ANAHEIM – Irvine senior quarterback Sina Saferzadeh rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass to lead the Vaqueros to a 36-15 win over Kennedy on Thursday at Western High.
It was the final nonleague game for both teams.
Irvine improved to 4-1. Kennedy is 3-2.
Saferzadeh completed 10 of 13 passes and carried the ball 19 times. Irvine junior running back Seamus Hoffman rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Kennedy senior running back Isaac Talamantes rushed for 142 yards on 18 carries.
Saferzadeh was pleased with Irvine’s performance in several areas.
“We were physical,” Safterzadeh said. “Our offensive line really put on a show. They were making me comfortable.
“Our receivers were making some great catches and our defense really brings it. And also our special teams were executing.”
Irvine opened the game with a persistent drive.
The Vaqueros took the opening kickoff and covered 93 yards in 17 plays and consumed 11 minutes and 29 seconds. They finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Saferzadeh to senior tight end Cole Riedel. A Saferzadeh-to-Riedel pass for two points gave Irvine an 8-0 lead.
Kennedy fumbled the ball away on its first play from scrimmage. Cameron Galatioto recovered it for Irvine at the Kennedy 6-yard line. A 5-yard run by Seamus Hoffman was the final play of the first quarter, and a 1-yard sneak by Saferzadeh was the first play of the second quarter for a 15-0 Vaqueros lead.
The Fighting Irish got a 43-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Derek Almazan to senior receiver Kane Makhlouf. A two-point conversion pass from Almazan to Makhlouf made it Irvine 15, Kennedy 8.
Saferzadeh scored on a 16-yard run to push the Irvine lead to 22-8.
The Fighting Irish lost Almazan and Makhlouf to injury during the second quarter. Almazan suffered a left wrist injury. Makhlouf wound up on the trainer’s table with his left shin wrapped in an ice pack.
Kennedy got a 1-yard touchdown run from second-string quarterback Gabriel Roman to make it 22-15 early in the third quarter.
Saferzadeh’s third touchdown run, another 1-yard sneak, made it 29-15 with 3:37 left in the third quarter. Seamus Hoffman’s 5-yard touchdown run with 1:28 remaining in the game concluded the scoring.
Dylan Nguyen had a first-half interception and was 4 for 4 on extra-point kicks for Irvine. Smith Spivey had a second-half interception for the Vaqueros.
Kennedy already was shorthanded before the game. Starting running back Mahseiah Banks has a broken wrist and is out for a few more weeks. Starting receiver and linebacker Rocco Street is out for the season because of an ACL tear.
Irvine last season finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Iota League. Kenney was a Lambda League co-champion last year.
Both teams do not play next week. Irvine plays its Iota League opener on Oct. 3 against Santa Ana at Irvine High. Kennedy plays its Lambda League opener on Oct. 3 against Valencia at Valencia High.
It is common for football teams in six-team leagues like the Iota and Lambda leagues that teams take their bye week between the end of nonleague play and their league openers.
