Bloomington Kennedy needed a win on Homecoming night, and it got a lopsided one. The Eagles beat Columbia Heights 30-0 on Oct. 2. That ended a 3-game losing streak, raised their record to 2-3 and gave them their first shutout of the season.
The skid was a rough one. Kennedy opened the season with an 18-13 win over Minneapolis Roosevelt on Sept. 4. Then it lost 44-0 to St. Louis Park, 48-0 at Tartan and 41-14 to Mahtomedi. The Eagles scored 14 points over those 3 games, so the 30 they put up against Columbia Heights was a real change.
Homecoming night started fast. Freshman Xion Abdullah returned the opening kickoff about 45 yards to the Columbia Heights 37. "Someone made a block and it was my time to shine," Abdullah said.
From there the Eagles mostly ran the ball. Kennedy rushed for nearly 300 yards, more than 100 of them after halftime. Xavier Boyd had 85 yards and 3 touchdowns on 14 carries, including scoring runs of 1 and 17 yards, and he added a 2-point conversion. Joshua Amadi led the team with 88 yards on 17 carries, scored a touchdown at the goal line and ran in 2 conversions. Daniel Hernandez Cruz added 52 yards on 9 carries.
The defense had a big night too. Seck Diane had 4.5 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Kahlil Wertz Copeland recovered a fumble and made an interception. Amadi, who also played defense, finished with 8 tackles and forced a fumble.
The Eagles also got some players back. Quarterback Zachary Kremer returned after missing the previous week with concussion symptoms. Senior LaMarion Lewis played a full game for the first time this season. Coach Kedrick Williams has been working around injuries all fall.
"This win helped remind the guys that we're going to be okay because this is the craziest season for me in terms of unlucky injuries," Williams said.
Next came the hardest game on the schedule. Kennedy played at Cretin-Derham Hall Thursday night, Oct. 8, at O'Shaughnessy Stadium on the University of St. Thomas campus. The Raiders came in 5-0 after beating Tartan 48-7. "This gives us confidence now to go play well against Cretin-Derham Hall," Williams said.
That leaves 2 regular-season games. Kennedy plays at Park Center at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. The Eagles finish at home against crosstown rival Bloomington Jefferson at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. Going into the Cretin-Derham Hall game, Kennedy was 1-3 in conference play.
