WEST COVINA — With Rio Hondo Prep’s star player, Noah Penunuri, sidelined after injuring his ankle late in the second quarter, the Kares came together and got contributions from everyone to pull off a resounding 35-6 victory over La Serna in Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 5 semifinals.

Undefeated Rio Hondo Prep (13-0) will now get a chance to play for its third straight championship when it travels to Redondo Union, a 21-7 winner over Loyola, in next week’s final as it plays for its 17th championship in school history.

La Serna, which had reached two consecutive title games, finishes 9-4. The Lancers, who had allowed just seven points over their first two wins in the playoffs, struggled to get stops, even with Penunuri out.

The run-heavy Kares did it so many ways, getting two to

See Full Page