Seamount League | Kennedy wins, earns title share

RENTON — Five turnovers, one major injury and an off night for quarterback Justin Gunn added up to a tough night for eighth-ranked Renton in its bid to finish unbeaten in Seamount League games.

Tre Watson and Nolan Washington each ran for two Kennedy touchdowns as the Lancers earned a share of the league title with a 35-29 win over the Indians Thursday night at Renton Stadium.

The win likely earned the league's No. 2 seed in postseason play for the Lancers (6-3 overall, 6-1 league). The Indians (7-2, 6-1) missed a chance to pick up the top seed and instead likely will enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed. Ninth-ranked Evergreen would get the No. 1 seed if it won its late game against Tyee.

A 42-yard return of an interception by Derick Lewis gave Kennedy a 35-13 lead with three minutes left.

Gunn, who had fewer than 100 yards passing at that point, rallied his team with two touchdown passes and two two-point conversion passes in the closing minutes but could not overcome the huge deficit.

Gunn finished with 245 yards on 14-of-28 passing with three TDs and two interceptions, both which glanced off the hands of receivers. The Indians, who had won six straight, also lost three fumbles.

"We hurt ourselves," Renton coach Terry Metcalf said. "We had a couple of caught passes that we turned into interceptions, and we put the ball on the ground. Kennedy took advantage of the opportunities when we made mistakes."

The Lancers, who have not lost to Renton since 1990, led 14-13 early in the fourth quarter and faced fourth-and-one on its own 10. An encroachment call on Renton gave Kennedy a first down and, two plays later, Watson broke through the middle for an 83-yard scoring run and a 21-13 lead.

Two plays later Ryan Laurencio, who also picked off a pass on the game's third play, recovered a Renton fumble inside the Indians 20. Washington ran a bootleg around left end in for a 10-yard touchdown.

The game included a 20-minute delay midway through the third quarter when senior Antwone Hackett fell awkwardly after leaping for pass and was carried away on a stretcher. Metcalf said Hackett was taken to an area hospital for a precautionary examination.

Watson led Kennedy with 184 yards rushing on 23 carries. He scored two plays after Gunn's first interception on a 19-yard run for the game's first score after less than two minutes had been played.

Gunn rushed for a 6-yard score in the first quarter. He hit Gregory Coleman (11 yards), Torrey Jackson (41) and Darien Irby (16) with TD passes.