Monday Morning Lights: How St. Francis carried its injured star RB to a championship

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ST. FRANCIS: BROTHERLY BOND FOR CCS CHAMPS

For three months this fall, St. Francis rode the legs and brute strength of star running back Kingston Keanaaina.

Friday night, the Lancers paid him back.

With Keanaaina unable to play in the second half of the Central Coast Section Division I championship game because of a shoulder injury, the Lancers turned to a younger duo that included Keanaaina’s brother, sophomore Motu Keanaaina.

The night ended with big brother celebrating a championship and sharing what he said to the team in the locker room at halftime, when it was clear the injury he suffered a week earlier against St. Ignatius and tried to play through in the first half Friday was too painful to continue.

“I am not going to lie, I wasn’t sure I could go this whole game today,” Keanaaina said. “But just being able to persevere, then at halftime, I let my team know. I told them, ‘Everybody’s got to step up. I am trying my best right now, but I don’t know if I am able to go.’

“I’ve got 100 percent trust in my team.”

Keanaaina spoke with pride about his brother’s impact during the 27-7 victory over Los Gatos at San Jose City College, a triumph that gave St. Francis its record 17th CCS title but first in a decade.

“To be able to rely on my little brother, somewhat hand him the keys to St. Francis, I knew he was able to do this all season,” Keanaaina said. “Really, nothing new.”

Keanaaina said he’ll rehab all week and hopes to play in this weekend’s NorCal regionals.

If he can’t go at home against Grant-Sacramento on Friday, he knows the Lancers are in good hands.

Outside the winning locker room Friday, Motu was asked what his brother told him before the second half.

“He told me, ‘Go represent my last name,’” Motu said.

Represent he did.

— Darren Sabedra

WILCOX: STARTING QB ROOTS TEAMMATES TO VICTORY FROM SIDELINE

Kai Imahara wanted more than anything to be on the field for Wilcox’s CCS Division II championship game matchup against Palma on Saturday.

But that wasn’t a possibility this time. Imahara had to miss his third straight game after suffering a shoulder injury three weeks prior in a contest with Menlo-Atherton. 

So instead, he did everything he could to will his team to a win on the Chargers’ sideline. Imahara has continued to root on and help his teammates in whichever ways he can while he recovers.

“It’s getting better slowly,” Imahara said. “I gotta say one, two more weeks. I’m trying to get back quick. I miss it, man. You just have to be a great teammate. Once you get injured, you can’t sulk about. You’ve got to step up, especially in the playoffs. You have to keep on cheering, get the energy up.”

Wilcox’s energy was down at the half after Palma took a 20-7 lead. Imahara was committed to doing his part to help reverse that trend.

“In that locker room, at first, it was not good energy because of what happened,” he said. “But after we got the speech (from our coach), we just turned it up.”

That they did. Wilcox scored three consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter, then held on to win 35-26. Imahara’s emotions were joyful after the game, with a tinge of wistfulness.

“Of course, there’s sadness, because I want to play,” he reflected. “But there’s just joy. It’s great to be on a team that’s this great, that even if you get injured, you can just watch them win. To see them come back from that deficit is a great thing. It’s a great feeling.”

– Christian Babcock

LOS GATOS-ST. FRANCIS: RESPECT EXTENDS BEYOND THE GRIDIRON

Los Gatos and St. Francis weren’t friends for 48 minutes on Friday night.

The Wildcats and Lancers battled it out for the CCS Division I championship, with St. Francis prevailing 27-7. But afterward, there was plenty of mutual respect.

One notable example came from St. Francis quarterback Aaron Knapp. Knapp had just thrown for 156 yards and a touchdown while running for another to lead the Lancers to victory. But while basking in the glow of the title win, he took some time to show respect to the opposition.

“Los Gatos, great program,” Knapp said. “Shoutout coach (Mark) Krail. He’s an awesome human being. He’s done a lot of great things for me and my family. I really respect that program over there. Being a South Bay guy, this one means a lot to come get it in my home city.”

Knapp noted that Krail supported him when he was battling cancer ahead of his junior season. It’s a fight Knapp won, enabling him to continue with his football career.

So after the biggest win of his football life, Knapp made sure to give credit to those who supported him off the field when he needed it most – even if they were standing on the other sideline.

“We have some mutual friends, and he’s been really supportive through all my health battles,” Knapp said. “So I really appreciate him and the program he’s got going on.”

– Christian Babcock

PITTSBURG: PIRATES BUMPING KENDRICK LAMAR

Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez didn’t get a chance to listen to rapper Kendrick Lamar’s new album “GNX” when it first released just over a week ago, but he made sure to make it the Pirates’ anthem going into their NCS Division I championship game against San Ramon Valley. 

“I’m just a big Kendrick Lamar fan and the kids give me a hard time because I made him our come out song for home games,” Ramirez said. “But that’s where I rock.” 

The flamboyant, West Coast album seemed to have made some impact on Pittsburg as the Pirates defeated SRV 35-28 to capture the program’s fourth consecutive NCS Division I title. 

“We were listening to it everywhere,” Pittsburg linebacker Jewelous Walls said. “Locker room, practice, film sessions. We just had to add that mindset.”

– Nathan Canilao

SAN RAMON VALLEY: MARCO JONES CHERISHES SENIOR SEASON

SRV linebacker Marco Jones’s high school football career came to an end on Friday night, but he will go down as one of the best players to come out of the Danville program. 

Jones, a Texas A&M commit, will finish his senior season with over 120 tackles and 10.5 sacks. 

“It was a fun ride for three years while I was on varsity,” Jones said after SRV’s loss to Pittsburg on Friday night. “It’s a really close brotherhood. We spent a lot of time together, hard workouts conditioning in the summers. It’s been a great time.”

– Nathan Canilao