Kennedy Starts to Look Like a Good Team

ANAHEIM —  They are neither glamorous nor spectacular, and there is nothing about them that jumps off the stat sheet or the game film.

But for the last two weeks, the Kennedy Fighting Irish have put forth the intense effort that Coach Mitch Olson has pleaded for, and they’re starting to look like a good--albeit nondescript--team.

Kennedy defeated Loara, 25-15, Thursday in a game the Irish had to win to maintain any hopes of winning the Empire League title or maybe even making the playoffs.

The Irish are 5-3, 2-1 in league with a showdown next week at first-place El Dorado (6-1, 2-0). Loara is also 5-3, 2-1 with a season-ending game against El Dorado.

“Our goal all along has been to win the Empire League,” Olson said, “and when we lost to Katella, it turned all our games into must-win games.”

Kennedy got some breaks against Loara. The Irish put together one solid drive in the first quarter to win a battle of field position, scored a second touchdown on a short drive after getting a 28-yard interception return, scored a third time on a special teams mistake by Loara, and put the game away with an 84-yard kickoff return by Aaron Lewis.

“Sure, we got some breaks, but when you work hard, things happen for you, and they hadn’t been happening for us,” Olson said. “I told the kids, if we play with that intensity, we can beat anyone we play.”

Joe Magallanes (24 carries, 103 yards) scored from three yards, capping a nine-play, 57-yard drive in which Kennedy ran eight consecutive rushing plays.

Four plays later, Andre Banks’ interception put the ball at the 37, setting up Gabriel Roman’s 19-yard scoring pass to Matt Alferes for a 12-0 lead. The two-point conversion attempt failed.

Loara salvaged the half with a 74-yard drive that ended with quarterback Mike Morales scoring from the one. Miguel Gonzalez’s extra point made it 12-7.

Gonzalez was playing for starter Jose Moreno, who sat out the game after being ejected from last week’s game. Gonzalez is also the punter, and his absence was noticed all night.

Lewis’ third-quarter punt hit a Loara blocker in the back. The ball was recovered by Brian Napoli at the 14, where Roman passed to Magallanes to make it 18-7.

Andy Guajardo (11 carries, 83 yards) gained 60 of Loara’s 70 yards to cut the deficit to 18-15. Morales scored from the one and Guajardo ran in the conversion.

Then Lewis returned the kickoff for a touchdown.