Tigers foil Tech’s playoff hopes 

This season’s schedule certainly set up a good storyline when the Fort Hamilton Tigers hosted the Brooklyn Tech Engineers for the last game of the regular season.

With both teams as finalists in last year’s 3A Championship game, the 1-6 Tigers were looking to exact some revenge on the 3-4 Engineers after losing last year’s title game to them by just one point, 37-36. For the Tigers, it was a matter of pride to win their last game, while a win for the Engineers would advance them to the last playoff spot.

There was no question that the Tigers were up for this game. They proved it with a fast start from the very first play as Jayden Pagan took the handoff from quarterback Aiden Porter to race 65 yards up the middle for first score. On the ensuing kickoff, Kevin Lin recovered an onside kick, which set up Porter’s eight-yard run to go ahead 14-0.  

Tech answered with their first score on a one-yard push across the goal line by Laszlo McKenna to end the first quarter at 14-7.

Even though Tom O’Neill made a fumble recovery, the Tigers failed to score given that opportunity at the Tech 40-yard line. The Engineers then came back to tie the game at 14-14 when James White scored on 35-yard pass play to end the half.

Getting the ball to start the second half, the Engineers marched 60 yards down the field to go ahead 20-14 on a Tristan Suarez plunge up the middle from the one-yard line. The Tigers responded with a similar play as O’Neill squeezed across the goal line for five yards to tie the game at 20-20 to end the third quarter.

With Tech threatening to score early in the fourth quarter, freshman JV call-up defensive back Mekhi Smith made a crucial interception on the Tech five-yard line to set up a go-ahead score for the Tigers. Energized by the interception, the Tigers drove down the field to retake the lead 28-20 on Manny King’s three-yard run. Vincent Cumbo followed to score on a nine-yard pass, but the Engineers failed to get the two-point conversion to tie the game, allowing the Tigers to stay ahead 28-26.

Holding on to a two-point lead with 2:50 left in the game, the Tigers delivered a knockout punch as King scored again. Finding a seam straight up the middle for a 44-yard touchdown run, King (104 yards) put the Tigers ahead for good, 34-26.

In the last two minutes, the Tigers managed to stop the Engineers’ final attempt to tie the game from mid-field as time ran out.

Knocking 3-5 Tech out of the playoffs, the delirious 2-6 Tigers stormed the field in celebration of only their second win of the season, which gave the team redemption for last year’s championship loss.

“We had a turbulent season with a lot of ups and downs, and now I’m so proud to see how well we finished off the last game of the season,” said Fort Hamilton coach Dan Perez.