Kennedy Cooks Up an Easy Win

Mark Cook passed for 122 yards and ran for 77, leading Kennedy to a 27-3 victory over Century on Saturday night at Santa Ana Stadium.

Cook, returning from a sprained knee he suffered two weeks ago, appeared fully recovered in the victory over the Centurions (2-7, 1-3).

“The knee feels good,” Cook said. “We’ve got a great shot at making the playoffs and I know I’ll be fully healthy when it counts.”

Kennedy (6-3, 2-2) controlled the game on both sides of the ball, gaining 350 yards on offense and limiting Century to only 171 yards. The Fighting Irish defense forced nine punts, made five sacks and limited the Centurions’ leading rusher, Ramiro Carasa, to nine yards in five carries.

The win moved the Fighting Irish into a second-place tie with Katella in the Empire League. A victory over Katella at home Friday would clinch a playoff berth.

“We out-hit them,” Kennedy Coach Mitch Olson said, “We hoped we would jell better and that’s what we did.”

Meanwhile, the Kennedy offense maintained a balanced attack throughout the game, as Cedeno Wyatt finished with 125 yards rushing in 16 carries and two touchdowns to complement the passing of Cook.

Century scored first, with Peter Espinoza’s school-record 40-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter. Those were the only points the Fighting Irish gave up.

Kennedy took the lead for good on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Cook to Rodney Ellis to start the second quarter. Wyatt followed with touchdown runs of eight and six yards on the next two possessions, sending Kennedy into halftime with a 20-3 lead.

The final score of the game came on a 60-yard bootleg by Cook, the longest run of his career.

Century will close the season with a game at Loara next Friday.