See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Stephen Zitolo
Brooklyn Daily
An onside kick and a first-quarter lead proved to be the lone highlights as Thomas Jefferson’s two-game win streak came to an end.
The Orange Wave lead by a touchdown in the first quarter before watching host Flushing roll to a 56–6 win in Public School Athletic League football last Friday afternoon.
Jefferson was coming off victories over Sheepshead Bay and Campus Magnet, but saw their winning streak snapped Oct. 3.
Jefferson (2–3) was the stronger team in the first quarter. It recovered an onside kick to start the game and scored a quick touchdown on a five-yard hook up between sophomore quarterback Olatundo Bruin and senior wide receiver Matthew Donato to make it 6–0. The Orange Wave ended the first quarter with a lead, but that was the last time anything would be in the Orange Wave’s favor for the rest of the day.
Donato and Bruin hooked up for an apparent 68-yard pitch and catch for a touchdown early in the second quarter, but a block-in-the-back penalty negated the score. On the very next play, Bruin was stripped of the ball and Flushing recovered at the Orange Wave 23-yard line. The tide seemed to shift in Flushing’s favor after this first turnover.
The Orange Wave offense and special teams didn’t help out their teammates on the other side of the ball as they combined for five turnovers. Two of them were returned for touchdowns, a 46-yard fumble recovery on a rushing attempt up the middle and 60-yard pick six to start the third quarter.
“We’ve got to develop better character” said first-year Thomas Jefferson head coach Michael Saunds. “Turning the ball over five times certainly didn’t help us today, and we have to cut that out. We didn’t line up right on a few occasions on defense, and that’s going to have to be worked on in practice.”
The Jefferson defense struggled as well. The Red Devils (3–2) put up six offensive touchdowns, four through the air and two on the ground. Midway through the fourth quarter the Orange Wave made a quarterback change as sophomore Jacques King got some reps under center in the final eight minutes.
Thomas Jefferson’s schedule does not get any easier, as their next three games are against top-tier programs like Fort Hamilton, Clinton, and Grand Street. The tough loss is something they certainly can rebound from, as they have five games remaining on their schedule as they look to make the playoffs.
“We will see what they’re made of this week,” Saunds said. “We will see if they can bounce back and have better character this week.”