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Beach Channel wins a shocker in playoffs

Beach Channel wins a shocker in playoffs
By Five Boro Sports

Devon Moore knows what it feels like to be the underdog. In fact, he relishes it.

His Beach Channel football team pulled off the biggest upset in PSAL playoff history this season when it knocked off powerhouse Curtis in the first round.

“It’s better to fly under the radar,” Moore said.

He was part of another incredible upset Saturday. The senior outside hitter helped lead No. 22 Beach Channel to a thrilling 25−22, 21−25, 25−22 win against No. 11 Hunter College High School in the first round of the PSAL boys’ volleyball playoffs at York College in Queens. BC will meet No. 6 New Utrecht in the second round Tuesday at Hunter College at 6 p.m.

The Dolphins are made up mostly of seniors who play another sport primarily. Moore is a star football player. Setter Slawomir Wloch is an excellent soccer player. Davion Williams runs track. Yet they were able to knock off the Hitmen, who have a volleyball pedigree and have a handful of club players.

“We beat them at their own sport,” Moore said.

Beach Channel was unorthodox, but got the job done. The Dolphins’ passing was sloppy at times, but their defense was incredible and there might not be a more athletic team in the playoffs. Williams is a tremendous leaper and Terrence Sutton and Wanerson Jean aren’t too shabby in that department either.

“I’ve been watching this talent the whole season, waiting for it to explode,” Coach Gail Rothfeld said. “It happened today.”

The coach said she wasn’t surprised by the victory. Beach Channel doesn’t play in many tournaments, so the Dolphins aren’t a well−known commodity citywide. They did, though, play in the John F. Kennedy Tournament last weekend in the Bronx. Channel lost to Hunter there in two sets, but the team was playing without Williams. The chiseled middle hitter clearly made a big difference.

“They probably got too happy,” Wloch said. “It was probably a surprise for everybody.”

Beach Channel did go 9−1 and win PSAL Queens III. Moore and Williams credit Rothfeld, as well as Sutton for their development as a team. The pair started playing volleyball later than him and Sutton was a key to them improving.

“I didn’t even know how to spike last year,” Moore said. “We learned all the fundamentals from this man.”

Williams had eight kills, six blocks and five digs; Sutton had six kills and six blocks; Wloch had 15 assists, three blocks and five aces; and Moore added five service aces in the win.

“This boosts us up,” Wloch said. “If we could beat that kind of team, we could do anything.”

The second−round match−up with New Utrecht will be very tough, but there might not be a more confident team going into this week than Beach Channel. Once again, a team from the Rockaway Park school has made history.

“It,” Wloch said, “is our year.”