Fort Hamilton looked like two different teams last season after losing its first three games and then finishing the year on 7–2 clip before a second-round playoff loss to Erasmus Hall.
The Tigers vowed to not let a slow start like that happen again as the team looks to reclaim its spot among the Public School Athletic League’s elite programs. The trend even manifested itself in games.
“Last year we came out slow in a lot of games, but after halftime we would come out stronger,” said senior quarterback Connor Fitzsimons. “We just have to stay focused and execute our jobs from first snap to last snap. That’s the only way we can get the job done.”
Fort Hamilton will try to do so with Fitzsimons taking over after last season’s starting quarterback Sharif Legree-Harris transferred to Grand Street. Fort Hamilton feels it will be a seamless transition.
“Connor’s been working in the system for the last four years,” said Fort Hamilton head coach Danny Perez. “He’s a senior guy who’s been in the trenches and has some game experience. We’re going to do what we do on offense.”
The move from the backup role to starter will be made much easier for Fitzsimons with junior Troy Booker lining up behind him at running back or receiver. Booker’s versatility, athleticism, and speed led him to a breakout season as a sophomore, racking up 15 touchdowns and 1,467 yards of total offense. Booker’s outstanding season was one of the keys for the Tigers’ hot finish, and he will have to put together another big year for Fort Hamilton to continue its success.
“He’s an explosive running back on offense,” said senior linebacker Jayson Magnani of Booker. “We go at it a lot in practice. He’s the explosive runner on offense and I’m the big hitter on defense. I wouldn’t want to line up against him during a game.”
But Booker won’t be the Tigers’ only offensive threat. Lining up with him in the backfield and out wide will be junior Seba Nekhet. He is another versatile threat and will even line up as the quarterback in Fort Hamilton’s read-option set.
“Seba is a very dynamic player,” Booker said. “He takes the pressure off some of our key players like Connor, Keyshawn [Robinson], and myself. He is going to be a good weapon for us this year.”
Mangini, a four-year varsity standout, leads the Fort Hamilton defensive line. He made 84 tackles last season, including two sacks. Senior Jermaine Garner and junior Isaiah Bruce solidify the linebacker corps.
“Jayson Magnani, Bruce, and two of our transfers, Shawn Tafe and Carl St. Paul, have made a big improvements to our defense,” Booker said. “Those four guys are guys I really wouldn’t want to go up against during a game.”
Fort Hamilton starts its season on Sept. 5 against Flushing in Queens. But a Week 2 match up at Grand Street will surely have a little extra meaning for the Tigers, since it will feature a face off against Legree-Harris. His former teammates respect him, but don’t plan on making life easy for him.
“Sharif breaks down under pressure, he folds,” Magnani said. “Once we get him into a hole we just have to keep beating him up. He’s a great guy, but he’s going to get his.”
