Fort Hamilton upsets New Utrecht for first win

Fort Hamilton 30 New Utrecht 6

Without question, this week was a “must-win” game for Fort Hamilton as the winless 0-3 Tigers faced an undefeated 3-0 New Utrecht on the Utes’ homecoming day. Raised to the top of his teammates’ shoulders in their pre-game huddle, Tiger co-captain Michael Brooks challenged his team to play hard saying, “We had a great week of practice; now everyone go out there and do their job to win!”

From their initial first quarter possession, quarterback Conner Fitzsimons answered that challenge and led the Tigers down to the three-yard line where Brooks dove across the goal line for the first score of the game. With Sharif Legree re-installed after sitting out the first quarter for a team infraction, the first string junior quarterback led Fort Hamilton to the goal line again as Troy Booker scored on a seven-yard run to put the Tigers up 16-0.

In the closing minutes of the second quarter, New Utrecht capitalized on an errant Tiger snap from center for a fumble recovery at the Fort Hamilton 25-yard line. The Utes quickly moved forward as Brian Burroughs streaked 10 yards in to the end zone for a touchdown to end the half with the Tigers leading 16-6.

Returning to the lineup after a one-game suspension for un-sportsmanlike conduct, Michael Masoud made amends by playing a clean game and scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass to put the Tigers up 22-6 by the end of the third quarter. Known for his short fuse, the senior wide receiver admitted that his suspension was the best thing that could have happened to him and the team since it got them focused and “hungry to win.”

After squashing New Utrecht’s final attempt to score from midfield, the Tigers added the final score of the game on Booker’s second touchdown on a 17-yard sweep finally to give Fort Hamilton its first “much-needed” win for the 2014 season by the score of 30-6.

“We prepared so much for this game,” said Legree who went seven for seven passing for 115 yards. Agreeing with his teammate, running back Booker added, “We practiced hard, so we played hard today.”

Looking ahead to improving upon their record, Head Coach Dan Perez stated, “With our next three games at home, we now have a chance to get on a roll.”