Kennedy Catholic High School of Burien played in one of the closest round of 32 football games in the state of any classification this past weekend.
But, unfortunately for the Lancers, they came out on the short end of a 28-21 score to Seattle Prep at Highline Memorial Stadium to see their Class 3A playoff season end.
The game was knotted at 21-21 before the visiting Panthers from the Metro League scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown with 4 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
On the first play from scrimmage after JFK had tied it, star Seattle Prep running back Sam Kopf broke free for a 69-yard touchdown run.
Kopf plunged into the middle of a big crowd of players from both teams, somehow pushed his way through and popped out the other side into the clear. Andrew Shields kicked the extra point to put his team up by the 28-21 score.
Kennedy of the Seamount League then failed to make a first down in a five play drive and was forced to punt the ball away with 2:12 left on the clock, hoping to somehow get it back by stopping Seattle Prep.
It didn't work out that way.
Kopf ran for a 2-yard gain and a 10-yard gain for a first down, then picked up two more yards before Kennedy took its last time out with 1:19 to go.
The Panthers then successfully wore out the clock on two more plays.
Seattle Prep picked up three yards on a run by Kopf, then quarterback Jackson Hazzard took a 1-yard loss as time expired.
Kopf and the Panthers also put themselves onto the scoreboard first.
Kopf broke through the line and sprinted 67 yards for a touchdown at the 8:44 mark of the first quarter and Shields slipped the extra point through the uprights to make it 7-0.
Kennedy tied it two plays after the ensuing kickoff.
Nate Randall ran for a 53-yard gain to the Seattle Prep 2-yard line, then standout running back, kicker and punter Colin Cossette punched the ball into the end zone on a right-side run.
Cossette kicked the PAT and the Lancers had tied it with 8:19 to go in the first quarter.
Kennedy broke into the lead only six seconds into the second quarter.
Quarterback Damien Maricich capped off a five-play, 44-yard drive with a 31-yard touchdown run to his left. Cossette was then on target for the extra point again and made it 14-7.
Seattle Prep scored again with 57 seconds remaining before halftime on a 41-yard left-side screen pass from Hazzard to Kopf. A pass for two points failed, however, leaving the Lancers with a 14-13 going into intermission.
But the Cougars were able to take the lead with 8:40 to play in the third quarter.
This time Kopf ran for a 66-yard touchdown and ran for a two-point conversion to make it 21-14.
Kennedy caught the Panthers at 21-21 with 4:39 left on the fourth quarter clock.
Luiz Diaz of the Lancers ran the ball in from the 1-yard line and Cossette kicked the extra point.
But Kopf struck for his 69-yard touchdown and Seattle Prep staved off the Lancers from there.
Kopf, who is only junior, scored all four touchdowns for the Panthers -- three on the ground and one on a pass reception. He finished with a whopping 300 yards on 30 carries.
