Kennedy’s Lewis a Big Success Story

Football Coach Mitch Olson said Aaron Lewis entered Kennedy as one of its most highly touted freshmen. So Olson isn’t surprised that Lewis, a senior who had heart surgery last October that allowed him to play football for the first time, is doing so much for the Fighting Irish.

“It amazes me,” Olson said, “that he’s doing so much so well.”

Since getting approval from doctors to play football after having an arrhythmia cleared up, Lewis found a job as wide receiver (11 receptions) and defensive back, and he also punts and kicks.

“It surprised me to play so much,” Lewis said. “I just try to do my best and I’m glad I’m able to play. It’s real exciting for me to play football.”

He scored both touchdowns, his first, during Thursday’s 14-7 victory over Cypress.

It meant a lot to him to do it against Kennedy’s chief rival. “I’ve always had a hatred for Cypress,” he said, smiling. “I play them in other sports.”

Lewis is quite an athlete. He plays basketball and competes in track and baseball concurrently.

Lewis fell into the specialists’ roles because Kennedy kicker Rodrigo Cordova had his inter-district transfer revoked. Lewis’ first kickoff went into the end zone. He’s still learning to kick field goals but has made two of seven.

Olson also approached him about becoming the backup punter because of his leg strength. A week later, starter Jack Tucker sprained his ankle. Lewis is averaging about 42 yards a punt.

“This would have to be right up there with the best success stories I’ve been part of,” said Olson, who coached Lewis in track and junior varsity baseball. “He works hard, does everything he can do and he’s having the time of his life and doing well. Plus, he’s sure helping us a lot.”

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Esperanza reached two milestones in its 27-26 victory over Edison Thursday. It was the 200th football victory in school history, covering 25 seasons, and it was the 100th victory in Coach Gary Meek’s career.

“To win 100 games means you’ve had a lot of good players who have contributed,” said Meek, who has been at Esperanza 23 years and its head coach the last 12. “I’ve been very fortunate to have been here at Esperanza. I’ve had the kind of staff and school support needed for this to happen.”

After the game Meek was given a plaque by the team commemorating the accomplishment.

And how did he celebrate Friday?

“I went out scouting Huntington Beach and Marina,” Meek said.

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For the second year in a row, the Golden West League’s scheduled cross-country finals are in conflict with Saturday’s Scholastic Assessment Test, so the league finals have been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

“We purposely scheduled finals so we would have an extra week to prepare for CIF,” said Frank Alvarado, athletic director at the host school, Santa Ana, and a former cross-country head coach at Century. “We’re going to have to address it at some point. It’s a reality. We have a number of kids who take the test.

“My feeling is that we should work around the test dates. If it’s a matter of kids taking a test or competing, the test date has to take precedence.”

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Loara kicker Jose Moreno had a busy first half Friday at Glover Stadium.

In addition to kicking three field goals and two extra points to help the Saxons to a 31-0 victory over Katella, Moreno was kicked out. The game was filled with trash talking and Moreno was ejected following a minor skirmish after a kickoff.

“In all my years of coaching I’ve never seen a kicker get ejected,” Loara Coach John deFries said.

Moreno, who has a county-leading nine field goals, will serve an automatic one-game suspension and cannot play in Thursday’s game against Kennedy, hampering his pursuit of the county’s single-season field goal record of 16 by Newport Harbor’s Art Sorce in 1974.

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Heritage Christian’s scheduled football opponent for Saturday, La Verne Lutheran, canceled the remainder of its games when injuries affected its depth and ability to compete. Heritage Christian Coach Tom Caffrey did not try to find a replacement because rules dictate that if he does--thereby giving his team 11 decisions--his team cannot accept the victory against La Verne Lutheran.

That would be disastrous for Heritage Christian (2-4, 1-2), which is trying to qualify for the playoffs with a third-place finish in the Victory League.

Paul Caffrey, Heritage Christian’s leading running back, suffered a deep thigh bruise in Saturday’s 28-16 loss to Riverside Bethel Christian and could use the week off.

Two starters, running back Jacob Somerville and tight end/linebacker Ron Hancock, were suspended indefinitely by the school. They missed Thursday’s game, and the Patriots could use a game--especially one it probably would have won, anyway--to work on overcoming their absence should they not be allowed to return.

“It fouls up our continuity,” Tom Caffrey said.

Correspondent Michael Itagaki and staff writer Mike Terry contributed to this story.