San Fernando Stops Kennedy Behind Blunt, 14-7

After the heavens opened at the outset of the third quarter and the rain began falling in sheets, Friday’s North Valley League game between Kennedy High and San Fernando came down to which team had the better mudder.

That turned out to be the Tigers’ Leon Blunt, who rushed for two fourth-period touchdowns and a key conversion to rally the host Tigers to a 14-7 victory over Kennedy.

Blunt, held to four yards in five first-half carries, scored on a 13-yard keeper to draw San Fernando (4-2-1, 2-2 in league play) within one point of Kennedy (2-5, 2-2). He then faked a pitch to Demetrius Lotson, fooling defender Kenny Bernas, and ran untouched for the two-point conversion to give the Tigers an 8-7 lead with 10 minutes 3 seconds left.

Kennedy, which needed only to get in range for a Jeremy Deach field goal, could not mount a serious drive after that, and Blunt scored again on a one-yard sneak after the Golden Cougars turned the ball over on downs with less than a minute remaining.

Blunt finished with 32 yards in 14 carries and completed four of 12 passes for 79 yards and had one interception.

Amon Flanagan added a game-high 66 yards in 13 carries for San Fernando.

Kennedy’s John Toven completed five of 16 passes for 73 yards.

Donte Scarbrough led the Golden Cougars with 59 yards in 18 carries and passed 14 yards to Keith Thompson on an option play for Kennedy’s only score.

Kennedy held San Fernando to 52 first-half yards and took a 7-0 lead at intermission.

The Golden Cougars’ score was set up by Reggie Martin, who made a diving interception of a Blunt pass at the Tiger 35-yard line midway through the second period.

Four plays later from the 14, Scarbrough rolled right on an apparent sweep, then stopped and lofted a pass to Thompson, who outjumped Brandon Cade for the ball in the end zone.

Scarbrough led all rushers at halftime with 44 yards in 13 carries. Blunt, who was held to minus-24 yards rushing a week ago against Chatsworth, had four yards in five carries and was sacked once in the first half.

About the only bright spot for the Tigers in the first half came early in the second period when Jose Delatorre tackled Toven for a seven-yard loss--the first time in four games Toven had been sacked.