By Jerry Del Priore
Things didn’t begin well for the Junior Varsity Canarsie football team, as John F. Kennedy marched down the field, capping its first drive with an eight-yard rushing touchdown for a 6-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
But the Chiefs (4-1) regrouped, and didn’t allow a single point the rest of the way while picking up two scores of their own in a 14-6 win over the Knights (0-3) Saturday at home. It was Canarsie’s fourth straight victory.
Head Coach Robert Palmer believes his boys showed a measure of mettle with top running back Calvin Hutchison on the sidelines with bruised ribs.
“That was a big win, because we were down a running back,” Palmer said after the game. “But we just pulled through. That was a loss (without Hutchison), but the guys got behind each other, something they’ve been doing all year.”
Freshman Evens DeLouis found pay dirt to tie the game at six, with sophomore quarterback Johnny Watson running into the end zone for the successful two-point conversion and 8-6 advantage late in the first half.
Canarsie’s defense came up big in the third period when freshman Chris Jean Philippe made a nice open field tackle, causing a fumble, which he quickly pounced on.
After the Chiefs recovered another muff, they moved the football down the gridiron, with sophomore Eric Anderson punching the ball in for a rushing score, extending their lead to 14-6 late in the contest.
Canarsie’s defense clamped down once again, with Watson recording a key sack at the Chiefs’ 45 yard line before the team put the contest to bed for good in the waning seconds.
Palmer feels, while varsity is struggling, the structural change with both teams practicing together will build a positive future for the Chiefs’ overall football program.
“We’re basing the whole philosophy around here that it’s a whole program,” he explained. “So, if these kids are executing our plays, our philosophy on offense and defense, and their doing it now, hopefully it’s going to keep growing, and moving forward.”
JV Canarsie returns to action as it hosts Boys & Girls Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
