Baldwin snapped a two-game losing streak in grand fashion on the gridiron Friday night, shutting out Jericho, 42-0, behind two touchdowns and 170 yards from sophomore Kassimi Taylor and a defense led by junior Ryan Healey (10 tackles) and sophomore Michael Jordan (fumble recovery for a touchdown.)
The Bruins evened their Nassau Conference II record at 3-3 in head coach Mike Robinson’s first year at the helm and kept their playoffs hopes alive with games at Calhoun and home versus MacArthur remaining.
“We’re in control of our own destiny with two tough games to go,” Robinson said. “If we can win one of these last two, we should get into the playoffs. This was a good effort and gives us confidence we can take to Calhoun next week.”
Compared to last fall when the roster shrunk to a small as 18 down the stretch, Baldwin has strength in numbers. The Bruins suited up 32 in the win over Jericho and depth has come in handy given the losses of senior running back/linebacker Amir Hansen since the opener and running back/cornerback Jelani Williams for two weeks.
“I’m happy with the numbers and want them to continue to grow,” Robinson said. “We’ve lost some key guys and others have picked up the slack. Our defense is coming along. We just have to do a better job managing games and getting the defense off the field a little more.”
In three defeats, the Bruins allowed a total of 95 points. In three wins, they’ve yielded only 27.
The offense produced just one touchdown apiece in losses to New Hyde Park and Roosevelt to kick off October before breaking out Friday night. Senior quarterback Vaughdrea Johnson is the lynchpin and added two rushing touchdowns at Jericho.
“He’s a dynamic leader,” Robinson said of Johnson. “He has great arm strength and he’s hard to bring down when he scrambles. He’s pretty much taking every snap for the past month.”
The ground attack outside of Johnson looks nothing like when the Bruins beat Sewanhaka in the opener. Taylor is one of those who’s making the most of his opportunity. Hansen suffered a hip injury that day and in addition to him contributing some carries, Robinson said the defense was “spiraling for the first few weeks without him.” Williams, meanwhile, could return from a bruised thigh this Saturday to face Calhoun.
The offensive front has primarily featured the same six in a rotation all season: Jayden Young, Derek Coolbaugh, Michael Ellerbe Jr., Matthew Feeney, Andrew Parchment and Kymani Heaven. “Those guys are doing a pretty good job,” Robinson said.
Another key piece is sophomore kicker Gavin McGinley. He went 6-for-6 on extra points last Friday night and also had a huge day Sept. 28 in a 57-13 win over Roslyn/Friends Academy with a perfect 7 of 7 performance. “Gavin has been a consistent weapon,” Robinson said.
Like Baldwin, Calhoun is 3-3.
“We’re in the same situation,” Robinson said. “It’s basically a playoff game. Hopefully we can be more physical, control more of the clock and find a way.”