Chaz Rodriguez leads Kennedy football past Granada Hills to retain rivalry trophy

GRANADA HILLS —  Kennedy football junior quarterback Chaz Rodriguez displayed a combination of elite touch and athleticism that couldn’t be undone after a shaky start nearly ruined his team’s chances of keeping the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce trophy.

Two bad snaps by Kennedy in the first half and elite speed by Granada Hills junior running back put the Cougars’ chances of keeping the traveling trophy, aptly nicknamed Tina, in jeopardy.

Rodriguez scored three touchdowns, including two rushing and a 30-yard pass to junior Max Zepeda with 8:03 in the third quarter, as Kennedy defeated Granada 34-24.

Kennedy (4-0) retained the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce trophy for a fourth straight season in a battle between the two schools separated by 2.3 miles.

“We just had to believe in ourselves and believe in the guy right next to them,” Rodriguez said. “We came into the game physical, and our guys just believed.”

Granada Hills (2-2) was led by Adeleye, whose downhill breakaway speed and physicality were on display. Adeleye rushed for 211 yards and all four touchdowns, including 178 yards in the first half. He scored a 56-yard touchdown, and Granada Hills led 12-6 with 2:18 to play. But the Highlanders were 0-for-2 on 2-point conversion attempts in the first half.

Granada Hills had a chance to score on its 6-yard line midway through the fourth quarter before a snap was launched four yards backwards. The Highlanders were penalized for 12 men on the field on the next play.

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“I feel like we put out a really good game plan, but honestly we beat ourselves,” Adeleye said. “The turnovers in this game are on us. We will fix it.”

Senior Aidyn Peeples ran for a 6-yard touchdown. Rodriguez orchestrated an 11-play, 75-yard drive set up by a 4-yard touchdown with 10 seconds before halftime, and Kennedy led 13-12.

Kennedy struggled snapping the football at first but had zero trouble gaining steam behind an offensive line spearheaded by 6-foot-4, 280-pound senior blocker Christopher Cabrera Jr.

Cabrera’s kickout blocks set the tone for Kennedy and allowed Rodriguez to move into open space. Rodriguez ran for 76 yards.

“It’s a credit to how hard our defensive line works in practice,” Cabrera said.

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Kennedy coach Troy Cassidy explained just how dynamic and successful Cabrera was in generating the holes Rodriguez needed to keep Granada Hills off balance.

“He’s a kid that’s come a long way,” Cassidy said. “We are very excited to see his growth this year as a player. Hopefully he continues to get better and better.”

Kennedy opens Valley Mission League play next Friday at Van Nuys, and Granada Hills will host Fairfax in week four.