Hosting the last flag football game of the regular season, the 5-2 Tigers were again facing the Lafayette Patriots, who had previously come from behind to beat Fort Hamilton 25-18 in the last quarter. Now, a win for their final game was imperative for the Tigers to secure a high seed for next week’s citywide playoffs.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers made a goal line march in the second that was capped off with a 9-yard pass to Lydia Walton for a 6-0 lead. In the third quarter, the Tigers quickly advanced to the 11-yard line, where the speedy Rivers Martinez split the Patriot defense for the score. Walton followed with a 2-point conversion reception that put Fort Hamilton up 14-0. In the last quarter, the Tigers closed out the game with a 34-yard pass to Alex Kollaros from Makayla Lucas for an insurance touchdown for the 20-0 final score.
Knowing how vital a win would be to finish the season for a good playoff spot, coach Dom DeLisi said, “We practiced hard all week to get this win. We weren’t going to be beat the same way like last time.”
In addition to employing a shut-down defense, Lucas had another outstanding game at quarterback, completing 14 of her 18 pass attempts with two touchdowns and 140 yards in the air. With the win, Fort Hamilton’s 6-2 record gives them the number 7 seed in the top 10 of the PSAL’s citywide playoff table of 32 teams.
The Tigers also honored two seniors who were an essential part of their success.
Hailey Johnston was recruited off the gym floor playing flag football against boys. She paid immediate dividends as a reliable receiver and defender. Besides flag football, Johnston just completed four years as a varsity basketball player and is a member of the stage crew. She has a 3.7 GPA and is deciding whether to attend Hunter or Brooklyn College in the fall.
The Tigers also said farewell to the “heart and soul” of the team, Alex Kollaros. Playing flag football for only her second year, “The Beast” was the team’s leading scorer, rusher and receiver.
“She is a player that plays both ways and she’ll catch any ball that is thrown close to her,” said coach Lynn Beraldsen-Milano.
With an 88 average in business management, Kollaros will attend Lynn University in Florida, where she already has a starting position on the soccer team. The four-year varsity soccer striker brings strong international experience to college after playing this past summer with a U18 USA team. In one game, she scored the solo-winning goal over Team Italy for the USA’s 1-0 win.
“We’ll really miss these girls,” Beraldsen-Milano said. “The sky’s the limit for them.”
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