Saturday’s varsity football game at Floral Park Memorial was a harsh reminder of how quickly momentum can change in sports. The Knights had this game in their grasp. The sideline was hyped, and the team clearly wanted this victory against well-respected Lynbrook. Building a 20-6 lead into the 3rd quarter, the crowd could sense that an impressive win was imminent.

But even though Floral Park played tough for all four quarters, the Owls’ offense seemed as if it had embodied the spirits of the Los Angeles Rams in the second half, and became unstoppable. The result was a heartbreaking 34-27 loss for the Knights, who now sit at 2-4 on the season, with playoff aspirations quickly fading.

The primary reason for this defeat was the electric second-half performance from Lynbrook running back Jonathan Cabral-Martin, one of the most remarkable efforts I have witnessed in my time covering sports for The Shield. He was elusive, tough, and nearly impossible to bring down. Cabral-Martin finished the day with well over 100 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, and a 79-yard pick six with just minutes left in the fourth to cement the Lynbrook win. The senior clearly has his mind focused on reaching the playoffs.

Even in a loss, there were still several positives to take away for Floral Park to build on for the final two games. Quarterback Mitch Kozak once again lit up the opposing secondary, going 17-for-33 with 264 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Both the passing yards and attempts were season-highs for the senior. Michael Matich and Marco Montreuil each caught a touchdown and Charles Mealing provided great field position with long yardage receptions. And while the defensive line had trouble stopping the ground game, the Knights’ secondary unit held Lynbrook to zero passing yards on six attempts.

It was a difficult loss to digest for Floral Park, particularly since it was senior day, the last time the class of 2019 players would compete at Floral Park Memorial.

“We fought hard, played tough, and went out there today for our seniors,” said offensive lineman Chris Clune. “Unfortunately, we didn’t come through with the win, but we sure are going to miss playing at FPM.”

The Knights will take their final two games of the season on the road, first with a trip to Glen Cove this Saturday. A playoff berth is still possible, but the team must win this game as well as the final contest at Valley Stream South. It would then be up to the cryptic power-point system to decide if the seniors will get one chance at the playoffs.