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Overcast Calhoun returns to postseason
The Calhoun football team is making strides in Nick Rawls’ first year as head coach with the Colts set to march into the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
Calhoun finished the Conference II regular season at 4-4 and will travel to top-seeded Garden City in the quarterfinal round this Friday for a 2 p.m. kickoff. Rawls, who arrived in North Merrick after 14 years as an assistant coach at Sewanhaka, is pleased with the improvements his team has made throughout the season to reach the postseason after a 1-2 start.
“Before the season I was thinking that we could be competing for a playoff spot, but I didn’t know that for a fact and that was something that as I got to know the kids and I got to see their skill sets and I saw how dedicated they were that became more and more evident as time went on,” said Rawls, a former college offensive lineman at Towson University. “As time has gone on, the kids have become more familiar with us and we’ve become more familiar with them and I definitely think there’s a standard that we’re creating as a team and I think the kids are definitely taking ownership of that.”
The Colts dropped their regular season finale at Long Beach, 34-7, this past Saturday, but prior to that had won three of four including a 33-14 home victory against crosstown rival Bellmore JFK on Oct. 22. Junior quarterback Joey Goodman had a big day with 85 yards rushing while also throwing touchdown passes to Kyle Auty and AJ Molinari.
“Joey is not the biggest guy but he is as tough as nails and he is really fast,” Rawls said of his starting signal caller. “Joey has been learning and getting better every week.”
“He makes plays happen on defense,” said Rawls of Higgins. “Aidan has had some really, really great plays and he is a good tackler.”
The offensive line has been anchored by junior tackle Dylan Grech, who also shines as defensive end on defense.
Calhoun will face a stiff challenge in the playoffs facing unbeaten Garden City, who has captured six county titles in a row, but Rawls stressed that reaching the postseason stage is a big step for the program that can serve as a stepping stone for larger growth. He said 2022 can serve as a springboard for future success given a number of talented middle school and junior varsity players coming up through the system.
“There is a level of excitement amongst the players, coaches, parents and administration to be back in the playoffs,” Rawls said. “We’re going to take it one game at a time and try to do the best that we can.”
