Late Touchdown Pass Saves Kennedy, 14-9

It has not been a memorable year for Kennedy High. The Golden Cougars began the season sporting high rankings and even loftier hopes. Then they lost four of their first six games.

Loss No. 5 seemed imminent Friday night as Kennedy, without injured running back Ontiwaun Carter, trailed El Camino Real by two points in the closing minutes.

Quarterback Tony Vazquez, however, salvaged the game, and perhaps the season, when he hit Keith West with a 10-yard touchdown pass with 2:59 left to give Kennedy a 14-9 Northwest Valley Conference victory at Pierce College.

The Golden Cougars, who gave up 35 points to Cleveland last week, entered the game with the goal of improving their defense. It was attained.

The Conquistadores gained only 126 yards, none of them through the air.

“That was our goal all week,” Kennedy Coach Bob Francola said. “We came through. It was a much better defensive performance.”

But as the defense jelled, the offense sputtered.

Vazquez completed 13 of 22 for 124 yards but was sacked six times for 50 yards.

Carter, who sat out the game because of a nagging thigh injury, was dearly missed. Without him, the Golden Cougars (3-4 overall, 2-2 in league play) gained only 20 yards on the ground.

Kennedy’s inability to move the ball afforded El Camino Real (2-4, 1-3) excellent field position in the fourth quarter.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Conquistadores took over at the Kennedy 32 after a short punt. Two plays later, Jamal Anderson scored on a 24-yard run to erase a 7-3 deficit and give El Camino a 9-7 edge.

Both teams had trouble getting their offenses untracked in the first half.

The Conquistadores were limited to minus-one yard in the first quarter but still held a 3-0 lead, courtesy of a 35-yard field goal by Joseph La Firenza.