The Kensington Tigers football team notched their first victory at the varsity level after a 36 – 6 victory against the Strawberry Mansion Knights. The game was played on neutral ground at Northeast High School at 3PM on Fri., September 12.

The game, played under a picturesque sky and perfect conditions, started fast. After a quick three and out by Strawberry Mansion, Kensington struck with a deep pass, as sophomore quarterback Imere Lubin connected with senior wide receiver Luis Graciani for six points. A successful two point conversion made the score 8-0 with 9:18 left in the first quarter.

“I saw a wide open pass,” Lubin said after the second start of his young career at Kensington. “I felt it and wanted a touchdown. We needed that touchdown to help us get this first varsity win.”

Later in the first quarter, the Tigers sacked Strawberry Mansion quarterback Marvin Dozier in the end zone for a safety, giving Kensington 2 points and possession of the football. The ensuing 6-play drive was capped off by another touchdown pass, this one a fade route to Graciani in the corner of the endzone with 5:04 left in the first. Lubin pump-faked once, allowing Graciani to get behind the corner and haul in the scoring pass, making the score 16-0 following a blocked PAT.

“It’s like having Megatron out there— [Graciani’s] like Calvin Johnson on the field,” Lubin said, comparing his teammate to the superstar receiver of the Detroit Lions. “I have faith in him and my team to make all of the catches.”

“[Lubin’s] got all the talent in the world, hopefully he’s got three more years with us,” Kensington Head Coach Sean Ryan said about his young signal caller. “He’s learning though—he made a lot of great plays today but there’s a lot we can work on. I’d like to see him run the ball more since he’s a great threat running the ball too. But we didn’t need him to today— our receivers were making plays and our offensive line was firing off their blocks.”

Both teams were careless with the ball, combining for five fumbles in the first half and six overall. One Strawberry Mansion fumble was scooped up by Kensington senior defensive lineman Antonio Sanchez, who returned the ball across midfield to the Knight’s 30. A few snaps later Kensington senior running back Lorenzo Banks fumbled, turning the ball back over to Mansion.

“[Ball security] is definitely something we need to work on,” Ryan said. “In the first half we had three turnovers inside the 30, one was inside the 10—you just can’t do that. We have to be more responsible with the ball.”

The second half opened with more dominant passing from Kensington. A long run on a screen pass to Graciani brought the Tigers within striking distance. The very next play, Lubin hit Graciani down the seam for another passing touchdown with 10:55 left in the third quarter, bringing the score to 22-0, Kensington, after another blocked PAT.

“I’m determined to go up there and get it,” the senior pass catcher said. “I know Imere is going to put it up there, he’s an excellent quarterback. I just have to go and make the play.”

Kensington’s defense held strong throughout the game, continually bringing the pressure to drop Strawberry Mansion ball carriers behind the line, as well as forcing turnovers on special teams. When a bad snap on a punt had too much hang-time and fell into the arms of the Strawberry Mansion upback, Kensington swarmed and tackled, allowing for a short field.

“I saw heart out there,” Kensington coach Ellwood Erb said. “I saw kids out there who worked hard all summer and wanted to win the game. Our leaders like Jacob Rodriguez and Lorenzo Banks, Josh Williams and Carlos Guerrios on the line, as well as the young guys who got in the second half, they all showed us a lot of great stuff today. It was a beautiful day to watch our defense play. Our guys came out with desire—they couldn’t lose.”

After taking a hard sack on 2^nd down, Lubin sprinted out to his left, finding Banks over the middle. The senior power back barreled in to the endzone, making it 28-0, Kensington, with 6:48 left in the third.

Whereas the first half was an air assault by the Tigers, the second half saw Kensington establish a running game, allowing them to milk the clock down. The rushing attack prominently featured junior running back Martell Waiters who showed some agility and burst, as well as contributions from a stable of backs including sophomore Hakeem Thompson, senior Chris Dantzler and Banks. The Tigers would go on to score once more on a 1-yard swing pass to Banks (Extra point good).

“Coach Erb has helped build this program with great linemen and in the Public League that’s a blessing,” Ryan said. “Having depth along the offensive and defensive lines allows us to put different guys in there, keep both sides fresh, and gives us options on what plays we can call. We got guys who can pass protect and we have guys who can help us run it.”

Strawberry Mansion’s lone score was set up by a 94-yard fumble return to the Kensington 5 yard line. Dozier punched it in on a quarterback sneak, bringing the score to 36-6, Kensington.

“I saw a bunch of guys who worked hard all week, came out here and showed it,” Ryan said after the game. “I saw a lot of talent on the field and the confidence these guys have is finally starting to show through.”