November 19, 2010, 1:00 pm
‘Battle-Tested’ Engineers to Face Fort Hamilton
By MICHAEL RANDAZZO, Community Contributor
Brooklyn Tech head football coach Kyle McKenna had something to say about the Engineers’ upcoming game this Saturday at noon, against second-ranked Fort Hamilton.
“If nothing else,” Coach McKenna said, “last week’s game proved that we are battle-tested and ready to face anything that comes our way.”
You can say that again. After a miraculous 30-28 double-overtime victory last Saturday, which included a heart-stopping fourth-down play, Brooklyn Technical High School football squad stunned their highly regarded opponent, Thomas Jefferson High School.
In a rallying victory over a talented Thomas Jefferson team, which had already beaten the Engineers earlier this season, Coach McKenna’s team generated one of those “where were you when it happened?” moments, which make sports so memorable.
The moment came on a fourth and 18 pass play from junior quarterback Kevi Shyti that senior wide receiver Babatunde Adeyemi improbably turned into a first down, keeping alive the winning touchdown drive that has defined Tech’s season to date.
But that was last week against the porous Orange Wave defense. This Saturday, the undefeated Tigers of Fort Hamilton, with one of the best defenses in the city, will be Tech’s opponent
To paraphrase sportscaster Al Michaels, do you believe in miracles again? Tech will need another one to beat Fort Hamilton.
The Engineers will seek to advance to the PSAL football final for the first time since 2006, and claim their first PSAL City Championship title since 1962. The team will have to figure out a Fort Hamilton defense, which has given up only 88 points over its last 10 contests. While Tech’s defense — ably manned by Michael Plonski, Igor Grekov and Mazaharul Islam — should be up to the task, its offense will face its biggest challenge of the season.
Shtyi and Adeyemi will need to come up big against the Tiger’s ferocious pass-rush, led by Rasheem Stroud and Kevon Foster, while Brooklyn’s emerging star, sophomore James Gales, needs to be a difference maker against Fort Hamilton’s talented defensive backfield, featuring Brandon Reddish, James Howell and Travon Segure.
Revenge is also a factor, as Tech players are still smarting from last year’s 25-6 loss to Fort Hamilton. The only positive from that game was that the Engineers’ defense held the Tigers to their second-lowest point total of the season.
The game will be held on Saturday at noon, on Fort Hamilton High School’s field at 83rd Street and Shore Road. Fans — and we hope to see many — can take the R train to 86th St and walk four blocks west to the field.
No comments:
Post a Comment