Carson Tosses Kennedy Aside Again, 31-0

Kennedy High was kicked by the same horse for the second consecutive year in a City Section 4-A Division quarterfinal playoff game, losing to top-seeded Carson, 31-0, Friday night at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.

Last season, the Colts, en route to capturing the division championship, knocked the Cougars out of the playoffs with a 53-0 thrashing.

Wouldn’t it have been wiser for Kennedy just to have walked away the first time?

“They’re in our division, so we gotta go through them to win the championship,” Kennedy Coach Bob Francola said. “Everyone runs from them. Somebody’s gotta play them.”

Carson (9-1) outgained Kennedy (5-7), 365 yards to 123, and held Ontiwaun Carter, who entered the game with 1,529 yards rushing, to just 34 yards in 15 carries.

The Colts, who led at halftime, 21-0, also managed to intercept three passes by quarterback Tavarus Logie, who completed four of 12 for 72 yards.

Carson grabbed a 7-0 lead three minutes into the game on a 33-yard pass from quarterback Armin Youngblood (18 attempts, nine completions, 204 yards, three touchdowns) to running back Abdul Muhammed. The play capped an exercise in brevity; after fielding a punt, the Colts covered 47 yards in two plays.

On the first play of the second quarter, Youngblood ran nine yards on a quarterback draw to give Carson a 14-0 lead.

Four plays later, Youngblood threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Michael Ross--Carson’s career reception leader--for a 21-0 lead.

Youngblood tossed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Tydus Winans early in the third quarter and Aaron Villarreal booted a 23-yard field goal later in the period.