After losing two non-league games to open the season, the Tigers won their first PSAL League game over the FDR Cougars at Fort Hamilton H.S. field.
The Cougars started out on their first possession to score on a 40-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard rush by quarterback Aubrey Stewart.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Tigers answered back with a 45-yard return by August Wilson that ignited three first-half touchdowns for Fort Hamilton. Working with three receivers, Tigers quarterback Mark Kiss found Emmanuel Dimitrakios, Amani Cespedes and Wilson in the end zone on short passing routes to give Fort Hamilton a 24-12 halftime lead.
In the second half the Cougars came back to take a 28-24 lead early in the fourth quarter on two interceptions by Ellijah Moore and two touchdown runs by Deon Redone. Down by four points and midway in the fourth quarter, Kiss led the Tigers back on the next drive to retake the lead at 30-28 on a dazzling 39-yard run by Charles Kitsakos.
With the Cougars threatening to take the lead at the 40-yard line, Karim Dari along with the rest of the Tigers defense forced FDR to turn over the ball on fourth down. Regaining the ball with time running out, Kiss marched the offense downfield to release Kitsakos again up the middle on a 35-yard touchdown run for the final score of 36-28.
Saving the game for Fort Hamilton, Kitsakos finished with 117 all-purpose yards (83 rushing, 34 receiving). Commenting on his two extra-effort fourth-quarter touchdown runs, Kitsakos said, “Once I got into the secondary I knew that I could score; I just had to reverse the field to beat my defenders.”