HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Kennedy Plays Trick on Cleveland : Golden Cougars Turn to Page From Banning Playbook, 27-17

Kennedy High manhandled Cleveland in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s City Section 4-A Division playoff opener and won, 27-17, but Banning should be given an assist in the victory.

That’s because Kennedy Coach Bob Francola used a trick play--one that Banning had burned the Golden Cougars with in the 1986 semifinals--to give Kennedy a 20-10 lead with 31 seconds left in the third quarter.

“The play is called ‘Banning trick play,’ ” Francola said. “They used it to burn us . . . and I haven’t forgotten it.”

The play involved some nice play acting.

On fourth and 4 from the Cleveland 9-yard line, Kennedy lined up for an apparent 26-yard field-goal attempt.

The Kennedy bench screamed for Carlos Gomez to get off the field, as if he was an illegal 12th man, but he stopped short of the sideline and cut upfield on the play.

On the snap, holder Cord Bailey picked up the ball, scrambled right, and threw a left-handed pass to Billy Parra. Parra fumbled the ball when he was hit at the goal line, but teammate Gerry Gandy recovered the ball in the end zone.

“We practiced that play all week and it paid off tonight,” Francola said.

After Cleveland (5-5) was stopped on its next drive, Kennedy quarterback Tony Vasquez, replacing the injured Tony Smets, fumbled the snap and Cleveland recovered.

On the next play, Cavalier quarterback Lee Gatewood connected with wide receiver Pat Bryant for a 43-yard bomb with 9:08 left. Frank Diana’s extra point narrowed the Cleveland deficit to 20-17.

Doing what it does best, Kennedy (6-4) ran for 60 yards in the first 14 plays of the ensuing drive, then after an incomplete pass, scored on a 20-yard pass play from Vasquez to Jay Davis.

“We knew we needed to score that drive,” said Davis, who scored 3 touchdowns, gained 114 yards in 9 carries and had 2 catches for 93 yards. “We knew we needed to eat some time off the clock.”

Antiwaun Carter, who gained 158 yards in 27 carries, had 7 carries for 30 yards during the game-clinching drive.

Kennedy gained 394 yards in total offense--301 on the ground.

The Golden Cougars gift-wrapped Cleveland’s first touchdown early in the first quarter when punter Paul Kettle mishandled a high snap and fell on the ball at the Cougar 28-yard line.