VAN NUYS — The Birmingham High football team came into its L.A. City Section Open Division quarterfinal matchup against Kennedy having won 54 consecutive games against City Section opponents and four of the past five Open Division titles.
The Patriots saw their championship streak interrupted last season when they lost to Narbonne in a semifinal that was later ruled a forfeit victory for Birmingham.
Birmingham was able to bounce back from last season’s early exit and keep the train rolling Friday night, routing San Fernando Valley foe Kennedy, 49-20.
Dallas Jones runs for a career-high 139 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries to anchor a Birmingham offense that rolled up 269 rushing yards.
“It’s playoff football and I don’t think you’re gonna throw it 60 times to win,” said Birmingham coach Jim Rose, whose team will host Crenshaw in a semifinal next week. “Kennedy played hard, but you gotta knock the champ out.”
Eleven of Jones’ 14 carries came in the second half.
“That 139 would not be there without my O-line,” Jones said. “If you watch the game, you’ll see the holes out there were pretty big.”
Braylen Morgan added 48 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries for the Patriots (8-3). Paul Turner had an 88-yard kick return for a touchdown on the final play of the third quarter and also had three catches for 92 yards.
“It feels great to get the win. Our defense was stepping up in the first half when our offense was lacking a little bit,” Turner said. “We knew on defense if we could make them pass more than run, it would lead to success.”
Birmingham did a nice job limiting Kennedy quarterback Diego Montes. Montes finished 21 of 33 for 207 yards with an interception and also ran the ball 18 times for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Kennedy (9-2), which trailed 21-0 at halftime, scored all of its points in the third quarter.
Birmingham quarterback Kevin Hawkins played turnover-free football, finishing 7-of-10 passing for 123 yards and rushing for 45 yards on nine carries. Hawkins also had one of Birmingham’s four sacks on defense.
Jameer Wilder had two sacks for Birmingham and also scored the final touchdown of the game. Jimmy Renteria had a blocked punt and kick in the game for Birmingham. On the blocked punt, he picked up the ball and returned it for a first-half touchdown.
Despite the loss, Kennedy takes momentum into 2026 after winning its third straight Valley Mission League title and receiving the program’s first berth in the Open Division playoff bracket. Kennedy is 55-23 since hiring Coach Troy Cassidy before the 2019 season, and he also helped lead them to its first City title in 2022.
“I’m really proud of the team,” Cassidy said. “Obviously we want to end on a high note, but I’m very proud of them for what we were able to accomplish and make it to the Open Division.”