It was a bounce-back season for the Fort Hamilton Varsity Tiger football team that had to pull itself up by the bootstraps after beginning the 2016 season with a 1-3 record, to finish with a record of 5-4. With one playoff loss in the quarterfinal playoff round, the team finished with an overall record of 5-5.
Although it was an uphill road for the Varsity squad that started the season in a hole and fell short in the playoffs, the awards luncheon paid tribute to five standout players that still made this past season memorable for the Tigers.
First, Troy Booker, a four-year Varsity player who gained over 1,000 yards this season, was honored with the Solomon Trophy for his special performance that contributed to the overall success of the program.
Next, Seba Nekhet, also a four-year Varsity player, won the Farkouh Trophy for performing with great intensity and overall excellence. Nekhet’s performance of 600 yards passing and 1,000 rushing this season earned him a football scholarship at Stony Brook University.
Jonathan Louis won the Pancila Trophy as “the heart and soul of the team” for his outstanding efforts as a “two-way” player and his outreach efforts to all of his teammates. Krystian Bednarczuk also earned the Scholar Athlete Trophy, while Joshua Porter earned scholastic runner-up recognition with just one point for academic average separating the two teammates. As for the JV team, Sean Hart took MVP honors for his all-round play and versatility.
In addition to the players, Coach Dan Perez honored Principal Kaye Houlihan for her support of the team as well as the school administration, coaching staff, cheerleaders, team parents and the 19 outgoing seniors.
Former Tiger player and current Alumni Coordinator Shiv Trivedi also recognized the efforts of the team parents for the sacrifices that they made over the past season to help keep their sons on the team. One parent in particular, Marie Pelzer, was honored with an inscribed clock for her six years of service as the president of the Tigers Parents Club.
In addition to awards and recognition, surprisingly good news was also announced. Brooklyn City Councilmember and Fort Hamilton alum Vincent Gentile stated that the City Council recently approved a $5.6 million future resurfacing of the school’s field, a much-needed renovation for the Bay Ridge community.