The game was billed as “The fight for first place” as two of the top teams in the PSAL’s 3A Football Division serendipitously met for the very first time on the last day of the regular season. Already seeded in first place, the 6-1 Fort Hamilton Tigers hosted the fourth-seeded 6-1 Franklin K. Lane Knights in a winner-take-all game to determine the final alignment of the playoffs.
Tigers QB Aidan Farley started the game off with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Ajani Care-Robinson to put Fort Hamilton ahead 8-0. The Knights wasted no time and struck back with a 3-yard run by Jeremiah Jacques to make the score 8-7 and the Tigers led by one point at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Knights stepped up to score back-to-back touchdowns by Cleopas Ogunleye on 50-yard and 27-yard rushes to give Lane a 21-8 lead. Down by two scores, the Tigers fought back and managed to narrow the gap on a Trey Marshall 7-yard rush to end the first half at 21-14.
Beginning the third quarter, the Tigers made a big stop by keeping the Knights from scoring at the 12-yard line on four downs. Stopping the Knights in the red zone, the Tigers went on to hold Lane scoreless for the rest of the quarter. After an interception by Carew-Robinson at midfield, the Tigers scored on a 27-yard run by Marshall to take the lead 22-21 to end the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers built on their lead with a 13-yard pass to Aiden Porter. The Knights then quickly matched the Tigers’ score with a 28-yard run by Ogunleye for his third touchdown to tie the score at 28-28.
Regaining the ball on the kickoff with two minutes left in the game, Farley drove the Tigers downfield with a series of passes to August Porter and runs by Marshall. With 20 seconds left in the game, Marshall followed with a burst through the Lane defense on a 13-yard dash to score the winning touchdown in Fort Hamilton’s 36-28 victory.
The win allows for 7-1 Fort Hamilton to remain in first place as the top playoff seed and the team will face eighth-seeded 4-4 John Jay in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
“It was an amazing game to beat Lane,” said Fort Hamilton coach Dan Perez. “Our team really played up today.”
Some of the key Tigers “playing up” were quarterback Aidan Farley, who threw for 207 yards and two TDs. On the ground, Trey Marshall scored his 18th touchdown of the season, rushing for 151 yards and three TDs. Although he was not part of the scoring, the Tigers’ top receiver August Porter was also instrumental in the win, making 11 catches for 113 yards to help his team penetrate the red zone.
This week the Tigers’ locker room celebration was sweetened by another postgame meal prepared by Mancini’s Wood-Fired Pizzeria. It was hosted for a second year in a row by local realtor Joe Devito of Berkshire Hathaway Fillmore Services.
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