Sports

Fort Hamilton’s Ivan Foy earns full ride to Syracuse

Ivan Foy and Brandon Reddish played three years of varsity football together at Fort Hamilton and attended several of the same skills camps. The college coaches that saw and scouted Reddish, The Post’s All-City Player of the Year, also saw and scouted Foy.

They liked the two-way lineman’s quick feet and brute strength, as much as they liked the nimble Reddish’s breakaway speed, soft hands and hitting power.

When they looked at the two Fort Hamilton star’s transcripts, that’s when the divide happened. Reddish was offered scholarships; Foy was told he needed to pick up his grades.

“I was seeing my chances slip away and I didn’t want that to happen,” he said. “I had to go very hard in the classroom. People told me I had the potential to play Division I college football and I wanted to get that opportunity.”

With the same passion he would attack weight-lifting sessions, get to the quarterback and push back defensive linemen, he put into his studies. He spent hours with tutors and teachers. He sat in the front of class. He got his homework done early. He earned 80s during the first two marking periods of his senior year and scored well enough on the SAT to where he is expected to qualify academically.

And Monday, he verbally committed to Syracuse – the one school that never gave up on Foy (6-5, 295) – joining Reddish and a host of other New Yorkers.

“It’s awesome,” the 18-year-old, East New York, Brooklyn native said. “Once Syracuse said we’re offering you, I didn’t know what to say.”

Foy becomes the fourth local member of Coach Doug Marrone’s incoming recruiting class, joining Reddish; Christ the King quarterback Terrel Hunt; and Archbishop Stepinac defensive end Donnie Simmons.

Syracuse has four city players on its roster: defensive tackle Jason Bromley (Flushing), offensive tackle Michael Hay (Holy Cross), wide receiver Steven Rene (Canarsie), and linebacker Mario Tull (Xaverian).

“When it comes to football, New York is very underrated and we want to make a statement how good we really are,” Foy said.

It was a memorable season for Foy at Fort Hamilton. He had 72 tackles and two sacks at defensive tackle for one of the city’s best defenses and was a linchpin at left guard for the Tigers’ dominant offensive line. He helped lead the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn school to its third city title in six years at Yankee Stadium and third straight undefeated league season.

But his academic improvement may be more important in the long run.

“If it wasn’t for my grades, I wouldn’t be playing Division I ball,” he said, “but winning a championship is right next to that.”

zbraziller@nypost.com