DeWitt Clinton struggles against nemesis Abraham Lincoln

It seemed that things were going to be different this time. By scoring first in the opening quarter of its game at Abraham Lincoln High School, it seemed that the DeWitt Clinton Governors had a chance to erase the memory of last season’s 30-14 playoff loss to the Railsplitters. It was a defeat that ended the Governors’ season and mounting hopes for a city championship.

Ten months later, in their return visit to Brooklyn to play the Railsplitters, on Sept. 7, the Governors showed some exciting flashes on offense, and an overall never-say-die attitude. 

But their defense often looked porous as Lincoln rushed the ball for nearly 250 yards, en route to a 36-18 win. 

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” said junior wide receiver Joshua Edwards, whose three touchdowns accounted for all of Clinton’s points. 

Clinton’s defense actually looked poised for a big game in the first quarter when Junior Valerio leaped through the air in the end zone to tip the ball away from a Railsplitter receiver. 

“I saw the receiver had a seam and I was playing man,” said Valerio, while icing his left knee after the game. 

The play seemed to energize the Governors, as the team mounted its first march of the game. 

The drive consisted primarily of passes between senior quarterback Diego Walters and Edwards, including a fourth-down play in which the twosome connected for a 27-yard score. 

Clinton failed on the conversion, which was a problem that persisted for all three of its touchdowns. 

Any sense of security the Governors had was short lived, as Lincoln struck back on its next set of downs. 

Antoine Holloman Jr., the Railsplitters’ diminutive sophomore running back made two huge runs — including one for a touchdown — to tie the score. Lincoln’s successful conversion put them ahead 8-6, a lead they would never relinquish. 

Though the Governors only trailed 8-6 after the first quarter, Holloman Jr. prevented them from building any confidence. He scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter — including one close to halftime — to make the score 22-6 at the break. 

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