Frankenstein Football Carries Lighthouse To Beat East Valley High

Pat Cannon is not a QB. He's a skater.

But the junior ran in a touchdown Monday to complete Lighthouse Christian Academy's 38-14 final win over East Valley High School in North Hollywood.

This is Frankenstein football at its finest, a team sewn together of diverse body parts to make a fearsome monster. There are kids from Africa, from soccer backgrounds, from video gamers, from art class, from anywhere to fill an 8-man football roster out of LCA's mighty student population of... 45.

Pat is nearly a pro skater. So what is he doing jeopardizing his future on the bruising battlefield known as the gridiron?

"I don't know," he says. "I wasn't gonna play. But on the rafting trip I was throwing the football, and they said I was throwing good. So I tried it out, and I loved it."

Pat's used to dropping into swimming pools, not dropping into end zones.

"When you're in the game, you feel like you have super powers or something. You feel a little scared in the beginning, but when you start playing you feel like you can do anything. It feels like you have way more adrenaline, like you're running away from someone you're scared of."

Super powers?

Hmmm, sounds like Pat's caught the bug.

Lighthouse scored three TDs -- the last of which was Pat's -- to cement their victory. Monday's game was unusual because it was the second half of a game started Friday night that was canceled by the public school system because of lightning on the horizon. In the first half, the Saints were up 20-6. Since the East Valley Falcons didn't accept the loss, CIF ordered the second half be played Monday.

In the second half, both teams basically doubled their scores.

How does Lighthouse combine such oddball players to win games? Some of it is coaching, and team spirit, and size and speed. There is some talent all over the field.

But honestly, coaches are a little skeptical about making a run in playoffs because of the lack of experience.

But maybe a man of steel will come flying through.

Here's Lighthouse's season-ending victory over Brethren Christian of Huntington Beach. Here's LCA's playoff hopes-dashing game against Hillcrest. Read about the lightning-interrupted first half of Lighthouse's game against East Valley High. Read about LCA's loss to Calvary Baptist La Verne. Here's an article about how sidelined team captain willed the Saints to victory over Cal Lutheran HS of Wildomar. This is the article of how LCA powerhouse Marcus Scribner was injured and how the Saints beat Teach Academy anyhow. This article talks about how Coach Zach Scribner lost his house but won two games. Read about how one player learned to have a good attitude as LCA overcame Discovery Prep. Lighthouse Christian Academy opened with a loss here.