There was nothing fancy about the way the Capital Cougars took down the Wilson Rams on Friday night at Stadium Bowl.
The high school football game came down to blocking and tackling, and the Cougars were simply better at both, earning a 34-21 win by the time the dust settled.
The victory, which moved the Cougars to 4-2 on the season, was highlighted by running back Conner Kennedy’s 269 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. On a night when the senior running back averaged 12.8 yards per rush, Kennedy eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season — 1,126, to be exact — and notched his ninth score.
The Cougars finished with 326 yards on the ground, with senior Ryan Rieta adding 72 yards on 15 carries. Junior quarterback Cody Jenkins threw for 63 yards and a touchdown.
For Capital, it was what coach John Johnson called the team’s first “complete” offensive game of the season.
“We got our offense going,” said Johnson. “Conner’s been doing great, but we haven’t been able to do some other things, so tonight we put a full game together. Offensively I was very, very happy.”
The loss was Wilson’s first of the season, dropping the Rams to 5-1. It pivoted on exactly what longtime coach Don Clegg expected it might — the battle in the trenches. Up front the Rams’ defense struggled to maintain the line of scrimmage and get off blocks, while constant pressure from the Cougars’ defense made it hard for Wilson’s playmakers to get going.
“Like I said, they’re a pretty good offensive line and defensive line, and No. 32 (Kennedy) runs hard,” said Clegg. “The line dictated the outcome of the game.”
Wilson senior running back Zavia Frazier totaled 103 yards and one touchdown on the ground, while quarterback Julius Yates-Brown was 9 for 20 passing for 124 yards and two interceptions. The senior added 43 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
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