Winning another one for a fallen teammate: Kennedy football beats River City in finale
The season started in Greenhaven with sorrow and tears, and it ended 27 days later on the same field, at the same hour, with joyous tears and the image of linemen doing cartwheels.
Kennedy High School capped a whirlwind spring football season heavy on heartache with a feeling of unity and triumph, topping River City 6-0 in a season finale of Metro League clubs.
Said Kennedy senior defensive back and captain Kywan Cook, “We’re celebrating now, and we know who it is we celebrate and honor.”
That would by Manny Antwi, Kennedy’s senior center and team comedian who collapsed during an opening-night win over Johnson on March 19 for reasons still not fully understood. He died at UC Davis Medical Center, breaking the hearts of teammates and coaches who loved him, but not completely buckling them.
Kennedy players voted to continue the season when no one would have blamed them for not continuing. Teenagers are supposed to enjoy this time of their lives, not mourn the loss of a team leader and a good student.
This was senior night, and public address announcer/athletic director Dave Parsh read off the names and personal quotes of 11 Kennedy seniors at the half, each of them lined up at midfield. The last one mentioned was Antwi, who planned to study engineering in college, who was praised for never missing a practice in four seasons and played his finest game in the last one he’d ever compete in.
Said Kennedy senior receiver/defensive back/captain Xavier Calvin for his senior night quote, “Big thanks to my big brother Manny, who always kept me going when it got tough. Let’s love everything in life, every day. We miss you Manny.”
Cook was the only one to reach the end zone, catching an 8-yard pass from Giovanni Silva in the second quarter. River City was on the cusp of tying it, or even winning it, when David Estes scooped up a fumble and raced 66 yards down to the Kennedy 5 with 5:25 to go in the game.
On the next play, River City fumbled it through the end zone on a night when the bounces went to the Cougars. Players and coaches said later it was, “The way of Manny.”
Another Cougars captain, Xzavier Sablan, recovered a River City fumble with 2:14 left, and Cook ran out the clock, an example of his versatility. Coach Brian Lewis wanted a senior leader to end it with the ball in his hands.
“Losing Manny was hard on all of us, but he’d want us to pick ourselves up, to continue, and we did,” Cook said. “We knew we had to win this game for him and for us.”
Kennedy went 3-1 this spring, testament to Lewis, a Kennedy graduate, and his young team who kept it all together. Coaches wore face masks that had Antwi’s No. 77 on the front.
“Special kid, special team,” Lewis said. “We’ll always remember Manny. I’ve been so impressed with how the kids came together. It’s not been easy.”
River City also played with heavy hearts this season. The Raiders at midseason lost popular assistant coach Troy Lancaster to COVID-19 at 49.
“A great coach, a great man, a father and a friend,” River City coach Gabe Jimenez said. “We will all miss him.”