Scholastic Roundup: The Erasmus Hall Dutchmen Are Denied

December 6, 2024 Andy Furman

Share this:

Erasmus Hall High’s football team was looking for a sixth-straight Public School Athletic League (PSAL) football championship under head coach Danny Landberg.

There was only one problem — Curtis High School.

The Warriors from Staten Island overcame a 13-point halftime deficit behind backup quarterback Vincent Canzoneri and broke the heart of Erasmus with a 27-26 4A division double overtime win at Midwood High School Field Sunday.

For Curtis, it was their eighth PSAL city championship — they finished their season with a 12-1 won-loss record. They defeated the Dutchmen from Erasmus 36-35 in the 2017 championship game.

This one came down to extra points in the double overtime. Erasmus’ Anaiyas King’s game-tying, extra-point attempt sailed wide right.

Earlier this season, in Week 4, the Warriors knocked-off Erasmus 10-7, at Sid Luckman Field in Brooklyn. The Dutchmen’s running back, Ameir Morrow, rushed for 137 yards and a score in that contest.

In Sunday’s title clash, the Dutchmen built their lead on a pair of touchdowns by junior Kendu Brown. He scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justus Murray in the first quarter — and later tossed a16-yard score to Morrow just before halftime for the 13-0 Erasmus lead.

The momentum shifted early in the second half when, after a loose ball on a running play. Senior running back Nick Moukazis went in for the score, and Ibraham Alkasimi’s extra point made it 13-7. In fact, Curtis limited Erasmus to just 38 total yards and two first downs in the third and fourth quarters.

Curtis quarterback Vincent Canzoneri (9 for 20, 109 yards, 2 TDs) connected with Kacy Royal on a 25-yard pass to tie the score with just 1:38 to play. The extra-point attempt by Curtis was blocked by Thomas Kamarion.

The first overtime saw Erasmus’ Murray (1-yard run, King’s extra point) and an 18-yard reception by Curtis’ Royal from Canzoneri.

Curtis got their first lead in the second overtime when Moukazis scored on a one-yard run — his second score of the day. The extra point made it 27-20. Erasmus came back when Morrow crossed the goal line from the right side, some seven yards out for the touchdown.

The extra point was missed — and so was the city title for the Dutchmen.

Curtis High School has sent more than 57 players to Division One college rosters and five players who played multiple years in the NFL.

Erasmus Hall High School, a longtime football powerhouse, in Flatbush. Photo: Jim Henderson/Wikimedia

***

Fort Hamilton High School lost a 37-36 heartbreaker to Brooklyn Tech in the 3A Championship Saturday at Old Boys & Girls Field.

When these two teams met in Week 6, the Fort overcame a 21-12 deficit after three quarters to take a 24-21 victory at home in a game that saw Aidan Farley throw two touchdown passes in the final seven minutes to finish with three scores and 205 yards in the air.

Tech’s Alijah Wheeler had 112 yards and a 60-yard score.

In Saturday’s title game, Farley was 17-for-32 for 214 yards and two touchdowns. Harold (Trey) Marshall III carried the ball 13 times for 95 yards and a score for the Tigers. Aiden Porter had four receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown for Fort Hamilton.

The stats were balanced — Tech ran 60 plays, and the Fort had 65 snaps. The Tigers amassed 366 total yards, while the Engineers had 340.

***

Frank J. Macchiarola Educational Complex dropped a 6-0 decision to Eagle Academy for Young Men III last Saturday at Old Boys & Girls Field in the 2A Championship. FJM finishes their season 11-2 and 7-1 in league play.

The game was a rematch of a Week 7 match that saw Eagle Academy III, as a team, rushing for 258 yards in a 22-12 victory in Brooklyn.

In the 1A title game played Sunday at Midwood Athletic Field, Grady High School topped Jamaica 12-8.

When these two teams met in Week 4, it was a 28-6 for Jamaica as Ducci Janvier ran for 130 yards and a pair of scores, while Davon Dyson proved to be a defensive menace, going off for eight tackles and two sacks.

On the season, Grady’s quarterback, Leonid Borock, totaled 240 passing yards and 284 yards rushing and had nine total touchdowns. Defensive end Alexander Gomez had 29 tackles and four sacks on the season, while Christian Sykes rushed for 374 yards and three touchdowns, and as a linebacker, had 18 tackles and two sacks.

***

In 24 seasons, Lou Carnesecca posted a 248-33 won-loss record as a basketball coach at St. John’s Alumni Hall — overall, the Hall of Fame coach won 526. And against St. Francis College of Brooklyn — since 1949 — St. John’s is 40-3, including 21 straight wins in Queens. St. Francis has since dropped their varsity sports program.

But there is a Carnesecca connection with the Brooklyn Heights school. The legendary coach, who passed at 99 the other day, saw the Alumni Hall court dedicated as the Lou Carnesecca Court on Nov. 23, 2004. He would have turned 100 on Jan. 5.

The opponent that evening: St. Francis College of Brooklyn.

The late Lou Carnesecca coaches his St. John's team from the sidelines during their game against Niagara in New York on Nov. 23, 1991. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP — The late Lou Carnesecca coaches his St. John’s team from the sidelines during their game against Niagara in New York on Nov. 23, 1991. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP

***

The Saint Ann’s Girls and Boys Cross Country teams excelled at the ACIS Championship last month. The girls took first place as a team as Cally Carr finished first and Jane Carpenter placed fourth. The boys finished third, with Elan Fox and George Shenusay finishing in the top 15.

Saint Ann’s grad Bailey Reid is a sophomore playing volleyball at Amherst (Mass.) College. As a freshman, she played in 49 sets across 128 games, made 41 kills, tallied 84 digs and totaled 52.5 points on the season.

Wesleyan (Conn.) University boasts two Brooklyn volleyballers on its roster. Paulina Marino-Bindi, a 6-1 senior from Poly Prep Country Day School and 6-1 senior Bianca Gonya from Saint Ann’s School.

Marino-Bindi was named Ivy Prep League First Team All-League at Poly Prep, awarded team MVP, won the NYSAIS championship, and was named Ivy Prep League First Team All-League as a junior.

In 2022, Gonya was ranked fifth in NESCAC in blocks-per-set (0.97) and second-highest leader of the Cardinals, with 58 total blocks over 60 sets. She was ranked 14th in the NESCAC in hitting percentage (.241) and had a season-high 10 blocks in a home match against Amherst — one short of the NESCAC blocking record. She started 19 matches and played in 60 sets.

***

Tyriq Outen’s first career Division I win is one he will always remember. Outen stopped 19 shots in LIU’s 3-2 win over Yale at the Northwell Health Ice Center last Friday night. Josh Zary, Isiah Fox and Onni Leppanen each found the back of the net for LIU in the Sharks’ sixth win of the season.

After leading LIU to a 63-61 victory over Northeastern on Sunday with the biggest scoring outburst of her collegiate career, Sirviva Legions has been named NEC/Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office Women’s Basketball Co-Player of the Week.

Legions scored a career-high 21 points, and the junior is now a top-10 scorer in the NEC with 11.1 points per game. Next up for the Sharks is Fordham on Sunday, Dec. 8, at noon.

Andy Furman is a Fox Sports Radio national talk show host. Previously, he was a scholastic sports columnist for the Brooklyn Eagle. He may be reached at: [email protected] ; Twitter: @AndyFurmanFSR