Savanna’s PoChing King for a Day, 21-6

Kenison PoChing, a senior running back and linebacker, did not hear himself named Homecoming King at halftime. He was in the locker room with his Savanna High teammates.

But he made his presence felt on the field, racking up 145 yards on 19 carries, including a 74-yard touchdown run in the Rebels’ 21-6 Orange League victory Brea-Olinda (6-2, 1-2).

Savanna (4-3-1, 2-0-1) did not win a game in 1987, and won one in 1988. But under the leadership of first-year Coach Fred DiPalma, the Rebels may be on their way to their first playoff berth since 1983.

DiPalma lauded his coaching staff and his team’s defense for the turnaround.

“Our defense has improved more than anything else,” he said. “Their pursuit of the ball, their aggressiveness has kept us in every ballgame.

“And I give my assistant coaches all the credit in the world.”

Neither team scored in the first quarter, but the Rebels scored on their first possession of the second quarter.

Brea-Olinda had punted to Savanna’s three-yard line. After a 3-yard run by PoChing, junior running back Leon Landry ran the ball 94 yards for a touchdown with 7:10 left in the first half.

Later in the game, junior Rebel Keith Cruz missed a 28-yard field goal attempt. The Wildcats got the ball on their own 20, and managed to get to Savanna’s 26 yard line with a halfback option play from running back Brian Wiley to tight end Jon Kobz that caught the Rebel defense off-guard.

But the momentum was short-lived. On the very next down, PoChing picked off a pass from Brea quarterback Chad Marlow with 3 seconds left in the half.

The score remained 7-0 until the end of the third quarter, when Marlow completed a pass to Kobz that appeared destined for a touchdown. But Savanna defensive back Hien Nguyen, who is six inches shorter than Kobz, scampered after him, wrestled the ball away on the two-yard line and returned the ball 24 yards.

“I said ‘What happened?’ DiPalma said. “But hey, we’ll take it. I guess you need a little bit of luck.”

On his own 26, Rebel quarterback Carlos Robledo handed off to PoChing who ran 74 yards for Savanna’s second touchdown with 1:47 left in the third quarter.

The Rebels scored again as soon as they got their hands on the ball in the fourth quarter. Landry broke through two tackles and barrelled five yards into the end zone. Although, he had only four carries, Landry still managed 89 yards and two touchdowns.