Kennedy High scored three touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half to turn a close game into a convincing win, as the Fighting Irish defeated Valencia, 34-19, in the Lambda League football opener for both teams on Friday at Handel Stadium.
Leading 7-0 with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter, Derek Almazan hit Mahseiah Banks down the right sideline for an 85-yard touchdown pass that gave Kennedy a 13-0 lead. Kennedy forced Valencia to punt and again they struck quickly.
Devin Almazan was at quarterback and scrambled to his left before lobbing a shovel pass to Isaac Talamantes in the flat. The edge defender was being blocked so Talamantes went inside to get around the block and outran the defenders to sideline for a 67-yard touchdown and a 19-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Kennedy cover team forced a fumble on the return and the Fighting Irish took over at the Valencia nine yard line. Derek Almazan soon found Talamantes again, this time for a nine-yard touchdown reception. Almazan converted a two-point conversion pass to Rocco Street and the Fighting Irish took a 27-0 lead into halftime.
Late in the third quarter, Talamantes would hit paydirt again, as he broke through a big hole in the line and cut around the safety to race 70 yards up the middle of the field for a touchdown and a 34-0 Irish lead. Valencia would score a touchdown late in the third and another late in the fourth to close the gap. Kennedy Head Coach Dan Urbanos was pleased with his team’s performance, which put them at 4-2 overall and 1-0 in Lambda League play.
“We played selfless football tonight, so we believe we’ve got a really quality team and we haven’t played our best football yet, you know, we’ve shown some flashes but really our biggest nemesis has been us,” Urbanos said.
Derek and Devin Almazan combined to throw for 218 yards and three touchdowns and Devin also ran for another. Talamantes led the ground game with 94 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two touchdown passes. Rocco Street and Riley Schow each had seven tackles on defense and Street added a quarterback sack. Moa Moimoi also had a sack. Makhell Beatty had three tackles and also blocked a field goal attempt to help keep Valencia scoreless in the first half.
The Fighting Irish travel to Fullerton High on Friday for a 7 p.m. game against the Indians, who are 0-6 and 0-1 after a loss to Beckman last week.