The Canarsie Chiefs varsity football team was in their game against Grand Street Campus, going toe to toe with the opposition for two and half quarters.
But then came the pivotal play, with the tilt tied, in which junior Calvin Hutchinson failed to scoop up a Wolves’ fumbled screen pass and run it in for a score early in the third quarter. Much to Canarsie’s dismay, Grand Street recovered the ball at its own 43. The Wolves proceeded to score on that drive, on their way to a 21-0 shutout of the Chiefs (0-4) Sunday at home in a City Conference game.
“The score did not indicate how close that game was,” head coach Kyle Allen said in all earnest. “But that third quarter scoop and score that we missed, that was our opportunity right there, because we had them on the ropes. Then we had to deviate from our game plan, and play from behind, which we’re really not good at.”
Though Allen said surrendering the first TD to Grand Street (3-1) changed the course of the game, he was nonetheless proud of his troops, who, he said, played extremely hard against last season’s PSAL Champions.
“We played two and half quarters of excellent football, and a quarter and half of just depleted football,” the fifth-year coach said. “That’s the best way to put it. But the kids played their hearts out. I’m proud of them. This was a lose that didn’t feel so bad.”
Grand Street scored its second touchdown of the day, this time on a 13-yard touchdown rush to increase its lead to 14-0 midway through the third period.
The Wolves closed out the scoring when senior quarterback Christophe Mattocks completed an eight-yard touchdown pass for a 21-0 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
Canarsie faces Franklin D. Roosevelt Saturday at noon at New Utrecht High School.
