"Rio Hondo Prep, with only 82 students, fell to undefeated Sonora 35-10 in the Division 2-A state championship after averaging 39 points all season. Star running back Noah Penunuri, who entered with nearly 2,000 yards, managed just 12 carries because of two bad ankles, crippling the Kares' ground attack. Sonora extended its state-leading winning streak to 22 consecutive games, showcasing why the defending champion remains among California's small-school football elite."
"Only 82 boys attend Rio Hondo Prep, yet the Kares (15-1) have grown accustomed to beating schools with much larger enrollments - as they did two weeks earlier in a 29-7 victory over Redondo Union for their 17th Southern Section title. Entering Saturday's showdown they were averaging 39 points a game, but for the first time all season they faced an opponent that was able to bottle up their running backs and force them to throw - not their bread and butter."
Sonora defeated Rio Hondo Prep 35-10 to win the Division 2-A state championship in Mission Viejo, extending its state-leading winning streak to 22 games. Rio Hondo Prep, with only 82 students and a 15-1 record, entered averaging 39 points per game but saw its ground attack crippled when star running back Noah Penunuri managed just 12 carries because of two bad ankles. Sonora bottled up the Kares' running game and forced them to pass, producing sacks and two interceptions of quarterback Yanick Diaz. Diaz connected on a 46-yard touchdown pass to Elias Har with 53 seconds remaining.
#high-school-football #cif-state-championship #sonora-wildcats #rio-hondo-prep #small-school-athletics
Read at Los Angeles Times
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