August Martin High School (Queens, N.Y.) football played well enough in the first half to take a 6-0 lead.
However, the second half was a different story. The Falcons (1-3) committed several penalties, turned over the ball two times, made miscues on special teams, and failed to mount any type of offensive en route to a 20-6 Public School Athletic League (PSAL) A1 Conference defeat to Automotive Technology (A-Tech) Friday night at Canarsie High School Field in Brooklyn.
August Martin head Kyle Allen said it was not so much the mistakes, but type that the ultimately led to the Falcons’ demise.
” I said to them, ‘there are too many mistakes, and they were detrimental mistakes that you can’t come back from, like pick sixes, drop punts, and stuff like that,”‘ Allen said to his team after the game. “We can’t turn the ball over in your own red zone twice and give up short field, and nobody tackles, and expect to not lose.”
Sophomore Kaziem Burroughs put August Martin on the scoreboard first with a two-yard touchdown rush to make it 6-0 early in the second period.
After stopping the Panthers (2-2) on offensive, junior quarterback Nooa Allen threw pass that was tipped, and then an interception into the hands of a waiting Dejon Johnson.
A pick-six by A-Tech junior Skyler Castro tied the game up at 6-6 midway through the third quarter.
The turning point in the tilt came when the Falcons muffed a punt on, which resulted in great field position for the Panthers at August Martin’s 21-yard line.
A few plays later, A-Tech found paydirt on a 14-yard touchdown rush, followed by a successful two-point conversion run to run the score to 14-6 near the end of the third period.
On fourth and nine, with the Falcons clinging to little hope, the Panthers doused that flame with a 25-yard TD catch to swell the lead to 20-6 late in the contest.
Allen completed three of 12 passes for 58 yards, while Burroughs ran for 48 yards on 11 carries with a score. Junior Keyan Howell had two receptions for 46 yards.
Burroughs also recovered a fumble, and Howell made five tackles and had an interception. Junior Tyrese Vassell led August Martin with six stops on defense.
A-Tech senior signal caller Justin Angel Rivera completed four of eight passing attempts for 85 yards and a touchdown. Senior running back Jaleel Gibbs rushed for a game-high 80 yards on 12 touches.
Senior Andrew Debique, Jr. made a game-best nine tackles for the Panthers.
The Falcons travel to the Bronx Friday to face Mott Haven at 7:00 p.m.
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