JFK steps up big vs. Curtis
Kennedy arrived on Staten Island looking for a fight. It left with its biggest win in four seasons.
“I told the boys all week this is gonna be a bar-room brawl — bottom line,” Knights coach Andy Lancberg said. “It’s got nothing to do with Xs and Os. It’s gonna be about who punches who in the face and who gets up and punches right back.”
Led by a gritty defensive effort, Kennedy beat Curtis, 16-14, yesterday in PSAL City Championship division football in St. George. The Knights won a combined four games the last two seasons but are now 3-2 after three straight victories.
“We’re changing the mentality of this program right now,” said Lancberg, now in his second season. “The mentality wasn’t winning when I got here and we didn’t win last year. Now I’m hoping that the whole mentality is down the tubes and we got this one.”
It has started with defense, the hallmark of the program that is tied for second with Curtis and Bayside with five all-time PSAL city titles.
Down by two midway through the fourth quarter, Curtis (3-2) had first-and-goal at the one-yard line, and Kennedy turned the Warriors away empty with a tenacious goal-line stand.
Nathaniel Feliz sacked Curtis quarterback Prince Dukes for a one-yard loss on first down, the Knights’ huge line smothered Joshua Artis on second down after a one-yard gain, and, on third down following a false-start penalty, Dukes threw incomplete in the back of the end zone.
On fourth down from the 6, Dukes was intercepted by Feliz, who was a disruptive force all day.
“Defense won the game today,” said the linebacker with the Troy Polamulu-like hairstyle and the intensity to match.
Kennedy allowed just one offensive touchdown. The other was a 94-yard interception return by Carl Taylor that put Curtis ahead 14-0 with 7:25 left in the second quarter. The Warriors would not score again.
With six seconds left before the half, Romario Dillion ran for a three-yard touchdown. The senior running back added a five-yard score with 11:51 left in the game. The defense did the rest.
