A late flurry of points by visiting Oakland Tech made the final score a bit closer, but it was host Tennyson with the highlight reel plays and a 42-38 victory in its final non-league game of the year.
The Lancers were able to run the ball well all night, averaging over nine yards per carry. That was no doubt aided by one of the top runs this season, a 71-yard scoring jaunt by senior Jakobe Harris which probably covered at least 150 yards on the field. Harris spun out of trouble along the right sideline, broke multiple tackles, and then reversed field and outran defenders down the left sideline. He finished the night with 116 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, added two receptions for 25 yards and a score, and for good measure connected with junior quarterback Mustafa Nassirruddin on what turned out to be a 55-yard touchdown pass when all was said and done.
"That run might have been the best I have seen in my 25 years of coaching," said Tennyson coach Terry Smith. "I tell Jakobe just to run and react. I can't tell him not to reverse field, because you see what he can do. He's a great receiver as well, and just an overall great athlete, someone who can easily dunk a basketball too."
While Harris' long run was crucial to the outcome, so was a play that Smith calls their 'funky screen', an overloaded quick screen to Harris on the left side of the formation, while Nassirruddin slipped out of the backfield towards the right sideline after making the backwards throw. Harris allowed the defense to close in on him before throwing back across the field to Nassirruddin, who raced down the right sideline for the 55-yard score. The junior signal-caller also had a big night, combining the long scoring reception with a 14-carry, 108-yard effort on the ground plus 90 yards and a touchdown through the air.
"Mustafa's role model coming up was Christian Silva," said Smith, referring to his ex-signal caller who led the Lancers to a WACC-Foothill title in 2015. "He emulates some of the same things that Christian was able to do."
For the second straight week, Tennyson was tested by a big, fast, and physical opponent, but rebounded from last week's loss to Jefferson, as the Lancers will take the next week off to prepare for WACC-Shoreline play.
"These are big teams we have seen, college-type kids we have been going against," Smith added. "These challenges have definitely gotten us ready for league play."
Harris' big night against Oakland Tech was not limited to the offensive side, as he added a pair of interceptions on defense. Nassirruddin and Quincy Bass each added a pick, while junior Carlos Gonzalez had two sacks for the Tennyson defensive front.
The Lancers open league play on Sep. 28 against Alameda, while Oakland Tech is off until Oct. 5, when it faces Oakland in the OAL opener for both teams.
