Playing in his first game in almost a year, quarterback Matt Dougherty rallied the St. Francis High football team to a 35-28 season-opening win over visiting Central Catholic Friday night.
Dougherty, injured in the Lancers’ upset of De La Salle last September, threw three second-half touchdowns Friday – two of them to receiver Andrew Adkison – to help his team overcome a 14-7 halftime deficit.
Shaking off an early interception and what appeared to be a lower-leg injury in the first half, the senior QB completed all five of his passes in the second half – despite wearing a knee brace. For the game, Dougherty was 10-of-15 passing for 201 yards.
Adkison caught half of those passes for 140 yards and two TDs, and fellow senior Riley Long caught the rest of them for 61 yards and a score. Long’s 22-yard TD – coupled with Christopher Han’s extra point – tied the game at 28 early in the fourth quarter, and Adkison’s 24-yard score put St. Francis ahead for good with 8:48 remaining.
Keala Keanaaina rushed for 88 yards on 14 carries and Kamau Julien added 86 yards on 11 attempts. Both senior running backs scored a touchdown.
Sophomore linebacker Jackson Cahoon and senior safety Junior Fiaui set the tone on defense with several big hits. Fiaui also tipped a pass that was picked off by senior cornerback Andrew Carrasquillo, who returned it 72 yards in the third.
The Lancers are scheduled to host Monterey Trail (0-2) of Elk Grove 7 p.m. Friday.
