Trailing by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter with its top playmaker sidelined, Fort Hamilton’s four-year-old regular-season winning streak was in serious jeopardy.
“At one point I was thinking this could be it,” Fort Hamilton coach Danny Perez said.
The Tigers (5-0) were down, but not out – and they have senior quarterback Marvin Centeno and a huge play from their defensive line to thank for the streak now sitting at 37 straight wins.
Centeno ran for more than 200 yards and a touchdown, leading the comeback, and defensive linemen Mensur Ibric and Oluwatoba Akinleye combined to create the go-ahead score in the final minute of Fort Hamilton’s unlikely 44-36 win over host Thomas Jefferson in PSAL City Championship division football Sunday afternoon.
With star junior Travon Reid Segure out, Tyrone Raymond ran for a couple of touchdowns and Stefon Hayles also scored once. But Ibric and Akinleye combined on the Tigers’ biggest play, Ibric sacking quarterback Jefferson quarterback Javon Lewis, forcing a fumble. Akinleye recovered it and took it back for the game-winning score.
“We were fortunate to pull it off,” Perez said. “But the kids battled through. For us to be down like that, down 14 points, and to come back is a good feeling.”
The Tigers face winless New Utrecht in Week 6 while Jefferson (1-4) visits Erasmus Hall Saturday at noon.
Susan Wagner 22, New Dorp 14: Benjamin Ezike ran for 263 yards and three touchdowns, all in the second half, to lead Wagner (2-3), which meets Clinton next week. The victory gives Falcons legendary coach Al Paturzo his 203rd win, the most ever in PSAL history, surpassing Jefferson’s Moe Finkelstein.
“I’ll be honest, I really think it’s a big deal – but it’s a program thing,” said Paturzo, whose team rallied from a 14-0 halftime deficit. “A coach doesn’t get 203 wins. A program has gotten 203 wins. I’ve been in a fortunate spot.”
New Dorp (0-5) heads to Tottenville in Week 6.
No. 7 Boys & Girls 32, Truman 14: Najee Champagne had 108 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns and also had two touchdown catches from Keon Marsh to lead Boys High (3-2), which hosts Canarsie next week. Marsh was 5-of-6 passing for 100 yards and Khadeem Campbell rushed for 60 yards and a score. John Courcelle had three sacks and seven tackles and Tristan Laurore had 11 tackles. Truman (3-2) heads to Campus Magnet in Week 6.
No. 8 Campus Magnet 36, Grand Street Campus 22: Kareem Turnage ran for three touchdowns and returned an interception to the house and Khalik Greenwood tossed a scoring strike to Davonte Daniels for Campus Magnet (3-2), which has won two of three. The Bulldogs host Truman next Saturday at 11 a.m. Craig Johnson had three rushing TD’s for Grand Street (2-3), which hosts undefeated Lincoln in Week 6.
No. 9 Sheepshead Bay 20, Brooklyn Tech 16: Ricardo Appleton had 179 yards on 18 carries and a 16-yard touchdown with 2:57 remaining to seal the win for Sheepshead Bay (4-1), which hosts FDR in Week 6. Michael Destephano rushed for a 2-yard touchdown and found Romario Vincent for a significant 20-yard touchdown pass just before the half. Brooklyn Tech (1-4), which led 16-14 in the fourth quarter and faces Midwood on Saturday.
John Adams 24, Midwood 6: Antoine Arnold had 112 yards rushing and a 58-yard score, Shane Hubbard and Devven Baker also found pay dirt on the ground and Danville had 12 sacks for Adams, which scored the game’s final 24 points and rushed for 270 yards in the second half. The Spartans (3-2), who have won two in a row, host Lehman next Saturday at noon while Midwood (0-5) goes after its first win against Brooklyn Tech, also Saturday at noon.
