Ryan Espinal's TD run late in the 4th quarter leads Kennedy football past Lincoln in the PSAL
Ryan Espinal of John F. Kennedy runs with the ball during a game against Lincoln at John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. Credit: Errol Anderson
John F. Kennedy needed to go 96 yards to extend this lead.
So the Knights did what had worked all night. They ran the football.
Kennedy went 96 yards on 11 plays, all runs, and took 6:35 off the clock before Ryan Espinal punched in a 3-yard touchdown to give the Knights a seven-point lead over Lincoln with just more than two minutes remaining.
Then, on the Railsplitters’ next offensive play, Livon Correa intercepted a pass with 1:50 remaining to seal Kennedy’s 28-21 win in PSAL 4A Friday night in the Bronx.
“I’ve been watching film all week,” Correa said. “I saw where he was looking, I communicated to my team and . . . made a play.”
Kennedy (2-1) trailed 21-14 at halftime before shutting out Lincoln (1-2) in the second half.
The Knights rushed for 406 yards. Amadou Samake led the ground attack with 202 yards and a touchdown.
Kennedy earned the victory in front of members of its 1996 championship team, which was honored for its 30th anniversary, with highlights playing on the video scoreboard.
“The kids were ecstatic,” Kennedy coach Alex Vega said. “They were happy. I mean, they work hard . . . I just felt like my kids showed a lot of character.”
It was back-and-forth throughout the first half. Samake scored on a 27-yard run to help give Kennedy a 14-7 lead with 4:37 remaining in the second quarter.
“He’s a gamer,” Vega said. “In my opinion, he’s one of the best players in New York City. He was banged up but he literally said to me, ‘Coach, I’ll do whatever I need to do, but unless my leg is falling off, I’m playing.’ ”
Lincoln responded with two quick scores to close the half. Mikey Misla found Somari DeCoteau, who took the pass 85 yards for a touchdown. Minutes later, Giovanni Napoleon scored on the ground to give the Railsplitters a 21-14 halftime lead.
“Hats off to John F. Kennedy,” Lincoln coach Shawn O’Connor said. “They played a really inspired football game. It was very high-intensity and games like this will have us ready for the second season in November."
In the second half, Kennedy’s defense adjusted and didn’t allow another point, and the offense continued to move the chains.
Quarterback Jeremiah Senat spun his way into the end zone from 8 yards to trim the deficit to one. Kennedy went for two, and Samake ran up the middle for the conversion.
After forcing a punt, Kennedy took over at its own 4-yard line with 8:57 remaining and a 22-21 lead.
Then came the championship-caliber drive, led by Samake and Espinal and fantastic blocking from Arber Rexha, Jeremy Concepcion, Alie Sankarer, Thomas Ray, Edwin Arreola, Tristan Yepez and the entire Kennedy unit.
“What was really going through my head was just scoring and running the clock,” Samake said. “We knew we were gonna get there. We knew it. So we just kept going little by little, little by little.”
“It’s body blows,” Vega said. “We believe in that at Kennedy . . . I felt like we wore them down in the fourth quarter.”
Correa’s interception then sealed it.
The red lights flashed and Kennedy’s celebration began after defeating the same team that ended its season a year ago in the PSAL 4A quarterfinals.
Thirty years after Kennedy’s 1996 championship team established its own legacy, members of that team joined the current Knights at midfield after the victory. The alumni joined Kennedy in its fight song and spoke to the players afterward.
“It was one of those memories that I’ll never forget,” Vega said, “and I’m sure our kids will never forget.”
