SAN FRANCISCO — If California high school football was only played for 24 minutes, St. Francis wouldn’t have had a chance.
The Lancers sure are pleased they got 24 more on Friday night. Trailing 13-0 at the half to St. Ignatius in San Francisco, the Lancers overcame minus-9 first-half rushing yards to roar back in the second half and beat the home Wildcats 27-13.
So what exactly did St. Francis coach Greg Calcagno say to his team at halftime?
“We talked about how we had shot ourselves in the foot,” Calcagno said. “They had punched us in the mouth pretty good. We needed to relax and go do what we do. We got into a heavier set, three tight-end set, and Kingston busted it like he does, and now we’re back in the game.”
St. Francis’ Kingston Keanaaina #2 busts tackles for a 60-yard run against St. Ignatius in the 2nd half, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
Lancers star running back Kingston Keanaaina, he of three 300-yard games this season, ran for minus-1 yard on 12 carries in the first half. On the first play of the second half, he ran 80 yards down the right sideline for a touchdown.
That play transformed the tenor of a game that had been an offensive slog in the first half. Though a fumble gave SI its second touchdown late in the second quarter, neither team was putting forth an offensive masterclass.
But in the second half, St. Francis delivered a gritty tour de force on the ground. Keanaaina rushed for 218 yards by himself to turn the contest in favor of the Lancers.
“As a team, coming into that second half, we had to believe in ourselves,” Keanaaina said. “And I feel like we did what we had to. It’s a mindset we have in every practice, every play can be the play, so keep going. Also, my team motivates me every single time. Seeing the defense go on and get three-and-outs, that really motivated me, gives me no reason to give up.”
St. Ignatius’ Jarious Hogan #6 tries to turn the corner on St. Francis’ Kevin Keanaaina #34, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif., (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
St. Ignatius (5-2, 3-1 WCAL) was in control early after Jarious Hogan’s 3-yard touchdown run paid off a 35-yard drive that put the Wildcats up 7-0. The Cats’ defense took over from there.
St. Francis finished the first half with 20 total yards. The Lancers had twice as many penalty yards (40) and fumbled inside the 5-yard line to set up Hogan’s second score of the game, another 3-yard run right before the half.
“It’s very interesting, because we actually played a better first half this game,” said SI coach Lenny Vandermade. “Usually, we play a better second half. Kudos to them. They made the adjustments they needed to, executed down the stretch and really made their plays. In big games like this, it comes down to a handful of plays. We missed ours and they made theirs, and that’s the difference.”
St. Francis (6-1, 4-0 WCAL) made just about all the big plays in the second half. Keanaaina’s long TD run was the flashy spark that ignited the Lancers’ offense, and the fire burned brightly until the end of the game.
St. Francis quarterback Aaron Knapp #12 escapes the pocket in the 3rd quarter against St. Ignatius, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif., (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
Keanaaina added another rushing score on a 4-yard run late in the third quarter, tying the score at 13-13. That was a bad omen for the Wildcats.
In the fourth quarter, St. Francis grasped full control. Aaron Knapp hit a wide-open Grant Righellis down the seam for a 63-yard TD through the air and later snuck in a score after Keanaaina set the Lancers up at the 1-yard line with a 60-yard run.
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“I was super proud of them,” Calcagno said. “They didn’t turn on each other. They believed. They’ve got a great belief. We’ll keep fighting, because we’ve done it in multiple games. We found a way, which was nice.”
Keanaaina found his groove in the second half, finishing with 217 yards rushing on 35 carries. Though he ran backwards overall in the first half, SI’s defensive dam parted like the Red Sea for him in the final two quarters. The Wildcats weren’t stopping Keanaaina 35 times in a row.
“That’s what my team needed out of me as a leader,” Keanaaina said of his 80-yard TD to open the third quarter. “I need to be able to step up in times where we may be down. Being able to do that really set the tone for the second half.”
St. Ignatius quarterback Soren Hummel runs against St. Francis in the 4th quarter, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
St. Ignatius’ Jarious Hogan #6 gains 8 yards during an opening touchdown drive against St. Francis, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif., (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
St. Ignatius’s Zui Shelton #3 is tackled by St. Francis’ Quentin Robinson #20 in the 3rd quarter, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
St. Ignatius quarterback Soren Hummel passes against St. Francis in the 3rd quarter, Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group