Teams from the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation finished the weekend winning two of the three games played during the football pre-season.
Waimea’s Devan Banasihan-Kenney had a field goal and a touchdown to lead the Menehune to a 17-13 win over Waiakea at Wong Stadium on the Big Island, Saturday night.
Earlier in the weekend, Kaua‘i dropped a 31-28 heartbreaker to Kamehameha-Hawai‘i at Paiea Stadium on the Big Island.
Kapa‘a, playing both its JV and varsity squads, swept its Honolulu series. The JV won 48-14 and the varsity team escaped with a 27-26 win over the Kalani Falcons at Aloha Stadium on O‘ahu.
Waimea answered a 7-0 deficit early in the second quarter, scoring all 17 of its points in the second period, according to statistics from the ESPNHawaii.com website.
Banasihan-Kenney split the uprights on a 35-yard field goal, answering Nu‘u Aiava’s 3-yard TD for Waiakea in the waning moments of the first quarter, Aiava completing the point-after-touchdown for the 7-0 bulge at the buzzer.
On the series following Banasihan-Kenney’s field goal, the Menehune struck paydirt at the 7:48 mark when Banasihan-Kenney found the end zone on a 4-yard run, the point-after kick being blocked.
Menehune quarterback Alika Emayo, completing three-for-nine passes and seven yards, found Keoni Ana on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 5:15 remaining in the half, Banasihan-Kenney taking the ball in for the 2-point conversion and a 17-7 lead at the half.
Waiakea finished with a final touchdown in the fourth period when Kayed Rodrigues found Dayton Kiko for a 16-yard scoring pass, the two-point PAT effort failing.
Banasihan-Kenney topped the Menehune game with 15 rushes and 168 yards including a touchdown, a field goal and a point-after run.
Cameron Twiggs finished with 12 rushes for 60 yards followed by Emayo rushing for eight times and 16 yards.
Aiava topped the Waiakea ground offense with 24 rushes for 188 yards, including a touchdown and an extra point.
Kamehameha-Hawai‘i marked 28 of its game-total 31 points in the first half in its 31-28 edge over Kaua‘i, the final three points coming in the final 4:40 when D.J. Grant Johnson split the uprights on a 32-yard field goal to break a 28-28 stalemate and put the game out of reach.
Kamehameha quarterback Warner Shaw threw for three touchdowns, a 51-yard hit to Kaenan Akau, a 48-yard connection with Keoni Wong and an 11-yard pass to Kama Vincent in the first quarter, Grant Johnson doing the point-
after honors on all three scores for the 21-0 lead.
But Kaua‘i, working under first-year head coach Corey Aguano, answered with 14 points in the second quarter, Dreyke Smith-Butac opening on a 5-yard run and Caitlyn Rapozo booting the point-after at the 7:13 mark.
Shaw answered by hitting Akau on a 27-yard touchdown pass with Grant Johnson doing the PAT honors.
Undaunted, the Red Raiders came back with just 45 ticks remaining in the half when Smith-Butac found the end zone on a four-yard scamper, Rapozo doing the PAT honors for the 28-14 Kamehameha lead.
Smith-Butac took on the role of receiver in the third quarter, pulling in a 12-yard Trey Aguano aerial for the only score in the period, Rapozo doing the PAT kick.
With 8:40 showing on the clock, Kaua‘i stalemated the game when Keoki Pantorilla found paydirt following a six-yard scoring run, Rapozo finishing perfect in PAT duties for the 28-28 tie.
Kamehameha sealed the deal at the 4:40 mark when Grant Johnson booted a 32-yard field goal for the 31-28 final.
Overall, the Red Raiders finished with 323 passing yards, 156 rushing yards on 25 carries and were assessed 45 yards in four penalties compared with 233 passing yards for Kamehameha, 72 rushing yards on 28 carries and gave up 30 yards on six penalties.
Trey Aguano was airborne for most the night, finishing 21 for 38 for 323 yards in the air, including a touchdown and had one aerial plucked. He also rushed for three times for 10 yards and fumbled once.
Pantorilla finished tops on the ground for Kaua‘i, rushing for 19 times and 81 yards including a touchdown.
Smith-Butac had four rushes for 24 yards, including two touchdowns. He also pulled in two passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Kory Uemura and Chase McFadden were the top receivers of Agunao passes, each ending with five receptions, Uemura tallying 74 yards and McFadden ending with 81 yards.
Rapozo, ending four-for-four in point-after, missed a 27-yard field goal.
Kaua‘i football fans will get their taste of football this weekend when all three high schools will be in action starting with a double-header, Friday night.
Waimea will host Honoka‘a at Hanapepe Stadium with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
At the same time, Kapa‘a will host Kamehameha-Maui in a single game at Vidinha Stadium (the New Kapa‘a Town Park is undergoing renovation work) starting at 7 p.m.
Kaua‘i’s JV and varsity will take the field, Saturday when the Red Raiders host Kekaulike, the JV game kicking off at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity at approximately 7:30 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
