Canarsie Chiefs Blanked By Port Richmond To Open 2016 PSAL Football Season

By Jerry Del Priore

It was a game of several what ifs for the Canarsie Chiefs football team.

The Chiefs made several mistakes, including four costly turnovers, many dropped passes and other miscues in a 20-0 shutout loss to host Port Richmond. The Sunday tilt opened the season in City Conference play.

Canarsie varsity head coach Kyle Allen said his players continued to shoot themselves in the “collective foot” all game long – and it’s something they cannot do if they expect to win.

“We committed four key turnovers and lost 20- 0,” an exasperated Allen told the Canarsie Courier after the contest. “You can’t win the game like that. We got to figure it out.”

The Red Raiders struck first on a 10-yard touchdown run, followed by a two-point scamper, staking them to an 8-0 advantage early in the first quarter.

The Chiefs had a chance to score, but running back Johnny Watson fumbled the ball inside the five, on first and goal, which Port Richmond quickly pounced on at the two-yard line.

After a few scoreless possessions by both teams, Canarsie committed another unfortunate error. This time it was an interception of quarterback Eric Anderson, which the Red Raiders returned for six points, putting them ahead, 12-0, early in the second period.

The Chiefs’ blunders continued to compound. Anderson threw his second pick six of the day, and Port Richmond made good on a two-point pass play, resulting in 20-0 lead with 4:00 remaining in the half.

With Canarsie effectively moving the ball down field, a second fumble inside the red zone thwarted another opportunity to punch it in, in the third quarter.

If muffs and interceptions weren’t enough to doom them, the Chiefs dropped a surefire touchdown pass, killing any opportunity for a comeback, albeit slim.

From there, the rest was academic, as the Red Raiders won going away, even taking a knee at the two-yard line with time ticking away to mercifully spare Canarsie from giving up another touchdown.

The Chiefs travel to Aviator Sports Complex to take on Midwood tomorrow night at 7 p.m.