find pay dirt a few times, but he won’t get enough help, which has too often been the case this year for The High. Jefferson has plenty of weapons and that will be the difference. Pick: Thomas Jefferson
FDR @ New Utrecht (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Braziller: Man, was I wrong. I figured this would be a postseason tuneup for New Utrecht at the season’s outset, not the end to a disappointing year. The Utes’ defense has let them down and the offense, expected to be one of the city’s best, hasn’t lived up to expectations. Quarterback Jordan Paul will finish a solid career with a win and some gaudy numbers. Pick: New Utrecht
Raimondi: It is sad to see one of the city’s best quarterbacks in Paul not in the postseason. But when you have little to no help, that’s what happens. New Utrecht, mathematically, probably can’t get into the postseason, but at least it’ll finish on a winning note. Pick: New Utrecht
Grand Street Campus @ Grady (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: Grand Street better hope no one below it in the PSAL standings pulls a big upset, because a victory against winless Grady will do nothing for its power points total. The Wolves will likely be in the playoffs, but it wasn’t the year they expected. Perhaps some of that promise can come out in the postseason – provided they don’t have to face one of the top three teams in the first round: Pick: Grand Street
Braziller: Grand Street is a lot like New Utrecht: It has an elite quarterback in Cristian Pena, but a soft defense and a weaker supporting cast. The Wolves did beat Erasmus Hall back in Week 2, so the potential is there. It just hasn’t shown up much of late: Pick: Grand Street
James Madison @ Midwood (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Braziller: Has the Battle of Bedford Avenue ever had less juice? Midwood has two wins while Madison is just looking to get on the board. The Knights should move down next year and it wouldn’t be a bad move for the Hornets, either. How about the loser goes to the Cup and winner to the Bowl? Sounds fair to me. Pick: Midwood
Raimondi: Midwood moving down? Man, you’re tough. The Hornets have only two wins, but they haven’t been awful. They almost beat Port Richmond and Susan Wagner in shootouts and even one of those victories might have gotten them in the playoffs. This one shouldn’t be a problem for them. Pick: Midwood
Susan Wagner @ Port Richmond (Saturday, 12 p.m.)
Raimondi: A win against Wagner would ensure Port Richmond of a playoff spot and would greatly help its seed, likely staying away from teams like Tottenville, Fort Hamilton and Lincoln. Wagner is just about guaranteed to be in and has a chance to score a home game with a victory. But the Falcons are wearing down due to low numbers. It’s time for some of those young Red Raiders players to start making some plays. Pick: Port Richmond
Braziller: Curtis and Tottenville have exposed these two as pretenders. Can Port Richmond or Wagner win a playoff game? Sure, if given the right matchup. Port Richmond has more to play more — a loss could knock them out of the playoffs — and that’s always the differnece in these rivalry games. The Red Raiders’ offense is too good to keep sputtering. Look for a big game out of quarterback Ricky Cardenas. Pick: Port Richmond