MOUNTAIN VIEW – The play was “96 Slant.” It may not have decided St. Francis High’s 42-20 football victory over visiting Archbishop Mitty on Friday night, but it all but ended it.
Kingston Keanaaina’s 63-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage of the second half did two things: It changed the fortunes of a game and it reminded everyone at Brother Fisher Field of Keanaaina’s immense talent.
After being held to 35 yards rushing in the first half, Keanaaina gained 132 in the second, finishing with 167 yards on 15 carries with four touchdowns as the Lancers (2-2 overall) collected a big victory on the West Catholic Athletic League’s opening weekend.
“Tight end James Jordan did a great job of sealing one of their best players,” Keanaaina said. “After that, I knew. And Perrion Williams blocking downfield was a big help right there. I think I’m getting him donuts tomorrow.”
A year ago, the then-sophomore Keanaaina made his first varsity start against Mitty and rushed for 190 yards with two touchdowns in a 35-13 victory, and his play helped propel St. Francis into the Central Coast Section Division I semifinals, where the Monarchs gained a measure of revenge with a 42-41 victory.
The rematch – version: 2023 – was decided by some dominating play by the likes of Keanaaina and middle linebacking brothers Jackson and Chase Cahoon, as well as some Mitty gaffes that all but handed 28 points to the Lancers.
Two fumbles inside its own 20-yard line in the first six minutes, helped drop Mitty into a 14-0 hole. But two punting disasters – a dropped snap and a blocked kick – also did their damage. The latter, a block by Mark Mrowka, came in the series after Keanaaina’s breakaway run. Two plays later, it was Andrew Scharrenberg for 28 yards to the end zone and a 35-13 third-quarter Lancer lead.
“We give anyone 28, it’s going to be tough to find a way to win,” Mitty coach Danny Sullivan said. “It’s frustrating. There may have been a little creep of doubt at 21-0, but we also know how tough we are and we won’t give up. I think we showed that tonight.”
The Cahoons can take a bow for helping limit Mitty’s top offensive threat – running back A.J. Cenizal – to 34 yards on 12 carries after he averaged 155 yards on the ground during the Monarchs’ 3-0 start. The Lancers had 13 tackles for loss, driving Mitty back 59 yards, and forced three first -half turnovers.
“We struggled to block the Cahoon brothers all night,” Sullivan said. “They’re going to be a problem. They’re very good. But we’ll be better from it. It’s good to get this alert to our system that we’ve got to be ready to play every single time and every single moment.”
On the opening kickoff, Tyler Barringer punched the ball out of the hands of Mitty’s Toju Maku and Langakali Moa recovered on the 7, setting up an Aaron Knapp-to-Williams connection for a four-yard score.
A few minutes later, the ball slipped out of Cenizal’s hands and into those of Afoa Tuua, who returned it 16 yards to the 4, setting up Keanaaina from two yards.
The lead grew to 21-0 before Mitty responded with two touchdowns later in the second quarter, first on a 73-yard pass from Joey Campagna to Maddox Gamez, who caught a mid-range pass in stride and behind the defense, and next on an 83-yard drive that began with 1:07 left. Campagna hit Caden Allard for the score from 15 yards with 37 to spare.
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