Kennedy Rallies to Top Anaheim

The shamrocks on the shoulder pads of Kennedy High School’s football jerseys apparently aren’t merely for decoration.

Even Kennedy Coach Mitch Olson said his team needed a healthy dose of the luck of the Irish Friday night to erase a 10-0 first-half Anaheim lead. They got it as Kennedy took a 21-10 nonleague victory over Anaheim at Glover Stadium.

“We came out to play for the first time in three games tonight,” said Olson, whose team improved to 1-2. “But we got a couple of lucky big plays to help us out.”

The first came with 1:19 left in the first half. With the ball on the Anaheim 13-yard line, Kennedy flooded three receivers into the left side of the end zone. None were open, so Kennedy quarterback Russ Clark tucked the ball away and scooted past cornerback Sammy Valdivia for a touchdown.

With the ball at the Anaheim 28 during Kennedy’s first possession of the second half, Kennedy tailback Vince Church took a flea-flicker from Clark, and his high lob wobbled down into the hands of receiver Craig Roah at the five. Roah head-faked his way into the end zone from there to give Kennedy a 14-10 lead.

Kennedy scored again in the fourth quarter, when Clark arched a 51-yard bomb to flanker James Chun, who beat Ryan Jones and went into the end zone untouched.

Anaheim (0-3) took advantage of Clark’s first-quarter fumble to set up its first score, a 36-yard field goal by Art Palamares. The Colonists stretched the lead to 10-0 later in the first quarter when halfback Sammy Serna punched his way over right tackle from a yard out.

Clark, a converted running back, completed eight of 16 passes for 140 yards. Chun had two catches for 85 yards. Kennedy tailback Ed Williams gained 90 yards in 14 carries.