PRZNY Team Previews: Abraham Lincoln Railsplitters

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Last Season: (9-3)</h2>   <p><br>Last year Lincoln reached the PSAL 4A semifinals but ended up losing to a red-hot Tottenville team 41-15. The Railspiltters came away with 9 wins and had one of the best offenses in the city. They were led by PSAL's top quarterback Nahseem Deas and scored at will against quality opponents in the 4A division. </p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top Prospect </h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Lincoln has produced some amazing defensive lineman throughout the years and [player_tooltip player_id='1266134' first='Elijah' last='Ali'] is next in line. He moved to New York from California and has shown a ton of potential. It's his first full offseason with the weight room and he's developed a lot. Ali is versatile on the defensive line, as he can play multiple positions. He is big, athletic, and a very twitchy lineman who is bound to have a lot of success this year.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">X factors</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">The leader of this Lincoln team. Philbert is a monster at the running back spot and at outside linebacker. He weighs over 200 pounds and brings the physicality to this Lincoln ground game. He's a part of the “Thunder and Thunder” duo for the Brooklyn powerhouse. He's expected to keep the chains moving and be a very reliable back when it comes to picking up consistent yardage. Philbert has great vision and moves extremely well for his size, he can have a big year behind an experienced line.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Raymond was a track star and developed into a great football player. While he is undersized, Raymond is an absolute baller at the cornerback position. His toughness and tackling ability surpassed my expectations, as he laid some hard hits and made some great open field tackles. Raymond is fast, athletic and has improved his coverage skills. He will be the leader for a Lincoln secondary that is looking to have a better season this fall.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Frausto is the leader of the offensive line and has been a staple here at Lincoln for the past few years. He is now going into his third year as a starter on this line. He brings a lot of toughness to this group up front. He showed off quality reps as a pass blocker and run blocker. He'll be one of the main reasons for Lincoln's success running the football.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">The second half of “Thunder and Thunder” for this Railsplitters squad. Gillespie is another big back that is great between the tackles. He is very difficult to bring down and he helps wear defenses out as the game goes on. Gillespie has good vision and cuts pretty well for his size. With a new quarterback, Lincoln might run the ball more and Gillespie will have some solid numbers to show for it. <br><br></p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Last year was a statement for Solomon Decoteau, as he put himself in the conversation with the top receivers after a very productive junior campaign. He has some quality speed and pulled off some big plays last year at receiver. He is now the number one receiving option for Lincoln, and you can expect Decoteau to continue his great production. His route running gave plenty of DBs in the PSAL a hard time and he'll be one of the top WRs in the city this year.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Breakout Player</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">After having a great offseason, Paul has the tools to have a breakout type of season for Lincoln. Paul is lanky and has a great ability to separate from his defensive back. With Chris Adegunle graduating and a lot of attention going to Solomon De Coteau, Paul should get more targets and have a big year with Lincoln's new quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='806373' first='Kory' last='Reese'].</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Names To Know</h2>   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td>Name</td><td>Year</td><td>Position </td><td>Notes</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1284053' first='Caleb' last='Houston']</td><td>2025</td><td>OL</td><td>Good center, everything starts with him, great pass blocker</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='806373' first='Kory' last='Reese']</td><td>2025</td><td>QB</td><td>Transfer from Eagle Academy, varsity experience, good arm talent</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='820090' first='Jayden' last='Bernard']</td><td>2025</td><td>DL</td><td>good defensive tackle brings the experience</td></tr><tr><td>Kareem Hall</td><td>2025</td><td>LB</td><td>inside linebacker, expected to be an on the field leader for this defense,</td></tr><tr><td>Shawn-Preston Hogg</td><td>2025</td><td>WR</td><td>very physical receiver, great blocker</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1624606' first='Ronaldinho' last='Jones']</td><td>2026</td><td>LB</td><td>gaining FCS interest, great tackler</td></tr><tr><td>Labron Hicks</td><td>2026</td><td>DB</td><td>transfer from new jersey, potential to be a terrific corner</td></tr><tr><td>Christian Bohri</td><td>2027</td><td>QB</td><td>young QB, a lot of potential, currently battling for the starting spot </td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <p>This past summer, Lincoln football had a tragedy as one of their players Christian Perkins passed away. Perkins would've been a starting wide receiver for Lincoln this fall and brought incredible value to this group on and off the field. Christian was truly an amazing kid and Lincoln has dedicated this season to him and the group has gotten even closer. <br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Key Losses</h2>   <p><br>Chris Adegunle- Pace</p>   <p>Christian Pilgrim- Lock Haven</p>   <p>Darryl Owens- AIC</p>   <p>Nahseem Deas- Bethune-Cookman</p>   <p>Michael Bohri- Keiser </p>   <p>Damian Ramirez<br></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2024 Schedule </h2>   <p><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ny/brooklyn/lincoln-railsplitters/football/schedule">https://www.maxpreps.com/ny/brooklyn/lincoln-railsplitters/football/schedule</a></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Season Outlook</h2>   <p>Head Coach: Shawn O'Connor</p>   <p>Lincoln starts off their 2024 campaign with some fun matchups. They have a nonleague game against Christ The King and then play in a showcase against St Thomas Aquinas (NJ) in a great out-of-state battle. It's followed up with a highly anticipated matchup against a revamped Canarsie team. Lincoln will play against Tottenville, Erasmus Hall, and other 4A powers as well throughout the year.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3 Things Going for the Railsplitters </h2>   <p>The Response: After Christian Perkins passed away, it was a very difficult time for the Lincoln community. But coach Shawn O'Connor mentioned how the group became tighter due to the situation and that this team is a true family. </p>   <p>Ground and Pound: Lincoln brings back 4 starting offensive linemen and 2 of the most physical and talented RBs in the PSAL. It's “Thunder and Thunder” as Cyian Philbert and Cody Gillespie lead a great ground attack. </p>   <p>Secondary improvement: Last year on defense, Lincoln struggled on some crucial passing downs. This season their secondary has shown improvement and has potential to be very good. [player_tooltip player_id='820108' first='Rodney' last='Raymond'] and Labron Hicks have led the way and put together a great offseason</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">One Area of Concern </h2>   <p>Replacing the star-studded seniors: Lincoln's graduating class wasn't large, but it was really talented. Nahseem Deas was the top QB in the PSAL, and Darryl Owens, Christian Pilgrim, and Damian Ramirez were key factors in an elite front seven. Those guys are all gone, so we'll have to see if their level of play can get properly replaced.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Last Word</h2>   <p>Lincoln is a true perennial power in New York City and they have another great squad coming up this season. They might not be getting the hype that some other PSAL schools have been receiving, but this is a hard-nosed team with plenty of depth, talent and experience. Lincoln is well coached and is still a top 4 team headed into the season. The Railsplitters are looking to finally get back to that PSAL Title game this season after falling short in the semi's the last two seasons. <br><br></p>