By Jerry Del Priore
The Canarsie Chiefs ran the football up and the down field in their tilt against host Brooklyn Tech Saturday. While Canarsie managed 352 yards of offense, 277 on the ground, it only scored twice, losing, 16-12, to Tech in a game marred by questionable officiating, according to head coach Kyle Allen.
With around 3:20 left in the game, the Engineers scored a safety on a bad snap that sailed over punter Johnny Watson’s head, making it a four-point disadvantage for the Chiefs (3-5).
The next play saw a Canarsie kickoff bounce out of bounds, with no time elapsing on the clock, leaving an enough time in the contest for a possible comeback.
But Brooklyn Tech (2-6) ran just one play, which ended the game, much to Allen’s disbelief, who said he was informed by a sideline official that there was 2:26 remaining before the play commenced.
“I just feel like there’s a omen on Canarsie,” Allen said. “I don’t know, does the PSAL hate Canarsie? People have been asking me if it was because coach Cam (former longtime Chief coach Michael Camardese) is no longer here, but when Cam was here, the same thing was happening; we were getting bad calls back then, too. I think it’s a Canarsie thing; the refs just don’t like Canarsie.”
When Allen was asked if he felt robbed, he admittedly said, “It was highway robbery, because every time we got anything positive, they threw a flag. It was flag football.”
The Chiefs took a 6-0 lead on a 54-yard touchdown rush by senior running back Johnny Watson in the second period.
The Engineers jumped ahead, 8-6, and closed out the first half with a two-point advantage. Brooklyn Tech extended its lead, 14-6, early in the third quarter.
Canarsie made it a ball game, however, when senior quarterback Sameer Akesson punch it in from the two-yard line to narrow the gap at 14-12 midway through the fourth period.
But the Chiefs shot themselves in the foot with the bad snap and couldn’t catch a break down the stretch as the road squad lost a tough affair.
Akesson led Canarsie’s ground attack with 150 yards on 10 carries with a TD while the hulking Watson complied 106 and a score of his own on eight touches.
Defensively, junior Adisa Isaac had another impressive game, as he made nine tackles (three for losses) and recorded a sack. Junior Ricky Joseph picked up eight stops and sack in the losing effort.
Canarsie hosts Lincoln tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. in an in-and-win playoff tilt.
Brooklyn Sports World/NY NJ Sports World 