Peglegs Split Brooklyn Tech Doubleheader

by Ava Quarles

Until September 22, 2023, the rivalry between the Stuyvesant Peglegs and the Brooklyn Tech Engineers hadn’t officially stepped onto the football field in decades. Last Friday at Stuyvesant’s home field, both the junior varsity and varsity teams faced off for one of the most-anticipated games of the season. It was “the game circled on the schedule,” according to senior quarterback Eric Tang. Pier 40’s dynamic atmosphere was catalyzed by one of the largest spectator turnouts in recent history, with hundreds of students, parents, and faculty from both schools watching from the sidelines.

The JV game kicked off at 4PM. In this season opener, the defense shone through. Early in the game, the Peglegs pushed the Engineers offense into their own end zone for a safety, taking a 2-0 lead. It was a moment to remember—defense rarely scores in PSAL football, but it was all these JV Peglegs needed this afternoon. The rest of the game went back-and-forth, with both sides driving and coming up short each time, and neither team was able to bring home a touchdown. So, in the first game of the double-header, Stuyvesant JV solidified their first win and are now sitting 1-0. According to sophomore captain Aiden Chan, “I think we found our roll.”

Following the JV game, the Varsity Peglegs took the field for their second game of the season, coming off of a last-second loss in the previous week. This game against Tech had an added element of mystery to it, as the Engineers and Peglegs had long been in different conferences but with the latest PSAL realignment, were now in the same division. Amid a lively scene at the Pier, the players’ minds were set on establishing their capacity as a team and moving on from the last game. Senior receiver Stanley Zhao said, “There has been a lot of trash talk between us. I want to prove to them, our team, and the entirety of Stuyvesant that we have what it takes to compete.” The contention and excitement were certainly evident as the teams stepped onto the grass to kick off.

On the Engineers’ first drive, they advanced down the field and were set up for a fourth down & goal, just a few yards away from scoring. However, the Peglegs defense took the reins, and sophomore center back Elias Garcia intercepted a pass in the end zone and ran it back to give Stuyvesant the ball at their own 17-yard line. But just as the momentum shifted, a Peglegs fumble a few plays later eventually led to a 32-yard Engineers touchdown run. After Brooklyn Tech gained a 14-0 lead, the rest of the game saw little offensive action from Stuyvesant. Defensive stops weren’t enough to get the Peglegs back on their feet. After an intense game, Tech won 20-0.

Stuyvesant couldn’t pick up enough momentum to overcome the Engineers defense, which has yet to give up a point this season. Still, you could not question the Peglegs’ effort this Friday. Now two games into the season, the team is more fired up than ever before. “We weren’t outmatched, we just got outplayed. I know we will come back better than we ever have been,” said senior defensive end Tobias Oyaniran. At 0-2, the Peglegs need a win to gain some momentum and turn the season around. JV and Varsity have another double-header next week on the road against John Adams, and Friday’s loss is only fuel to the fiery Stuyvesant Peglegs.