Tigers enjoy their “senior moment” over Flushing

Pumped up to be playing at home and looking to improve upon their .500 mid season record, the 3-3 Fort Hamilton Tigers hosted the 2-4 Red Devils of Flushing for their last regular scheduled home game for the 2016 season. In all likelihood, this would be the last time that the Fort Hamilton seniors would probably play at their home field given the team’s current low seeding position that places the Tigers on the road for the upcoming playoffs.

From the beginning of the game, the Tigers made the most of the Red Devils’ first miscue on the rain-swept and slippery turf as defensive back Nick Wynter recovered a fumble at midfield on Flushing’s first possession. Wynter’s recovery eventually set up the Tigers’ first score of the game as quarterback Seba Nekhet scrambled 19 yards into the end zone. Early in the second quarter, Troy Booker followed with an 80-yard sweep that quickly put Fort Hamilton up 16-0.

Maintaining ball control for rest of the second quarter, Booker (13 carries for 150 yards and two TDs) led the Tigers’ running attack down to the one-yard line where Nekhet punched in his second score to end the first half with Fort Hamilton leading 24-0.

To open the third quarter, the Tigers virtually put the game away, scoring quickly on their first possession from the 25-yard line, as Nekhet (eight carries for 131 yards and three TDs) found a seam on the right side to outrun the Red Devil defense for 75 yards for his third touchdown of the game.

With the score at 30-0 to start the fourth quarter, Booker added one final Tiger score from the 25-yard line to make the score 38-0. Held scoreless all game, the Red Devils were determined to make one final push to break the shutout in the game’s remaining minutes and were successful as Praise Prawl pulled down a 38-yard pass to make the final score 38-6.

In a jubilant locker room Coach Dan Perez stated, “We’re excited for this win and the seniors are enjoying their last home game, but we have to prepare for a rough stretch ahead.” That stretch will consist of games with the 2015 PSAL Champion (5-2) Grand Street Wolves, followed by the last regular game of the season with the undefeated (7-0) Dutchmen of Erasmus.

The outcome of the next two games will determine whether or not Fort Hamilton will have a good enough record to make this season’s playoffs. “We put ourselves in a hole early in the season and we’re trying to get some power points to get into the playoff picture,” said Perez with his team currently at 4-3.

Citing the two remaining regular season games, Perez also added, “Every game now will be like the playoffs for us. I told the seniors that we’ve got to get going. Last year, we dominated Grand Street until the last play of the game. We know we have to play our best game in order to beat those guys next week.”