Jeannette alumni help Lackawanna to Junior College title game

Robert Kennedy walked off the field at Clairton in the last regular-season game of his senior season feeling dejected and disappointed.

He remembers the haunting glow on the scoreboard that read: Clairton 40, Jeannette 6.

“I fully take responsibility for that loss,” Kennedy said. “I remember I threw two or three interceptions. I’ll never forget that game.”

While irritating, the defeat ended up being benign, and its effects were fleeting as Jeannette went on to win WPIAL and PIAA Class A championships that year.

The Clairton defeat was Oct. 27, 2017.

That was the last time Kennedy lost a football game.

Two years into his college football career at Lackawanna, winning is all he knows.

The sophomore defensive back — and two other local players — have helped lead Scranton-based Lackawanna to the National Junior College Athletic Association Football Championship.

No. 2 Lackawanna (10-0) will play No. 1 Mississippi Gulf Coast (11-0) on Dec. 5 at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, Kan.

The other players from the area are Kareem Hall, a sophomore running back and another Jeannette alum, and freshman lineman Scott Houseman, a Yough graduate.

Speaking of distant previous defeats, Lackawanna has not been beaten since Oct. 28, 2017. The Falcons take a 22-game winning streak into the title game.

They finished 11-0 last season, capping the year with a victory in the El Toro Bowl.

“It’s been surreal,” Kennedy said. “I honestly think about it every time we win, and it’s so unreal because losing is my No. 1 worst feeling.”

Kennedy has five of the Falcons’ nation-leading 28 interceptions. The team has eight defensive touchdowns.

His personal win streak stands at 27.

“The streak symbolizes happiness,” Kennedy said. “I feel I am at an all-time high because winning means so much to me.”

Kennedy has 29 tackles, 3½ sacks and two forced fumbles. His continued playmaking has caught the attention of Division I programs. FBS Massachusetts and FCS programs in Duquesne, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Albany and Tennessee-Martin have offered him scholarships.

“To be this close to a national championship is a very exciting thing,” Kennedy said. “I had a state championship, and now I have to work to become a national champion so I’m looking forward to holding that (title).”

After quality play on a line that has helped the Falcons rush for 178.8 yards per game, Houseman also has seen an uptick in interest from the FCS level.

Delaware State, Merrimack, Robert Morris and St. Francis (Pa.) have offered him.

Houseman did not experience much success in high school and was sidelined by injuries late in his prep career, so playing such a large-scale game is a big deal to him.

“It’s really a exciting feeling,” Houseman said, “All the hard work that was put in this year has really paid off. The guys the year before really paved the way for us to get where we are.”

Hall ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns in an 83-0 win over Erie Community College. An injury slowed his progress, but he said he is returning to form for the Falcons, who put up 45.5 points a game.

“It has been good,” Hall said. “Through the first four games, I had 220 yards and four touchdowns. I missed five games and played in the last game of the season. I’ll be healthy for the national championship.”

Hall said having a chance to play for a national title alongside Kennedy makes it more special.

“We’re on the No. 2 JUCO team together and get to play on the biggest stage,” he said. “It’s a blessing.”

Former Ligonier Valley star quarterback Collin Smith transferred to Lackawanna from West Virginia but has left the program and no longer is enrolled at the school.

Lackawanna coach Mark Duda recruited players like Kennedy to produce results, increase recruiting and ultimately create a winner. This will be the Falcons’ first national title game appearance.

“This is the final step for a program that has worked so hard for so long,” said Duda, who has been with the program since 1993. “Our program has consistently gotten better over the last 27 years. Slowly but surely, we’ve gained credibility.”

CBS Sports Network will televise the national championship.