5- St. Joseph by the Sea (17-7)- Even having lost twice this week you have to commend the Vikings for challenging the best as the losses came to Long Island Lutheran and Hudson Catholic of New Jersey. Sea over the past couple months have dramatically improved and shown themselves to be among the elite in the CHSAA and in the upcoming City Playoffs the Vikings will be the #4 seed and will get a date on Saturday in the quarterfinals against another up and coming team in Salesian.
6- Brooklyn High School for Law and Technology (21-7)- On the other end of the heartbreaker we talked about in our Transit Tech recap, the Jets proved again that they are among the best coached and best teams talent wise in the PSAL. Law and Tech did fall 82-80 to the Express in the quarterfinals of the Brooklyn Borough Playoffs, but if anything that showed that these Jets could fly high against anyone. The #3 seed in the PSAL City Playoffs, Law and Tech will also get going on March 3rd when they take on either Long Island City or Frederick Douglass Academy in the Round of 32.
7- Graphics Campus (22-3)- Yes it's true that Manhattan was not considered an especially strong borough this season in the PSAL but you still have to give credit to Graphics Campus for running the gauntlet and defeating Beacon, Thurgood Marshall Academy, and WHEELS en route to claiming the PSAL Manhattan Borough Championship. Joselito Rosario was the one leading the charge for the 49ers who are now the #6 seed in the PSAL City Playoffs. In a Round of 32 showdown come March 3rd it will be Graphics in a rough one hosting either Evander Childs or Sunset Park.
8- Murry Bergtraum (18-3)- The Blazers believed they could've been the ones to run the table and bring home the Manhattan Borough Championship, but WHEELS had their number in the semifinals with Bergtraum falling 73-62. It wasn't the performance that the Blazers were hoping for but Donnell Campbell and the rest of the Bergtraum team did earn the #2 seed in the PSAL City Playoffs in recognition of their phenomenal season as a whole with it due to be either Walton or Bronx United next up for them in the Round of 32 coming on March 3rd.
9- Lehman (16-2)- There were a number of Class A teams who had high hopes entering the Borough Playoffs, and while Lehman liked their chances against Harry Truman in the quarterfinals it was not meant to be as the Lions fell 62-57 to end their hopeful run. It's not onto the City Playoffs in Class A where Lehman earned the #9 seed and a Round of 32 game to start things off on March 3rd against the winner of a game between Thomas Edison and Stuyvesant.
10- Beacon (20-5)- One of the toughest teams to game plan floor on a regular basis, the Blue Demons were at home in their quarterfinal Manhattan Borough Playoff game, and while Beacon had defeated Graphics Campus twice already on the season they couldn't make it a third as they fell 57-43. The City Playoffs await now for Beacon on March 3rd as the Blue Demons and head coach Mark Jerome are the #8 seed and will square off against either Queens H.S. Complex or Grand Street Campus in the Round of 32.
11- Msgr. Farrell (16-6)- Getting back the services of Matt Hanley from injury sure has Farrell back to looking like one of the top teams in the CHSAA as they closed out their regular season with a dominating 70-51 win over Moore Catholic. It was a great momentum boost for Msgr. Farrell who will enter the playoffs as the #3 seed and will take on the winner of Tuesday's game between St. Edmund Prep and Cardinal Spellman on Saturday in the CHSAA Class A City Quarterfinals.
12- Louis Brandeis (17-5)- For the lack of depth in the AA Division in the PSAL in Manhattan, the A Division is pretty deep with Brandeis being a team who has been among the best all season long. Dylan Crooke has been the go to scoring threat for the Bulldogs all season long, and while Brandeis may have lost in the Manhattan Borough quarterfinals to Bergtraum, the Bulldogs still earned the #13 seed in the upcoming PSAL City Playoffs where they will open with a bye and then get either KIPP NYC College Prep or Far Rockaway in the Round of 32.
13- McKee/Staten Island Tech (16-9)- The third time wasn't a charm for McKee as the Seagulls had hoped to finally get past Curtis in their PSAL Staten Island Borough semifinal this past Thursday but it was still the Warriors game as MSIT's run was cut short in a 57-45 defeat. Now it's Class A City Playoff time as McKee has gotten the #5 seed which gets them a first round bye before a matchup in the Round of 32 on March 3rd against either Hunter College High School or James Madison.
14- Nazareth (15-6)- Getting a 40 point win over Salesian, and then finding a way to get past LaSalle on the road was a great way for the Kingsmen to finish out the regular season this past week. It gave them momentum, but maybe even more importantly than that it earned Nazareth the #2 seed in the CHSAA Class A City Playoffs. It wont be an easy road for the Kingsmen though as they will play the winner of Tuesday's game between LaSalle and Msgr. McClancy meaning a possible rematch of last week's thriller in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
15- Evander Childs (12-6)- We can't remember a time that a team who made their Borough Playoffs were seeded so low but that's the case with Evander Childs as after losing 70-50 to Wings Academy in the borough quarterfinals it was the Tigers given the #27 seed. It's pretty astonishing and surprising but it also could be motivating for this Childs group who will play an opening round game on March 1st against Sunset Park, with the winner to get the Manhattan Borough Champions in Graphics Campus in the Round of 32 on March 3rd.
16- KIPP NYC College Prep (11-4)- The Bulldogs are another team who made it to the Bronx Borough Playoffs but didn't get much love from the committee doing the PSAL City Playoff seedings as KIPP got the #20 seed. It wasn't what the Bulldogs were hoping for but again it could be a motivating thing for a team like KIPP who will get things going on March 1st when they play an opening round game against Far Rockaway before a hopeful game against Louis Brandeis in the Round of 32 two days later.
Bubble:
A. Philip Randolph (16-5)
Bayard Rustin Educational Complex (12-4)
Flushing (15-4)
Seward Park (14-7)
William Grady (13-4)
Class B
1- Dwight School (19-5)- Moving up to the #1 spot in the NYC Rankings in Class B are the Lions who ran through the ACIS competition of Friends Seminary and Packer to claim the league championship yet again this year. The ACIS league has become Dwight's on a yearly basis these days, but now it's NYSAIS Class B playoff time and first up for the #3 seed Dwight School will be a Wednesday battle with Dalton, the 6 seed. Friday will have the semifinals where a date with Poly Prep could await in what would be another very intriguing battle.
2-Community Health Academy of the Heights (23-2)- After beating nearly everyone put in front of them this year Community Health were put into the field of the PSAL Manhattan Borough Playoffs. They won a game as well over Bayard Rustin 78-69 before falling in a heartbreaker in the quarterfinals to WHEELS 65-60 in a game the Phoenix were leading early in the fourth quarter. Now though with that behind them its City Playoff time with Community Health given the #2 seed in Class B with first up being either Leadership Academy or a shockingly low seeded Achievement First team on March 2nd in the Round of 32.
3- NEST+M (15-0)- They may not have made the Manhattan Borough Playoff field but NEST+M were still very much valued as they were given the #3 seed in the PSAL Class B City Playoffs. The depth in the B Division though is unlike ever before so while the 3rd seed is nice, that doesn't mean anything once the games get underway. The road will be tricky too for NEST+M as the Eagles on March 2nd will play in the Round of 32 against the winner of a game between Adams Street Academy and Frederick Douglass Academy III.
4- Poly Prep (18-1)- While the Blue Devils did fall to Dwight School a month ago now, since then its been 8 in a row for a team who again seems to be rounding into form at the perfect time. With wins in Ivy League play this past week over Fieldston, Collegiate, and Dalton, Poly Prep are looking very ready for the NYSAIS Class B playoffs that get underway this Wednesday. The Blue Devils are the #2 seed and will get Park School of Buffalo to start things off before a possible rematch against Dwight in the semifinals to come on Friday if both get wins.
5- The Scholars Academy (22-2)- A season to remember just got even more special for Brett Tawil and his Scholars team as the Seawolves were given the #1 seed to the PSAL Class B City Playoffs. That's coming off the heels of a strong showing in the Queens Borough Playoffs where Scholars got a win over Class A school Flushing before losing to AA power Francis Lewis. As the #1 seed now though the pressure will be on Scholars Academy to perform as they will get going on March 2nd in the Round of 32 where either Institute for Collaborative Education or H.S. for Math, Science, & Engineering will be waiting.
6- Lab Museum United (18-1)- Closing out the regular season with a nice non-league win over Maspeth has given Lab Museum some confidence heading into the PSAL Class B City Playoffs where they have landed the Gators the surprisingly low #9 seed. They will get an opening round bye and wont play until the Round of 32 where awaiting Lab Museum will be either Metropolitan or East Side Community to get the Gators run going.
7- Maspeth (16-2)- Sometimes you just cannot explain what the PSAL Seeding Committee does as even though the Argonauts fell to Lab Museum just two weeks ago it's Maspeth getting the higher seed as they are #7 in the PSAL City Playoffs. That's not to say Maspeth isn't good or not deserving, they certainly are after steamrolling through their league season, and now it's going to be interesting to see what the Argonauts can do in the City Playoffs as it will be March 2nd when they get going in the Round of 32 against either Democracy Prep or South Bronx.
8- Achievement First (10-1)- Maybe it's because they didn't provide any non-league information and didn't do a great job in even keeping up with their league schedule and stats having not posted a result still from their final league game which took place over two weeks ago now, but Achievement First was given the #34 seed in the PSAL Class B City Playoffs which seems shockingly low for a team which year after year is always among the better programs around. On February 28th it will be Achievement going to All City Leadership Academy before a March 2nd Round of 32 game against overall #2 seed Community Health in what should be one of best early round games.
9- Fannie Lou Hamer (19-3)- Having knocked off JFK this past week, a team in the Class AA playoffs, it's going to be fun to see just what the perennially strong Fannie Lou Hamer Panthers can do in the PSAL City Playoffs. Led by head coach Mark Skelton, the Panthers were given the #6 seed and will get a Round of 32 battle on March 2nd against either Robert Goddard or Bronx School of Law, Government, & Justice in what should be the opener of a long playoff run for the Bronx school.
10- Trinity School (14-3)- Closing out the regular season last Wednesday with a 47-37 win over Hackley, the Tigers are a team that can play fast and shoot it from the outside or slow it down and grind out wins in what some would consider an ugly game. However they get it done Trinity is just finding ways to do that, get it done as they have been awarded the #4 seed in the NYSAIS Class B Playoffs to start on Wednesday when the Tigers host Fieldston. A win there will get them into Friday's semifinals where Portledge would more than likely be waiting.
Bubble:
Bard H.S. Early College (16-6)
Baruch College Campus (15-2)
Cathedral Prep (19-5)
Comprehensive Model School (15-1)
Summit Academy (12-5)
