August Martin Football coach Kyle Allen said he made a few defensive adjustments to help seal the edge and contain the opposition’s outside rush on Saturday.
It worked, as the Falcons ‘ defense shifted into lockdown mode against the run, while the offense went to work scoring five touchdowns in their 42-0 lopsided PSAL Cup Conference victory over host Adlai Stevenson (0-2) Saturday on a sun-drenched afternoon in the Bronx.
“It feels good to win, and it feels good to finally have all of the work the we’ve done come together,” Allen said. “We made a lot of adjustments on defense, moved some people around. And it showed a lot today.
“Everybody got to get in and play today, and it felt good to get a meaningful game in, in a meaningful win,” he continued. “We haven’t beat this team since I’ve been the head coach; we’re 0-2 against them.”
As for Frank J. Macchiarola running for daylight in last Friday’s 19-0 non-league defeat in Brooklyn, Allen said, “That was the problem we had last week. We weren’t setting the edge. We were in a different defensive front. So, I went home and took a look at the film, and made some adjustments and decisions, and came back and put in a different front. And it seemed to pan out.”
August Martin (2-0) jumped out to a 22-0 lead in the first quarter on scores from seniors Isaiah Allen, Judeley Francois, and Ismael Acosta-Ramos, and sophomore Giovanni Faulkner converted a two-point running play.
Senior Truwen Powell intercepted an Ambassador pass to set up excellent Falcon field possession. A few plays later, senior quarterback Chris Davis hit rushing pay dirt to make it 28-0, and hulking fullback Alex Benjamín ran it in for the two-point conversion and 30-0 advantage midway through the second period.
The scoring onslaught did not stop there. Davis found Allen for an 18-yard TD reception that swelled the lead to 36-0 in the third quarter. Benjamin, who played a much better game with 38 yards on six carries, capped the scoring at 42 after he waltzed into the end zone on a 10-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth period.
Davis redeemed himself, as he completed seven passes on eight attempts for 152 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for a TD.
Allen, who holds a Division I offer from LIU and has interest from a number of other D I colleges, enjoyed another impressive day, catching five passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He said he was thrilled with the Falcons’ improvement, and win, though he feels he can post gaudier numbers to help lead his squad to victory.
“We are finally forming into the team that we have been all this time. It just took a little bit of time and a lot of learning,” the 5-foot-11, 160-pound two-way player said of his squad’s potential.
As for him, he said, “I know I’m capable of having big games, but as long as we win, I’m fine. I think I played pretty good, but I could’ve played a lot better.”
Defensively, Powell led the attack with nine tackles, a pickoff, and fumble recovery. His twin brother, Truwayne Powell made five stops and a sack. Junior Deven Rangasamy recorded a sack as well.
Francois, whose ankle sprain has hampered him early on in the year, said it feels much better. It showed, as he made four tackles, two for a loss, and ripped the pigskin from a Stevenson ball carrier’s grasp and returned it for a score. Plus, Coach Allen noted that he helped secure outside containment all tilt long.
“I’m feeling great. My ankle is much better now,” Francois said with all assuredness. “You can say it’s about 90 percent now. It feels good to back in my zone, back to do what I do best. We had to win this game, and we did.”
August Martin–who dedicated its victory to the memory of Autumn Coleman (A.K.A Zoey Pereira), a three-year-old Rochdale girl who died in a car fire set by her dad in South Jamaica, Queens, in May of 2019–is scheduled to face Information Technology next Sunday at noon.
But Allen said that affair could result in a forfeit due lack of players. He noted that the Falcons may face Staten Island’s Petrides in non-league action instead.
— Jerry Del Priore
Brooklyn Sports World/NY NJ Sports World 