PSAL’s Primetime Players to watch in these key games
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There are some very intriguing matchups in New York City this weekend that mean a lot for standings and also feature some of the best athletes in the entire PSAL. Checkout these huge games and which players you have to…
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Continue ReadingThere are some very intriguing matchups in New York City this weekend that mean a lot for standings and also feature some of the best athletes in the entire PSAL. Checkout these huge games and which players you have to keep an eye on
Lincoln vs Erasmus Hall
Erasmus Hall is the heavy favorite to win the PSAL this year with all this talent but they take on a very good Lincoln team on a short week. Both of these teams are contenders in the PSAL 4A and they feature some of the best players in the city. Checkout the leader of this special Erasmus Hall secondary and the extremely talented quarterback he’ll try to stop
One of the most entertaining players in New York, they call him “House Call Jojo”. As Josira Andrews Josira Andrews 5’10” | DB Erasmus Hall | 2024 State NY is a fantastic defensive back and anchors an elite secondary at Erasmus Hall. He has 3 non offensive touchdowns so far on the season. The return game is one of the many areas where he is a serious threat. Andrews makes plays in space and has the vision and acceleration to be able to take it to the house at any given moment. He also had a pick six against Madison earlier in the season, and that was a game he pretty much took over along with the rest of his defense. He’s also proven to be one of the top tacklers at the DB position in NYC, he’ll have to have a big game on a short week against a Lincoln team that has plenty of offensive talent.
Highlights
Deas is easily the top quarterback in this league and he’ll have to play like it if the Railsplitters want to pull off the upset. Lincoln is in the best spot out of any PSAL team to beat Erasmus Hall for two reasons. They play the Dutchmen on a short week, as Erasmus Hall played in London on Tuesday and will now play a game this weekend. And the other reason is what Deas can do at quarterback. The dual threat QB will have to make plays outside of the pocket. This Dutchmen defensive line will be getting after him, so his ability to make throws on the run and also take off and do it himself will be crucial. Deas’ arm talent and athleticism is as good as anyone’s in the state. He’ll have to make efficient decisions and get off to a good start and utilize his explosive teammates against the 4 time defending champion Dutchmen.
Highlights
New Utretch vs New Dorp
Both teams are looking to separate themselves from the pack towards the bottom of the PSAL 4A, as this game has huge implications on the playoff picture down the road. This contest will also feature some elite runners for both teams. You can expect both ground games to be great and they are led by these two prospects
New Utrecth is looking for another big performance out of their star running back. If the boys from Brooklyn were to defeat New Dorp, you have to think Cameron would have a huge game. He is one of the top RB’s in the PSAL and against Wagner he pulled off some very impressive runs. The way I would describe Cameron is fast and fearless. Against Wagner he hit the hole hard and was a monster when it came to yards after contact. He loved lowering the shoulder into defenders to pick up extra yards and gain first downs. Cameron has terrific north-south speed and if his offensive line is able to open up holes, we can see some long runs from the Brooklyn native.
For New Dorp they cashed in on St Peters transfer Chris Bellinger as he was dominant earlier in the season. But Bellinger has been out with an injury and New Dorp’s ground game has been led by Jack Kay Jack Kay 6’1″ | ATH New Dorp | 2024 NY with a ton of quarterback designed runs. Kay will be leaned on heavily in a game that will feature a great ground attack from both squads. He is also one of the anchors on defense at the safety position. Kay is reliable and runs extremely hard. I can imagine him being a workhorse this weekend, and his acceleration and toughness will help him move the chains for New Dorp. He follows his blocks well and will team up with Sean Brower as two of the top offensive weapons for this team. On defense, Kay and Zymiere Shaw Zymiere Shaw 6’0″ | 165 lbs | WR New Dorp | 2024 State NY will be counted on to make plays all over the field.
Eagle Academy III Queens) vs APR
Eagle Academy has won 4 straight games but they’ll be truly tested against a very good APR team. Eagle Academy is red hot and they have a prospect who has one of the highest ceilings in queens. On the other hand, APR is looking to win another game and the defending champions are loaded on offense. Their highlighted prospect is one of the most electric players in NYC.
One of the most intriguing prospects for Eagle Academy out of Queens is the WR/DB Darae Campbell Darae Campbell 6’2″ | 185 lbs | ATH Eagle Academy Queens | 2024 NY . Because now at 6 foot 3, he can cause matchup issues for defensive backs all across the PSAL. And this team has quietly won four straight games and now in this big matchup vs APR, you can potentially see a breakout game from Campbell in a game that means a lot in the AA. Last season I saw Campbell dominate jump ball situations and also display the athleticism to get a ton of yards after the catch. He’ll certainly be a player to watch on both sides of the football. On defense he’s already registered an interception, fumble recovery and a sack. He’ll be tasked in anchoring a secondary that will need to find a way to slow down an explosive APR offense. Campbell’s size and athleticism make him one of the top players in Queens, it’ll be fun to track him during this matchup.
The defending champs APR have some talented players including one of the best sophomores in all of New York. Travis Gamble Travis Gamble 5’10” | 175 lbs | ATH A. Philip Randolph | 2026 State NY has proven to be the ultimate athlete.Gamble is one of the smoothest and most elusive athletes you’ll see in New York City. Recently APR has been using him as the feature running back and Gamble has been excelling. He’s been making the most of his carries and has pulled off some long runs in the victories against Campus Magnet and Far Rockaway. When they went against 4A teams like Madison and Kennedy in the “preseason/non league games” Gamble was absolutely incredible. He showed how effective he could be catching the football. Getting open and making people miss looked easy, as Gamble put on a show against the 4A schools, he’ll look to do the same on Saturday.