August Martin High School (Queens, N.Y./PSAL 1A Conference) football came to play in its non-league game against Springfield Gardens (2A Conference), emerging victorious in a 28-21 edge-of-the-seat victory Friday on the road.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!With the stands packed and the crowd wearing white for their whiteout game, Falcons’ head coach Kyle Allen thought the heavily-charged atmosphere might be too much for visiting Agustin Martin (1-1) in its second contest of the year.
It was not, however.
“I thought being on a big stage would shake the kids this early in the season,” Allen said. “But it didn’t. It was a neighborhood rivalry win. We were not expected to win.”
While skilled position players performed well, it was the guys up front, moving the opposition’s defense, that proved to be the difference in the tilt.
“The heart and soul of that game was my offensive line,” he said. “They were the superstars yesterday. All five played well.”
But it did not start easy for the Falcons, as Golden Eagles (0-1) senior Josiah Lawler returned the open kickoff for a touchdown and followed it up with a successful two-point conversion for an early 8-0 lead in the first quarter.
However, August Martin senior quarterback Nooa Allen completed a 35-yard touchdown pass to senior Tyrese Vassell, who followed it up with a successful two-point conversion attempt to make it 8-8 late in the first half.
The Falcons added a junior Kaziem Burroughs 80-yard TD rush to take a 14-8 lead early in the third period.
Unfortunately for August Martin, Lawler ran back another kickoff to knot the game at 14-14. But Burroughs hit paydirt on 36-yard rushing score to give his squad a six-point advantage in the fourth quarter.
Springfield Gardens, though, added another score to surge ahead, 21-20, midway through the fourth quarter.
Offensive Turning Point:
But August Martin was not done. After driving the pigskin down the gridiron, junior Mike Glasgow punched the ball in from the three-yard late in the game and the Falcons converted the two-point play to take a seven-point advantage in the affair.
Defensive Key to the Game:
With a few minutes left in the contest, the Falcons’ defense stood tall. Burroughs strip the ball carrier of the rock, and Vassell recovered the ensuing fumble to secure the thrilling victory.
“I didn’t realize that we recovered the ball,” said Burroughs, who is getting over a shoulder bruise. “I was crying.” He added, “I wasn’t expecting to ball-out like that. I had to be there like that (for my team). I was so caught up in the moment.”
Burroughs ran for 241 yards on 17 touches and two scores, while Allen completed seven of 14 attempts for 136 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 45 yards on eight carries.
Allen, son of August Martin’s head coach, got out of bed feeling extra motivated to prove the naysayers wrong, he noted.
“I woke up just wanting to win that game,” Allen said. “Everyone is tired of the (negative) talk at the school. We just wanted to win, and we did. I’m proud of my team.”
Glasgow had eight touches for 31 yards on the ground, including the game-winning touchdown. Senior Keyan Howell made three receptions for 61 yards, while senior Lebron Fisher added two catches for 38 yards.
Defensively, Burroughs made a team-leading seven tackles and forced a game-ending fumble. Senior Chris Francois had two interceptions and five tackles, and Howell added four stops in the triumph.
The Falcons will square off against either Lafayette (if it is able to field a team) or McKee/Staten Island Tech Saturday at 2:00 p.m. or noon, depending upon who they face.
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