PUYALLUP - Kennedy played close to perennial power Puyallup for most of a non-league football game Thursday before losing in the end to the Vikings, 21-19.
The Lancers started off by picking up a touchdown with 31 seconds remaining in the first quarter. L.J. Jennings rumbled for a 95-yard touchdown run -- on his way to running for 193 yards on 16 carries.
The kick for the extra point failed, however, and Puyallup took the lead on a touchdown with eight seconds left in the first quarter. Michael Smith scored on a 1-yard fumble recovery and Sean Halligan kicked the extra point to make it 7-6.
Puyallup struck again with 3:18 remaining in the second quarter. Nathan Ernst punched the ball in on a 1-yard run and Halligan's extra point made it 14-6 in favor of the Vikings.
The Lancers jumped back into the game with 8:53 to go in the third quarter, with Jennings striking on a 1-yard run of his own. The pass for the extra point failed to leave the score at 14-12.
Nathan Ernst of Puyallup struck on an 8-yard run at the 1:59 mark of the third quarter and Halligan was successful on yet another extra point to put the margin at 21-12.
But Class 3A Kennedy went on to almost win the game against 4A Puyallup in the end.
Darian Brooks snagged a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jason Thompson at 2:19 to play in the fourth quarter and Christian Velte's kick cut the Viking advantage to 21-19.
Kennedy then marched to within range of a 17-yard field goal that would have won the game, but it was blocked to leave the score at its final 21-19 margin.
Thompson completed 6 of 17 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown. Vince McCluskey caught three passes for 59 yards and Brooks caught three passes for 39 and one touchdown.