By Joe Slye, Gem of the Sound Sports Reporter.
Kennedy vs. Kentridge Recap – 10/1/22
The Kennedy Catholic Lancers impressed Alumni, friends, and fans with a 56-14 win over the Kentridge Chargers in Saturday’s homecoming game. Kennedy Catholic started the scoring early, reminding us they have the talent and skills to get a lot done this season. This was the fourth conference game of the season for Kennedy Catholic. This win puts the Lancers at 4-0 conference and 5-1 overall and in control of the conference race. Kentridge has the makings of a dangerous team, one to not let down against, but Kennedy Catholic put aside any chance Kentridge had of securing an upset.
The passing display was impressive, showing the depth of the Lancer team. Kennedy Catholic scored first on a 49-yard pass from quarterback Devon Forehand to receiver Xe’ree Alexander. Forehand delivered a perfect strike to Alexander at the 30-yard line, where he then raced past the defender for the score. Kennedy Catholic scored again on a 41-yard pass from Forehand to receiver Isaac Syph who caught the ball at the 8-yard line and took it in for a touchdown. The next score was quarterback Payton Faker’s turn to move the team. Faker hit a 34-yard pass to Mason Moriarity. He battled two defenders to make the catch on the two-yard line, setting up another short pass for the touchdown. Still, in the first quarter, the Lancers are up 21-0. Kentridge is wondering what kind of game they have gotten themselves into!
Kennedy Catholic made plays all day to ensure that this game was going to go their way. In the third quarter, Kentridge had the ball on their 30-yard line, third down, and 17 yards to go for a must-get first down. A fierce rush by two Lancer defenders and Xe’Ree Alexander forced a fumble that Ezekiel Taliauli scooped up and returned to the Kentridge 2-yard line, where he was tackled. A short pass play later, the Lancers lead 36-0, and things look bleak for the Chargers. Even when Kentridge scores, things do not turn out as expected. In the fourth quarter, Kentridge scored to make it 49-14. On the ensuing kickoff, Kennedy Catholic return man Isaac Syph picks up the bouncing ball on the one-yard line, heads up the middle of the field, cuts to his right at midfield, and cruises into the end zone for a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown. The Lancers now lead 56-14, and the win is secured.
The Kennedy Catholic offense was lighting up the air all day. Forehand had 17 completions on 25 attempts, and Faker was 9 of 11. The total was 26 of 36 for a combined 432 passing yards. Both quarterbacks tossed an interception. Running the ball was not in the game plan this week. The Lancers had only 32 rushing yards. Of the eight touchdowns, one was on a kickoff return, and seven were on pass plays. The interesting thing to note is the seven passing touchdowns were to 6 different receivers, led by Maclane Watkins with eight catches and two touchdowns and Isaac Syph with four receptions and one touchdown.
The defense should not be overlooked in this high-scoring game. Kennedy Catholic held Kentridge to just 72 passing yards and 151 rushing yards, a total of just 223 yards total offense. The Chargers did not score until late in the third quarter when the Lancers were leading 36-0. The 14 points the defense gave up is the most allowed since the first-game loss to Eastside Catholic, but the Lancers have now allowed just 6, 13, 0, 8, and 14 points in their last five games. Turnovers caused by the defense included an interception by Mason Hayes and a fumble recovery by Ezekiel Taliauli. Coming into the game, the Chargers were 4-1 and presented what was expected to be a tough challenge. The defense stepped in and did their part to control this game and limit the chances for a Kentridge win.
Next Thursday, October 13, at 6:00 PM, Kennedy Catholic travels to Auburn Memorial Stadium to take on the Auburn Riverside Ravens in a non-conference game. Auburn Riverside is coming off a 40-7 win over Beamer last Friday; this is another one of those hard-to-predict contests. So far, Kennedy Catholic has done well in games against a good opponent with no clear favorite. Auburn Riverside is 4-2 overall and 4-0 in their conference. The two Raven non-conference losses were to the Lincoln Abes, now 6-0, and the North Creek Jaguars, who are 3-2, with losses to a couple of good teams in Mount Si and Skyline. We also remember North Creek from November last year when the Jaguars quickly ended the Kennedy Catholic playoff march. Auburn Riverside has the potential to be one of the Lancers toughest challenges of the season. They have some quality wins and are undoubtedly looking to divert the Kennedy Catholic air raid express.
