Rosemont Defeats Kennedy in First League Game

The Rosemont Wolverines football team won when it mattered, coming out on top of its first league game against the Kennedy Cougars 26-13 Friday at .

Rosemont, the defending Metro League champion, has lost its first three games of the season, but with this league win, the Wolverines can start their season toward the top of the league standings.

Rosemont head coach Rick Wanlin said that gaining control on offense and defense was key to victory.

“Our goal today was to come in, establish a tempo on offense, establish control of the ball, control of the clock and we did that,” Wanlin said. “We got some long and sustained drives from our running game that we haven’t had all year. On defense, it was ‘contain the speed,’ and try to create turnovers and I think we forced six turnovers for the game.”

With this win, Wanlin hopes to gain more victories throughout the season leading up to their matchup against Burbank.

“A win solves everything–it’s a building block,” Wanlin said. “Next week we have Valley and I think we can get another win next week and hopefully we can keep winning until we get to Burbank. That’s our big goal: get to Burbank and have at it for the league title.”

Kennedy head coach Henry Lusk said after the game that his team couldn’t execute its plays, but he does not point the finger at any particular group.

“I honestly feel that what deterred us was that we just needed two or three more plays to get us over that hump and we just couldn’t make them, that’s all,” Lusk said. "There were some questionable calls, but our kids just like to play football.

“I don’t want to be picking on them, I don’t blame them, I’d blame the coaching staff before I blame the kids. I think everybody worked hard tonight–the kids, we just didn’t go all the way.”

Lusk said that the team is also struggling with being consistent in making plays and they’re trying to work on making good plays without giving up so many afterward.

For Wanlin, he said he always enjoys playing against Kennedy, the school he coached before coaching Rosemont.

“I have some ties with Kennedy, a lot of the players and coaches I don’t know, with the exception of a couple. It’s always fun playing them–I don’t want to lose to them,” Wanlin said with a laugh. “I haven’t lost to them yet as head coach here, but they’re getting better and getting tougher every year, so it keeps getting harder and harder to beat them.

“Of course our work differs–coached here seven years and I’ve coached there for about seven years. I love playing them and it’s always fun to play them.”

Rosemont hopes to gain another league win as the Wolverines travel to Valley for its next game Sept. 30. The Wolverines come back home Oct. 14 to host Sacramento High School for this year’s homecoming game.