Week four of the Public Schools Athletic League's varsity football schedule features several top 10 match-ups in the Championship Division. Here's a preview of four key games, including one between two of the top three teams in the city, plus the rest of the schedule for October 5-7.
All games previewed below are schedule for Sunday:
No. 6 Port Richmond Red Raiders vs. No. 7 Campus Magnet Bull-Dogs (11:00 a.m.)*
Port Richmond (3-1) and Campus Magnet (3-1) are separated by only nine points in this week's PSAL Championship Division standings. Last week, Mario Villafane rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns, as the Red Raiders (3-1) beat Grand Street Campus, 30-14. Campus Magnet will counter with QB Blessuan Austin, who has 10 total touchdowns this season (via pass and run).
No. 8 New Dorp Central Cougars vs. No. 5 Thomas Jefferson Orange Wave (12:00 p.m.)
Last week, New Dorp lost to the top-ranked Tottenville Pirates, 20-13. Likewise, the O-Wave (3-1) is coming off its first setback of the season, 21-14, at the hands of the Sheepshead Bay Sharks. The Cougars (3-1) will turn to quarterback Charles App (10 TDs) to get them back on track. Jefferson's Kendell Thomas has three rushing and three receiving TDs. Who'll make the big play?
No. 9 New Utrecht Utes vs. No. 14 Brooklyn Tech Engineers (12:00 p.m.)
These are two up-and-coming Brooklyn programs. The Utes (3-1) only loss this season came at the hands of defending city champion Lincoln. They won one game all of last season. Quarterback Ryan Witherspoon has been on the of the best in the division with six passing and nine rushing touchdowns. Brooklyn Tech (2-2) is led by by James Gales, who last week rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Fort Hamilton. Last season, the Engineers defeated the Utes, 34-14.
No. 3 Boys & Girls Kangaroos vs. No. 2 Erasmus Hall Dutchmen (12:00 p.m.)
This is the main event of the week. The Kangaroos (4-0), who have allowed 26 points in four games, are led by Najee Champagne, who has rushed for 394 yards and six touchdowns this season. The Dutchmen (4-0) have two of the most explosive players in the city in Curtis Samuel and Kahlil Lewin; the dynamic duo has a combined 704 yards and six touchdowns on the ground. Adding to the intrigue, Erasmus Hall eliminated Boys High in the quarterfinals of last year's playoffs, 26-10.
The rest of the schedule for week five:
Thursday, October 4Canarsie 20, Midwood 6 (Final)
Friday, October 5
Curtis vs. Dewitt Clinton (2:30 p.m.)Franklin K. Lane vs. Far Rockaway (4:00 p.m.)
Saturday, October 6
John Adams vs. John F. Kennedy (7:00 p.m.)Susan Wagner vs. Tottenville (7:00 p.m.)
Sunday, October 7
Stuyvesant vs. Alfred E. Smith (11:00 a.m.)Mott Haven vs. South Shore (11:00 a.m.)
Abraham Lincoln vs. Flushing (11:00 a.m.)
William E. Grady vs. August Martin (11:00 a.m.)
George Washington vs. Jamaica (11:00 a.m.)
Automotive vs. Springfield Gardens (11:00 a.m.)
Benjamin Cardozo vs. Petrides (11:00 a.m.)
Herbert H. Lehman vs. Beach Channel (12:00 p.m.)
Adlai Stevenson vs. Information Technology (12:00 p.m.)
Long Island City vs. Franklin D. Roosevelt (12:00 p.m.)
James Madison vs. Christopher Columbus (12:00 p.m.)
Grand Street Campus vs. Harry S. Truman (12:00 p.m.)
Fort Hamilton vs. Sheepshead Bay (12:00 p.m.)
Bayside vs. Tilden (12:00 p.m.)
Lafayette vs. McKee/Staten Island Tech (12:00 p.m.)
Evander Childs vs. East Harlem (1:00 p.m.)
KIPP NYC vs. William C. Bryant (2:00 p.m.)
* All times are Eastern Standard Time.
Adam Martini is a freelance sports writer who has reported on New York City high school sports since 2000. He has covered high school basketball, baseball, football and soccer, and prep championship games at Madison Square Garden, Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium.
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