CANYON COUNTRY — Kennedy junior defensive back Max Zepeda dreamed of one day being a running back like his hero, Marshawn Lynch.
Zepeda ate Skittles before every game since he was 5 years old and believed being a ball carrier was going to be his ticket to making a varsity squad.
On Thursday night, Zepeda was scoring touchdowns but of a different kind.
Shortly before halftime, Zepeda dropped back in pass coverage. He intercepted a pass, ran right, evaded an army of would-be tacklers before one final juke to cap a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown to help lead Kennedy to a 56-20 rout of Canyon on the road.
“Right when I caught the ball, I knew I had to go score,” Zepeda said. “I didn’t want them to have a chance before halftime, and I wanted their mindset to be low. I saw the guy make two little jukes, my teammates went to go make the block, and the quarterback ran a little too hard at the end. I stiff-armed him, and I’d say that touchdown was all my teammates’.
Zepeda has emerged as a leader for Kennedy (3-0), a position he believes he wouldn’t have achieved without his father telling them the truth while playing Pop Warner for the Crossroads Tigers in San Fernando: he wasn’t going to be a running back.
“I noticed I wasn’t going to start at running back because I was the smallest, so I moved to defense where I could make tackles,” Zepeda said. “My dad moved me over there, and that was when I played wide receiver and corner.”
Kennedy has found its leader in the secondary in another strong performance across the board. Zepeda’s touchdown pushed his team’s lead to 35-6 at halftime, and the game was never in doubt for the Cougars.
Defensive coordinator Joshua Joyce has overseen Zepeda’s development since his freshman year and watched the cornerback earn his first starting varsity reps last season.
“He had some bumps in the road, but this summer he has taken off,” Joyce said. “A lot of 7-on-7 and he’s the guy on defense, and he knows that. He knows he’s got to step up, and he made a big play for us tonight.”
Zepeda has become an energizer for Kennedy’s locker room, with his combination of speed and confidence translating to forced turnovers during Kennedy’s undefeated start heading into week four.
“Max is a special kid, and I love coaching him up every day,” Kennedy coach Troy Cassidy said. “He’s a kind kid that leaves and is the kind of kid that players love. But he’s willing to step up and lead, and he’s a baller. He’s not really big but plays above his height, and you can see the receiver part of him on that interception.”
Pregame Skittles might make a return in the future but not for the present. Zepeda said he ended up with a cracked tooth after breaking his visor during a collision with a teammate during the last play of the game against Eagle Rock.
Zepeda didn’t miss any time, but his back tooth was cracked, and with it, a longstanding childhood tradition faded. He’s matured and is sticking to healthy options as he helps Kennedy contend for a CIF LA City Section title in 2026.
“It starts with how we prep,” Zepeda said. “We prep with a good meal before the game, and it’s the little things that matter.”