Peoria football had early reasons to stray from its path to redemption Friday night at rival Kellis.

Cougars senior linebacker Jason Estrada read Peoria senior quarterback Dominic Kramer's screen pass on the second play from scrimmage, picked it off and returned it 43 yards for a touchdown. Panthers 240-pound senior running back Javon Bell tried to go on a gimpy leg but sat out after one carry.

Instead, Peoria stuck to its script and leaned on its offensive line. Sophomore reserve running back Cristian Zarate ran 27 times for 163 yards and four touchdowns in the Panthers' 40-21 win.

"At practice, he's been the scout team back for the last two or three week. I thought, 'Shoot, we've got to get better on defense.' At the ed of the day we watched the film and realized this kid can play. Th

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