Guam routs JFK in tuneup for AA semis
Hours before boarding a flight to Okinawa, Jason Brunson and Guam High secured a second straight third-place finish in the Interscholastic Football League playoffs and momentum heading into Tuesday’s Far East Class AA semifinal vs. Seoul American.
Brunson, a senior running back, shredded John F. Kennedy’s defense for 175 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries, and also returned a fumble 35 yards for a TD as the Panthers routed the Islanders 42-0 in Friday’s game at Panthers Field.
Coming six days after Guam High’s 20-12 IFL semifinal loss to Father Duenas, coach Billy Henry said Friday’s victory struck “a good note” entering the Class AA playoffs.
“We were shell-shocked” after the loss to the Friars, “but we rallied them in practice. The only mistake you make is the one you don’t recover from. We as coaches told them that they have to learn to recover, and they made it happen.”
Brunson ran 80 yards for a TD on the game’s first play. He added a 50-yard scoring run plus his fumble-return TD, and Aaron Cosey dashed 45 yards for a TD as the Panthers led 27-0 at halftime.
D.J. Cruz replaced Brunson in the second half and gained 105 yards on six carries, including a short third-quarter TD run. Cosey passed 15 yards to Devon Jacobs for the game’s final score.
Guam High plays Seoul American in the first all-in-one-location Class AA playoff in Tuesday’s semifinal. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m.
