McCollom comes up just short in 29-4A defensive struggle

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Three weeks ago, Kennedy’s chances to make the playoffs this year were on thin ice. Now the Rockets are tied for fourth place in District 29-4A with just two games remaining.

Friday, on a night in which Kennedy Kennedy, as the school celebrated both homecoming and the 50^th anniversary of its founding. The Rockets (6-2, 3-2) treated fans to a defensive struggle that seemed appropriate for the Rockets’ first team in 1963 team.

When the dust settled, Kennedy prevailed 14-10 over McCollum (3-5, 1-4) at Frank Mata Stadium.

“The kids are playing well,” Kennedy coach Richard Cerda said. “They’re great kids. After we lost the first two (district) games, they’ve taken it upon themselves to prove they’re a good team. They’ve taken us on this three-game run.”

The outcome wasn’t decided, and Kennedy’s third-consecutive win wasn’t assured, until it stopped the Cowboys at its own 48-yard line 29 seconds from the end. The victory boosted the Rockets into a fourth-place tie with Medina Valley (5-3, 3-2), which handed Kennedy its last loss 34-26 Oct. 4.

“We just started getting our offense going,” Avalos said. “We started slow, but we picked it up in the second half. McCollum played well, but we weren’t going to leave this field without a win. This is our home.”

McCollum, which is tied for sixth in the district after losing its second consecutive game, closed within 14-10 with 4:44 remaining on a 30-yard field goal from Guillermo Carrillo after its drive bogged down at the Rockets 10. Kennedy had scored the winning touchdown on the previous possession.

“We knew they were playing really well,” McCollum coach Juan Hinajosa said, “still, we did our part. We knew it was going to be a battle.”

The 29-4A teams combined for three pass completions in just 17 attempts.

“The credit goes to our defense,” Cerda said. “We’re a complete team. Our kids picked us up when we made some mistakes. We played tough defense.”

Avalos (167 yards, 21 carries) ran six times for 44 yards on a 58-yard drive that spanned the last two quarters. Quarterback Eric Lira scored on a four-yard run with 9:17 to play.

Lira threw to tight end Isaiah Garcia for the two-point conversion that provided Kennedy a 14-7 lead.

“We knew about the 50 years celebration,” Rockets senior back-middle linebacker Matthew Avalos said. “We just came out to play. We won, and that’s all that matters. They’re a good team, but we came away with the win.”

The Cowboys outgained the Rockets 69-5 in total yardage in the third quarter and had a promising drive underway when it ended. McCollum drove from its own 28 to the Kennedy 42 when a fourth-down pass fell incomplete.

“(Avalos) is a really tough runner,” Hinajosa said. “I don’t want to take anything away from Kennedy, but we had a third-and-long, where we thought we should have gotten an interference call. I thought that was really the turning point.

“I thought we had a nice drive going, and that put our defense back on the field. But (Kennedy) did a really good job.”

McCollum’s defense limited Kennedy to just one yard and forced two fumbles in the second quarter.

The Cowboys capitalized on the first Rockets fumble with a quarterback sneak from Ralph Vidal (121 yards, 21 attempts) for a 7-6 halftime lead. Gavin Boyce recovered the loose ball on the Rockets 6 after a bad snap.

Vidal wasn’t able to finish the game because of a knee injury he suffered on McCollum’s final play. His status was not known after the game.

“We’ve got hitters,” Avalos said. “Everybody on the field can make a play. Everybody wants to be great.

“Every time the offense makes a mistake, the defense has its back.”

The Rockets also lost a fumble on their next possession. Luis Casteneda covered the ball inside the final minute of the first half, but time ran out as McCollum tried to pad its lead.

“They’re a great group of kids,” Hinajosa said. “There’s been a transition in the program and some things have changed, but they’re still anxious to play and they still believe in what we’re doing. They’re typical McCollum kids. They keep fighting and playing hard all the way to the end. You saw that tonight.”

Kennedy opened the scoring with 3:37 left in the first quarter on a 10-yard run from Nicholas Gonzalez, immediately following a 57-yard burst from Avalos.

“It’s like every game,” Avalos said. “I tell the coach I’m going to step up, no matter whether I’m playing offense or defense. It’s all about the team.”

The Rockets will try to keep their streak going 7 p.m. Friday at Floresville (6-2, 4-1), which is part of a three-way tie for first place with Harlandale (7-1, 4-1) and Uvalde (5-3, 4-1) – who play each other Friday. It will be a chance for Kennedy to make another climb in the standings.

“What we ask of them on offense and defense,” Cerda said, “is to give us an opportunity to make plays. I just wanted them to take every play one at a time. We have a great line, but the kids have to execute. We did that today.”

McCollum will play host to Southside (0-8, 0-5) Friday in a 7 p.m. game at Harlandale Memorial Stadium.