Canoga Park Blurs Past El Camino, 21-0

El Camino Real High Coach Skip Giancanelli could use a running back like Kenny Durr, which rhymes with blur, which is what Durr looked like at times to the Conquistadores Friday night at Pierce College.

Canoga Park, behind Durr’s three touchdowns, defeated El Camino, 21-0, at Pierce College in a season-opening City Section non-league game.

Giancanelli used to have a running back just like Durr. In fact, it was Durr himself.

But the troubled running back accepted a disciplinary opportunity transfer to Canoga Park earlier this year--his third school in the last three years.

It may be a different school, but it was the same old Durr on the football field. Durr, who scored 10 touchdowns last year for El Camino, had two in the first half against his former teammates, then added a third late in the fourth period.

It wasn’t enough to impress Giancanelli, whose club held the slippery running back in check except for the three scoring plays.

“He didn’t do anything great,” Giancanelli said. “We’re just very inexperienced. He wouldn’t do that much for us anyway. We haven’t got an offensive line.”

The Conquistadores have an offensive line, it just didn’t block well against Canoga Park. El Camino managed just 31 yards in the first half and 81 in the game.

Other than Durr’s three scoring bursts, the Hunters were hard pressed on offense as well. They amassed just 168 yards total offense and only five first downs. But they got the big plays when they needed them.

El Camino set up the Hunters’ first TD when punter Andrew Rothenberg couldn’t handle a high snap and the ball sailed through his hands. Mike Dustman recovered for Canoga at the Conquistador 6.

On the next play, Durr bolted through the line for the score. Mike Conover’s kick put the Hunters up 7-0 with 2:18 to go in the first quarter.

Durr was at it again minutes later. Rothenberg’s 10-yard punt put the Hunters at the El Camino 23 early in the second quarter, and Canoga moved the ball to the 16.

The Conquistadores dumped Durr for a nine-yard loss back to the 25, but on the next play, quarterback Tony Cantrell hit Durr on a 25-yard pass play for another TD. Conover’s kick put Canoga ahead 14-0 with 9:46 left in the half.

Neither team could move the ball consistently in the second half, but the Hunters got on the scoreboard again with 55 seconds left to play. Again it was Durr, taking a 58-yard pass from Cantrell for his third TD and taunting Conquistador defender Don Conner the final 15 yards.

“He likes teasing people,” El Camino’s Jon Fleming said. “But that’s Kenny for you. He did it last year.”

Durr finished with 83 yards receiving and 25 yards on 10 rushes.

Canoga Park 7 7 0 7 -- 21 El Camino Real 0 0 0 0 -- 0 CP--Durr 6 run (Conover kick).

CP--Cantrell 23 pass from Durr (Conover kick).

CP--Cantrell 58 pass from Durr (Conover kick).