Malcolm X Shabazz will be going back to the finals as they take down Westwood 36-6 in the NSIAA Group 2 Semi finals.
In a rematch from last year’s group 2 semi final playoff victory, the Bulldogs stood on business and were once again victorious over the Cardinals. It couldn’t have been done without Kareem Coston, who carried the team on his back all night.
“My emotions are all over the place,” Coston said. The Junior quarterback led Shabazz to a 3-1 start last season before being replaced by then Clifton transfer, Romero Tables. While it was tough losing the job, he wouldn’t let the frustration and pain interfere as his team depended on it. “As a leader of this team I have to stay poised and control the environment.”
It looked like it was going to be a close, competitive, game. Throughout the majority of the first half, both defenses were making stop after stop; causing the offenses to scramble for answers. Shabazz had an opportunity to take the lead but a missed field goal by Basit Raimi would keep the game at zeros.
The scoreless streak came to an end late in the second quarter when Coston threw to Nosym Brown for a 42-yard touchdown. It took 20 minutes and 32 seconds of game time for either team to score a point.
The next drive, trying to keep the game close going into half time, a near costly interception was thrown by Cardinals QB Bruno Vega to bulldogs LB Zykir Best. The play was still alive and Best ran it for a pick six until the officials ruled the ball down at the 35-yard line.
While the Bulldogs couldn’t take advantage and were forced to punt, they almost turned disaster into a miracle. The snap was botched, forcing Shabazz to recover dozens of yards past the line of scrimmage. The ball was recovered by Brown of the Bulldogs and he gained multiple yards, only to be short of the first down marker.
Shabazz started the second half with a full head of steam. On the kickoff, Yahzeed Sharif turned a shallow kick into 43 yards, giving the Bulldogs tremendous field position. It didn’t take long for them to score as Faheen Ausbon would run it in for an eight yard touchdown only one minute and nine seconds into the second half.
Down 14-0, Westwood had to do everything they could to stay in the game and not fall away. Their luck ran short as Vega threw another interception the very next drive. Every move the Cardinals made, the Bulldogs were there to stop them.
At this point, every mistake Westwood made would be points cashed for Shabazz. After Vega’s INT, the Bulldogs scored a field goal to make it 17-0. The next drive? Another Vega INT. Sure enough, Shabazz would score another touchdown to make it a lengthy 23-0 lead.
Ausbon would ensure his team was going back to the finals when he scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns from both sides of the field. With a pick six and a 15 yard run, you’d think that was Travis Hunter playing.
Westwood was outplayed the entire game. While the defense held on for as long as they could, their offense gave them no help as they couldn’t get past the 50 yard line until late in the fourth quarter. With their season over in minutes, the Cardinals made one last score, with a Bruno Vega TD pass to Nick Klein. Vega had a rough game, throwing four interceptions in the tough defeat.
While it was shadowed as a rematch from last year’s playoffs, This game was a showdown between two ACC football commits. Shabazz’s Zaiden Mcdonald is set to join the Stanford football team next fall while Westwood’s Steve Klein will be headed to Boston College.
Committing to a school like Stanford comes with a lot of pressure. Despite having all the publicity, Mcdonald knows it’s not all on him to get the job done. “This is a team sport,” McDonald said. “I have guys that will go out with me, compete with me, play for me. I don’t have to make every play because I have guys who can do that as well.
Known to be explosive, Klein was ultimately shut down on offense the entire game, with his best moments of the night coming on defense. Only rushing for 31 yards, Surely it’s nights like this that could prepare Klein mentally for when he goes to Boston College.
Shabazz has been in the state finals before. Then, they were coached by Naz Oliver. Now, they’re coached by Nasir Gaines, who in his first year as Bulldogs head coach has taken his team to the finals for the second year in a row.
His mind may be focused on the championship game, but Gaines is also determined to prove everyone wrong. “They said a youth coach couldn’t do it,” Gaines said. Gaines is known as the “architect” of the Brick City Lions, a successful Pop Warner program that has won multiple national championships and sent players to top private schools across the tri state area. “I’m doing this for all the youth coaches to drive to be bigger than little league and coach high school. You can do it.”
The Bulldogs have one more hill to climb in order to obtain the North group 2 title. The hill in question? The Camden Panthers.
While the two schools are known for past matchups on the Basketball court, coach Gaines is ready to bring to the turf. “I like our chances,” Gaines said. “I know Camden well. The guy [Camden Head Coach Rob Hinson] is a legend, I have nothing but respect for him, he’s like a brother to me.”
