It was a trying week at John F. Kennedy. The Knights started the season with two miserable losses, the first on a kickoff return for a touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter. Then three two-way starters threatened to quit the team.
Coach Andy Lancberg, who didn’t wish to give their names, told them to take a hike. He also held out budding sophomore quarterback Anthony Cruz in favor of his star running back, Romario Dillion.
“It made me step back and realize I gotta start being the hammer again,” Lancberg said. “Maybe I’m being too nice.”
He couldn’t argue with the results. Dillion, from under center, rushed for 190 yards and two touchdowns to lead Kennedy to a 16-0 win over previously undefeated Grand Street Campus in PSAL City Championship division football Saturday in Brooklyn.
“I’ve never seen something like that in my life,” Lancberg said of the three players who are no longer on the team. “We have kids that want to play now and everybody is into it. We’re gonna be better and better and better.”
Nathaniel Feliz had 10 tackles, three for losses, and Shakur George, the free safety returning from injury, had an interception and five tackles for Kennedy (1-2), which hosts winless New Utrecht next week. The Knights also got back start receiver Rahim Bramwell, who was suspended for throwing punches in the Port Richmond game in Week 1. Grand Street (2-1) travels to Curtis in Week 4.
Lancberg thinks Kennedy is on the right track now.
“We’re still gonna be a good team at the end of the year,” he said.
No. 2 Fort Hamilton 22, No. 7 Boys & Girls 12: Marvin Centeno completed 5-of-13 passes for 72 yards and touchdowns passes to Robert Thomas (9 yards) and Travon Reid-Segure (30 yards), Tyrone Raymond had 16 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown and Khalif Tulloch had 6 tackles and two sacks for Fort Hamilton (3-0). The Tigers, who have won 35 straight regular-season games, host Susan Wagner a week from Sunday at noon. Losers of two in a row, Boys & Girls (1-2) will take on undefeated Port Richmond next weekend.
No. 3 Campus Magnet 21, New Dorp 14: Kahlik Greenwood threw for 123 yards and connected on scoring strikes with Jared Ward, Antoine Allen and James McGeary, Richard Guinyard rushed for 42 yards and had two interceptions and Chris Burgess also had a pick for Campus Magnet (2-1), which visits winless Thomas Jefferson next Sunday. Charlie App connected on a 59-yard touchdown pass with Dominic Davis and Hassan Sroura ran one in from 39 yards out for New Dorp. The Central Cougars (0-3) face Canarsie next Sunday at noon.
No. 5 Lincoln 52, Midwood 0: Denzel Duchenne had three touchdowns, two receiving and one on a 50-yard interception return, Tarik Pusey also caught a touchdown pass and took an interception 30 yards to the house, Jessel Jones completed all six of his passing attempts for 132 yards and three touchdowns and Kareem Folkes fan for 92 yards on 10 carries and scored once for Lincoln (3-0). The Railsplitters hosts Truman next Saturday at 7 p.m. while Midwood (0-3) takes on DeWitt Clinton next Sunday at noon.
No. 1 Tottenville 49, John Adams 6:Augustus Edwards rushed for four touchdowns and Alvin Cornelius had a punt return and a kick return for touchdowns to lead Tottenville (3-0), which travels to Erasmus Hall next week. Kenny Coughlin also scored on a fumble recovery. Adams (1-2) hosts FDR in Week 4.
Flushing 29, No. 8 Canarsie 16: Andrew King recovered a fumble, returned an interception for a touchdown and also ran for over 100 yards for Flushing (2-1), which takes on Sheepshead Bay next Sunday at noon. Canarsie is also 2-1 and plays New Dorp next weekend.
Sheepshead Bay 27, New Utrecht 0: Back under center, Michael Destephano had a pair of rushing touchdowns and Ricardo Appleton had 84 yards on just eight carries and a score to lead Sheepshead Bay (2-1), which hosts Flushing in Week 4. Isaiah Pearson also rushed for a touchdown and Deandre White and Jamie O’Bryan each had a sack. New Utrecht (0-3) travels to John F. Kennedy next week.
Truman 29, FDR 14: Shandu Rollieson had 91 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns to lead Truman (3-0), which travels to fellow undefeated Lincoln next week. Arion Jones had a 50-yard touchown run and defensive linemen Ibraheem Rodriguez (six tackles) and Tevin Downie (five tackles) were extremely active. Gary Cox had a pair of sacks and Jones had a sack of his own. FDR (0-3) heads to John Adams in Week 4.
Susan Wagner 36, Lehman 28: Ben Ezike ran for four touchdowns and Alen Nikezic rushed for another to lead Wagner (1-2) to its first victory. Jonah Muniz had an interception for the Falcons, who meet Fort Hamilton next Sunday.
David White rushed for 308 yards and three touchdowns, but also had a pair of fumbles for Lehman (1-2), which meets Brooklyn Tech on Friday for the Lions homecoming. Jermaine Hall was 5-of-14 passing for 77 yards and a touchdown to Ricardo Spence and Hall also had an interception.