Riding on the legs of new quarterback Zach Latimore and running backs David Leh and Andrew Blankenship, the Robert D. Edgren Eagles snapped a nine-game, five-season losing streak against the Nile C. Kinnick Red Devils on Saturday.

The three backs each ran for a touchdown and Edgren held off a fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Red Devils 20-12 at Eagles Field — the first time the Eagles have beaten Kinnick since a 27-6 victory on Nov. 2, 2001, at Yokosuka Naval Base.

“We’re pretty happy, no doubt about it,” said coach Chris Waite of the Eagles (2-3, 1-3 Japan Football League). “We played really well. We got things done. I credit the boys. They played well and showed a lot of heart.”

Also on Saturday:

Guam High snapped a two-game losing streak, racing to an 18-0 first-half lead, then holding on to beat last-place Southern 18-6. The Panthers improved to 2-2 and positioned themselves for a possible second-place finish in the Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam regular season, which ends next Saturday.The Seoul American Falcons rebounded from their first regular-season loss in 25 games, outlasting an improved Taegu American squad 38-20 to move within a half-game of DODDS-Korea league-leading Osan American.Edgren 20, Kinnick 12After going most of the season with Josh Ray, a more conventional handoff-and-pass quarterback, Waite put triple-threat speedster Latimore under center at Misawa Air Base, Japan.

Latimore paid immediate dividends by giving Edgren a lead it held thereafter with a 25-yard keeper for a third-quarter touchdown. Latimore also intercepted a pass and recovered what Waite termed a “crucial” fumble on defense.

“You’ve got to figure out how to get the ball into his hands as much as possible and no better way to do that than put him at quarterback,” Waite said. “He’s constantly pressing, trying to make things happen.”

Leh, a fullback, gave Edgren a 13-0 lead with a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter, but Kinnick rallied to slice the margin to 13-6 on tailback Larynzo Abernathy’s 7-yard TD run early in the fourth.

Blankenship capped Edgren’s scoring on a 12-yard run late in the fourth quarter. Abernathy promptly returned the kickoff 85 yards for the game’s final points.

Abernathy ran 25 times for 110 yards and had two returns for 115. Jeff Galang was 9-for-18 for 122 yards, with Chad Atchley catching five passes for 70 yards. Coach Gary Wilson said Kinnick hurt itself with eight penalties, mostly holding calls, two lost fumbles and two interceptions. The Red Devils fell to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the JFL.

“They were ready to play and we weren’t,” Wilson said. “Give credit to Edgren. They beat us in the turnover battle, they bring a lot of pressure, they hurried Jeff (Galang), they were in his face the whole game. They tackled well. They played a great game, played as a team, played great team defense.”

Guam 18, Southern 6Unlike a week earlier, when the Panthers blew an 18-7 second-half lead against Simon Sanchez, Guam High finished what it started and stands to improve its IIAAG playoff position markedly.

Ray Beria ran 21 times for 160 yards at Agat, Guam, including second-quarter touchdown runs of 7 and 19 yards. He intercepted two passes off Dolphins quarterback Travis Mesa, as did teammate Allen Moos. Jeremy Miller opened the Panthers’ scoring with a 17-yard TD strike to Chris Hoyle in the first quarter.

“They should have done this ... last week,” Guam High coach Yvonne Tyrrell said, adding that her greatest fear is a repeat of what happened after the Panthers opened the season by upsetting island power Father Duenas Memorial 14-7.

Guam High lost the next week 60-6 to three-time champion George Washington because of what Tyrrell called “cockiness” on her players’ parts.

“We can ill afford to get cocky over winning against Southern,” Tyrrell said of the winless Dolphins. “Southern is not a good litmus test. But we’re certainly happy for the win.”

Should Guam High (2-2) beat John F. Kennedy (1-3) next Saturday, and if George Washington (4-0) beats Father Duenas (3-1) and Southern (0-4) beats Simon Sanchez (2-2), both the Panthers and Father Duenas would finish 3-2 — but Guam High would finish second because it holds the tiebreakover for having beaten the Friars. “It makes it exciting,” Tyrrell said.

Seoul American 38, Taegu American 20David Smalls rambled for 181 yards on 15 carries, giving him 519 yards on 52 attempts — nearly 10 yards per carry — this season. He also ran for touchdowns of 16, 25 and 8 yards as the Falcons (2-1) rolled to a 31-6 halftime lead at Yongsan Garrison, South Korea, before holding off the scrappy Warriors (0-3) in the second half.

“They’re fast. They have three really quick running backs and a couple of good linemen,” Falcons coach Julian Harden said. “They have the makings of a good football team. They’re young, they’re strong and they don’t quit.”

Chris Churchwell added a 16-yard TD run and Daniel Kim an 8-yarder in the first quarter for the Falcons. Quintez Johnson added 86 yards on nine carries and had one interception. David Feliciano also intercepted a pass, and Daniel O’Connor recovered a fumble.

The Warriors’ Randall Daniels gained 158 yards on 15 carries and ran for touchdowns of 81 and 52 yards. Eddie Ward ran eight times for 71 yards and a 12-yard fourth-quarter TD. Angel Hickman ran for 58 yards on 12 carries.

Pacific prep football

Pacific prep football

DODDS-Japan Football League

W L Pct. PF PA

Yokota 3 0 1.000 80 32

Nile C. Kinnick 2 2 .500 82 68

Zama American 1 2 .333 28 55

Robert D. Edgren 1 3 .250 52 87

Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools

W L Pct. PF PA

Yokota 3 0 1.000 98 25

Nile C. Kinnick 2 1 .667 62 43

Zama American 0 2 .000 21 49

ASIJ 0 2 .000 14 78

Friday, Sept. 29

Yokota 33, Zama American 13

Saturday, Sept. 30

Robert D. Edgren 20, Nile C. Kinnick 12

Friday, Oct. 6

American School In Japan at Yokota, 7 p.m.

Zama American at Robert D. Edgren, 7 p.m.

South Korea

W L Pct. PF PA

Osan American 2 0 1.000 69 23

Seoul American 2 1 .667 82 61

Taegu American 0 3 .000 26 93

Saturday, Sept. 30

Seoul American 38, Taegu American 20

Wednesday, Oct. 4

Seoul American at Osan American, 7 p.m.

Guam

W L Pct. PF PA

George Washington 4 0 1.000 194 19

Father Duenas Mem. 3 1 .750 109 35

Simon Sanchez 2 2 .500 55 94

Guam High 2 2 .500 56 93

John F. Kennedy 1 3 .250 42 100

Southern 0 4 .000 201 35

Friday, Sept. 29

Father Duenas Memorial 28, John F. Kennedy 7

Saturday, Sept. 30

Guam High 18, Southern 6

George Washington 36, Simon Sanchez 7

Friday, Oct. 6

Father Duenas Memorial at George Washington, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7

John F. Kennedy vs. Guam High at Naval Station “Big Navy,” 3 p.m.

Southern vs. Simon Sanchez at Ramsey Field, John F. Kennedy High School, Upper Tumon, 7 p.m.

End regular season

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