Henry Lancaster Propels August Martin to 24-8 Win Over Evander Childs  

It was a coming out party of sorts for August Martin High School (Queens, N.Y.) junior quarterback Henry Lancaster, who is new to the sport, let alone the position.

But Lancaster pushed that aside and threw for two touchdowns while running for another, as the Falcons upended Evander Childs, 24-8, on a rain-soaked Saturday at a muddy Harry S. Truman High School Field in a PSAL A Conference game.

With the victory, Lancaster said he is beginning to settle into his place behind center. And he did not forget to give credit to his supporting cast. 

“Honestly, I feel great,” said a cheerful Lancaster, who completed five of 11 passes for 107 yards and ran for ten yards under terrible weather conditions. “The last couple of games, it was a big experience for me, because it was my first time at quarterback. But I actually feel I’m getting comfortable at my spot now. My confidence is getting up there. I have to give a shoutout to my line. The line did their thing; receivers did their thing. The whole team did their thing.” 

Granted, it was the Tigers’ first official contest, as they forfeited every game due to the programs’ inability to field the 22 required players. But the Falcons played well regardless, jumping out to a 16-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

Next, senior running back Giovanni Faulkner caught a six-yard touchdown screen pass that swelled August Martin’s lead to 24-0 early in the second period.

The only blemish on the Falcons’ day is when their defense allowed senior running back Philip Obeng Takye to bolt for a 65-yard TD, making it 24-8 after a successful two-point rush in the fourth quarter.

E.J. Salazar caught a 53-yard TD pass from Lancaster. Defensively, junior Roman Summers recorded three tackles and two sacks while junior Rowayne McKenzie made two stops and had two sacks.

After not scoring in August Martin’s last three tilts, Allen said it was good to come out on top in this game. 

“”It just feels good to get back in the win column,” Allen said. “I told the kids it’s going to be a tale of two seasons. We already did our losing. We just got to keep winning and get to the playoffs. Maybe we get to play the teams that we lost to and get a rematch?”

Allen said there is a learning curve and believes that Lancaster is starting to turn the corner and become a solid signal caller.

“He’s very capable,” he said. “This is his first year of his life playing football and he’s playing quarterback, so he’s getting used to it.” 

Next week, the Falcons travel to Brooklyn Saturday at 1:00 p.m. to face Transit Tech at Brooklyn Tech High School Field. Transit Tech is the same school where Allen works as a teacher. 

– Jerry Del Priore