ANAHEIM – Katella used a timely stops and an opportunistic defense to hold on for a 29-24 victory over Kennedy on Friday night at Glover Stadium.
Katella (1-0) used contributions from James Faitasia, Rafael Martinez, and Francisco Pineda to take a 29-14 lead at the intermission and those points proved to be enough for the win.
Alonzo Pineda rushed for a game-high 227 yards on 33 carries and two touchdowns including a 73-yard score
Faitasia had two carries for 110 yards and one score, and Martinez scored a pair of rushing touchdowns that gave Katella a lead it wouldn’t relinquish early in the second quarter.
The Fighting Irish used a run-heavy offense and Pineda’s 36-yd TD run for an early 7-0 lead.
After taking an early lead after just four plays from scrimmage, penalties were a persistent problem for the Fighting Irish as it committed nine infractions in the first half alone.
Katella responded and take advantage of the penalties as Martinez capped the Knights second possession with a 10-yard scoring run. Martinez added the two-point conversion for an 8-7 lead.
Kennedy (0-1) began the second half with the ball and put together a 14-play scoring drive that lasted nearly eight minutes when Christian Rodriguez scored on a QB sneak from 2 yards out to make the score 29-21 in favor of Katella.
The Fighting Irish forced a three-and-out and began another scoring drive, but had to settle for a 24-yard field goal by Rodriguez.
After taking an early lead after just four plays from scrimmage, penalties were a persistent problem for the Irish as they committed nine infractions in the first half alone.
