St. Francis Escapes Kenwood in Season Opener

by: Michael Sanders

It wasn’t easy, but St. Francis left Chicago with a 38-34 win over Kenwood to open their season on Thursday night.

The story of the night was Kenyonte Louis. The Broncos’ sophomore put on a monster performance despite the loss — rushing for 161 yards and three touchdowns on just 13 carries, while also hauling in 161 receiving yards. Lawrence Carr added 100 receiving yards of his own, keeping Kenwood’s offense alive against the higher-ranked Spartans.

St. Francis, ranked 23rd in Illinois compared to Kenwood’s 95th, came in as the favorite, but Kenwood pushed them to the wire in a back-and-forth battle that wasn’t decided until the final minutes.

What’s next:

• St. Francis (1-0) will face Mt. Zion Prep Academy on Sept. 6 at 1:30 p.m.

• Kenwood (0-1) looks to rebound on Sept. 5 against Saint Viator at 7:30 p.m.

Bottom line: St. Francis survived, but Kenwood — led by Louis’ breakout — proved they’re not to be overlooked this season.