Mustangs Pull Away in the Second Half

by Ava Quarles

On Friday, October 6th, the Stuyvesant Peglegs returned to Pier 40 for their second home game of the 2023 fall season. They prepared to face off against the Harry S. Truman Mustangs: a team near the top of league standings, known for its formidable defense. It would be a highly competitive matchup. Head Coach Michael Tauber said, “In my 17 years at Stuyvesant, this is the hardest schedule we have ever had. Truman was in the highest division, and they are just coming down.” The Varsity Peglegs offense had the additional challenge of overcoming the absence of junior RB Bodhi Sabongui (still played receiver and safety on defense), junior WR/CB Daniel Teboul, and sophomore WR/CB Eli Garcia. But after their last-minute overtime loss to John Adams last week, they were resolved to turn their season around.

Junior Varsity kicked off at 4PM, and, much like in last week’s 34-0 win, had no trouble dominating the game from the start. An early turnover deep in Truman territory after the opening kickoff set up the Peglegs to score early and were off to a 14-0 halftime lead. But there were multiple missed opportunities that could have ballooned the lead even further. A long TD run by sophomore QB James Boodhoo sealed the victory as JV secured another shutout (20-0), and have yet to be scored on this season.

Next, Varsity stepped onto the field to kick off at 6PM. Truman came out strong, quickly running in a touchdown and converting two points to put them up 8-0 after their first drive. As the Mustangs forced Stuyvesant to punt on the next possession, there was no question that they were a well-rounded team and this would be a tough challenge for the Peglegs. Yet, early on, the Peglegs defense was able to pick up the offense on each of the next few Mustangs’ offensive possessions. Defensive studs including juniors safety David Ailoae, linebacker Eli Lifton, and safety Bodhi Sabongui continuously stopped the Mustangs from advancing into Stuyvesant territory. Right before halftime, the momentum shifted further in favor of the Peglegs when senior defensive end Tobias Oyaniran intercepted a pass at the Peglegs’ 40-yard line and ran it back into Mustangs territory. Immediately on the next play, from Truman’s 47-yard line, junior running back Mekhi Edwards rushed around the defense into the end zone for an assertive touchdown. The Peglegs couldn’t complete the two-point conversion, but went into the half down only 8-6, fired up to come back. After an inspiring halftime performance by Stuyvesant’s cheer team, Varsity kicked off the second half trying to build off the momentum of the first half to get their first win of the season. Yet, the second half saw less action from these Peglegs. Two more Truman touchdowns and a successful two-point conversion put the Mustangs up 22-6 in the third quarter. Oyaniran’s clutch fumble recovery at Truman’s 40-yard line wasn’t enough to keep the Mustangs’ imposing offense out of the end zone, for a final score of 28-6.

The game quickly got away from the Peglegs, mainly due to several small errors in the second half. However, despite their losing record, Stuyvesant is just halfway through the season with four pivotal games left. Sabongui said, “All we are lacking is discipline and consistency. We need to start playing like a unit.” With the All-Access program, many of these Peglegs met just weeks ago, and are now playing against teams that have been together for years. As the season progresses and connections grow, the Varsity Peglegs look to turn the momentum around. Head Coach Tauber said, “We’re not ever getting blown out or out-muscled. We are in every single game.” Coach Eddie Seo added, “The next game is always the most important game. We can’t change anything about the game we just played. We can only try to learn from it so we’re a better team the next time out” The team now has a bye week before their next game against Cardozo High School on October 20th and they are more locked in than ever. The Peglegs hope to get their first win and gain momentum leading up to this year’s Homecoming matchup against Flushing Campus on October 27th, This season is far from over. As Sabongui asserted, “This is a good football team, and people know it. We just need to play like we know it.”