ORANGE — Jack Keays had waited for months for the moment, the first chance to get his hands on a football in a varsity game.
And he fumbled it.
Keays would more than make up for it. He passed for 219 yards and three touchdowns in El Modena’s 45-0 win over Canyon on Thursday, the first day of the season long delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The game was played at newly-renovated Fred Kelly Stadium on the El Modena High campus.
-
Tom Leonard (11), left, and Aiden Ruiz (40) of El Modena stop Canyon running back Keyshawn Tresvant (22) in a game at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Tom Leonard (11) and Jack Keays (8) of El Modena celebrate after Leonard scored a touchdown in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Zane Metoyer (4) of El Modena catches a pass just short of the goal line in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Owen Smith (5) of El Modena rolls into the end zone for a touchdown in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Fox Haugen (7) of Canyon runs into the end zone as he taunts Ray Sanchez (20) of El Modena in a game at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. The touch down was called back due to a Canyon penalty. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Sam Astor (30) of El Modena loses control of the ball at the goal line but was able to fall on the ball in the end zone for a touch down in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Canyon quarterback Christian Lundsberg (12) throws a pass in a game against El Modena at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Sam Astor (30) of El Modena scores a touch down in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Chase Bassett (51) of El Modena moves to pickup a fumble and score a touchdown in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
El Modena High football players celebrate after Chase Bassett (51) scored a touchdown after pickup up a fumble in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Kyle Krause (18) of Canyon runs against the El Modena defense in a game at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
-
Owen Smith (5), left, and Chris Harm (44) of El Modena celebrated after Smith scored a touchdown in a game against Canyon at the newly renovated Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Catching the three touchdown passes were sophomores Blake Armstrong and Sam Astor and senior Tom Leonard. Keays, a 6-foot, 205-pound senior, also ran for a 9-yard touchdown and senior defensive tackle Chase Bassett picked up a Canyon fumble at the Comanches 1-yard line and stepped into the end zone for another touchdown.
El Modena sophomore running back Owen Smith rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown. Senior kicker Andrew Guzman added a 35-yard field goal and was 6 for 6 on extra-point attempts.
After taking the opening kickoff El Modena was at its 32 for its first play since Nov. 8 of 2019. Keays took the snap and suddenly the ball flew loose and was recovered by Canyon.
Keays was stunned.
“I was like, ‘How in the world did that happen?’” Keays said. “’You’ve waited so long for this. How do you fumble on the first play?’”
Keays was steady after that, completing 17 of 22 passes to eight different receivers.
The Vanguards, 5-6 last season, play El Dorado in a nonleague game next Friday, March 19 at El Modena. Canyon, 2-9 last season, plays Foothill at Tustin High on March 19.
After the opening-possession turnover, El Modena scored touchdowns on its next three possessions. Smith crossed the goal line on a 4-yard run, Astor caught a 15-yard touchdown pass, Keays scored on his 9-yard run and Leonard scored on a 10-yard reception. Amidst those offensive scores was Bassett’s fumble recovery for a touchdown.
It was 35-0 at halftime. Guzman kicked his field goal in the third quarter and Keays connected with Armstrong for a 10-yard touchdown pass with five seconds left in the quarter to conclude the scoring.
Both teams had more than 100 yards in penalties, perhaps a product of the long period between the teams’ previous games and Thursday’s season opener.
El Modena’s defense had eight tackles for losses, which pleased Vanguards coach Matt Mitchell.
“We’ve been trying to be physical in practice while staying healthy,” Mitchell said. “I thought we played with a lot of energy and we played hard. There was a lot of excitement after this long break.”
Keays said the Vanguards were pumped up for the opportunity to play again.
“We were just like some caged animals, ready to play,” he said. “We’ve been working hard and staying hopeful that we could have a season, and all that preparation has paid off.”
from Irvine Business Signs https://ift.tt/3bHF9xm
via Irvine Sign Company
