The Preps : Kennedy Hits Road to Bakersfield to Keep Streak Alive

Kennedy High School, riding a wave of success after a pair of overtime wins and a victory over a team billed as the tallest in the country, takes a new twist in a semifinal game of the Southern California Regional Division II boys’ basketball playoffs tonight.

Kennedy takes to the road to play Bakersfield Foothill 7:30 p.m. at Bakersfield College, the longest distance the Fighting Irish have traveled since a second-round win at Antelope Valley in the Southern Section 3-A playoffs on Feb. 23.

Michael Keith, a 6-foot 2-inch senior forward, has led the Fighting Irish in the playoffs. He averaged just 12 points a game during the regular season, but has pushed his output to 19.7 in the playoffs.

Keith has led the Fighting Irish in scoring in four of their six playoff games.

Taking its cue from Keith, the team has appeared to do whatever is necessary to win in the playoffs.

The latest, in a number of surprising wins, came Tuesday night against Torrey Pines of Del Mar. Torrey Pines dwarfed Kennedy, sporting a front line that consisted of a 7-0 center and 6-9 and 6-7 forwards. Kennedy’s tallest player is Michael Williams, a 6-5 senior center.

The Fighting Irish won, 71-68.

In the 3-A final Saturday, Kennedy blew a 10-point lead and survived an overtime period against Tustin.

And it won, 58-54.

In the semifinal round, the Fighting Irish trailed Rolling Hills by 23 at halftime and 24 in the fourth quarter.

Amazingly, three overtimes later, Kennedy won, 83-80, earning its first berth in a Southern Section championship game since the school began varsity play in 1964.

And in the round before that. . . .

Kennedy began its run of surprising play with a 58-55 upset win over top-seeded Saddleback.

The Fighting Irish are fourth-seeded in the Southern regional.

Top-seeded Foothill (25-4) advanced by beating Oceanside El Camino, 68-66, in double-overtime Tuesday night.

Archie Wright made two free throws with two seconds remaining to give Foothill the win. Wright and Arthur Charles are Foothill’s top players and have signed letters of intent to play at Boise State next season.

The two will play under Bobby Dye, former Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Bakersfield coach.