Cypress pulls away once Muhammad takes over

ANAHEIM - Held in check for three quarters, Akeelie Muhammad rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter as Empire League champion Cypress defeated Kennedy, 35-17, on Thursday night at Western High.

"He kept asking for the ball and that’s a great sign," Cypress coach Ray Fenton said of Muhammad, who finished with 208 yards rushing, giving the senior 1,918 yards at the end of the regular season.

After quarterback Andy Peterson’s second 1-yard scoring run for Kennedy cut Cypress' lead to 21-17, Muhammad broke loose on a 56-yard scoring run with 8:46 left to play.

Kennedy (5-5, 2-3) then drove deep into Cypress territory before Jeremy Davidson intercepted a Peterson pass in the end zone. Muhammad put the game away with a 2-yard run.

Cypress (9-1, 5-0) took a 14-10 halftime lead behind Zack Ortiz’s touchdown passes of 40 and 55 yards to Jared Cohen and Muhammad, respectively.

The victory marked the first time in 30 years Cypress has defeated Kennedy in consecutive seasons.

"We finally got the monkey off our back," said Fenton. "It (the streak) says something about their program over the years and our program this year."

Including his 1-yard scoring run in the third quarter, Muhammad has scored at least four touchdowns in six consecutive games.

D.J. Boulton rushed for 130 yards for Kennedy, with Peterson adding 78 yards on the ground and 114 yards through the air.