Kennedy Mistakes Costly in 19-7 Loss

It was only fitting that a game that was marred by turnovers should, well, turn on a bungle that went right.

Trailing by a point, Banning High returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown and rolled to a 19-7 victory over Kennedy in a nonleague opener Friday night at Kennedy.

Kennedy held a 7-6 lead entering the second half, despite fumbling, bumbling and stumbling over itself in the first 24 minutes. Banning matched the Golden Cougars, boot for boot.

It was over in a flash, though, when Banning’s Michael Henderson tried to field the second-half kickoff, only to have the ball glance off his hands. Damin Hurst picked it up at the 10-yard line, and cruised right down the middle of the field for a 12-7 lead.

Kennedy then turned the ball over on the first play of its next possession, and Banning again converted.

Game, set, match. Banning has now rolled up a 5-0 mark against Kennedy in Coach Bob Francola’s seven-year tenure, and this loss ranks among the most rankling.

“The thing that really hurts is that they were a beatable team,” Francola said. “Shame on us for not taking advantage.”

Kennedy’s offense failed to move the ball at all in the first half, despite being handed the ball three times on Banning fumbles. Hurst and Henderson, who would combine on the kick return, each turned the ball over.

Even though the Golden Cougars scored, they couldn’t manage a first down in the first half. For a ball-control offense, that typically means a long evening’s journey into disaster.

“You have to make first downs when you run a pitch offense,” Francola said. “We didn’t, and we didn’t hold onto it, either.”

Indeed. Kennedy fumbled the ball six times, losing three, and also threw an interception. Banning fumbled four times in the first half and lost three, but righted the ship in time to pull the game out in the third quarter.

Kennedy tailback Donte Scarbrough was gang-tackled more often than not, and was held to 41 yards in 14 carries.

With Banning holding a 12-7 lead, Kennedy backup quarterback Lal Knight and Scarbrough fumbled an exchange on the team’s first play from scrimmage in the second half. Banning recovered at the Kennedy 34 and scored three plays later on a six-yard run by Hurst, who had 74 yards in 14 carries. Kennedy managed only 45 yards. Knight was sacked five times in the second half alone for minus-31 yards.