HANAPEPE — The Hanapepe Colts and the Lihue Raiders closed the Kauai Pop Warner Football League Flag Football games on winning notes Sunday during the day-long football games contested at Hanapepe Stadium.
The Hanapepe Colts edged out the Kapaa Eagles, 28-20, to open the day’s action. In the final flag football matchup, the Lihue Raiders rolled to a 38-12 victory over the Kekaha Titans.
Kauai Pop Warner Football League board members congratulated all of the flag football teams with each player receiving a participation medal for their demonstration of hard work and sportsmanship on and off the gridiron.
Kapaa Eagles’ Nash Burkhart ran for two touchdowns and passed for one to lead the Kapaa Junior PeeWees to a 34-6 win over the Kekaha Titans in the sole JPW matchup of the day.
Burkhart opened the scorebooks on a three-yard run and followed the score with a successful point-after boot for the early 8-0 bulge. He followed that score by finding Nainoa Simmons at the end of a six-yard scoring pass. The PAT came up empty for the 14-0 margin.
Simmons closed the first half with a 27-yard scoring run. The PAT came up empty for the 20-0 lead at the break.
Burkhart started the second half with a 27-yard scoring run, and Nainoa Melchor found the end zone at the end of a 40-yard run. Burkhart did the final PAT for a 34-0 lead.
Kekaha answered in the running clock when Ikaika Miyashiro broke out for a 50-yard scoring run for the 34-6 final.
Drake Javier ran for two touchdowns and Chase Kawakami passed for one to lead the Lihue Raiders to a 20-6 win over the Kekaha Titans in the sole Mighty Mites division contest.
Kawakami opened the scorebooks in the first half when he found Takazee Thomas at the end of a 49-yard pass play.
Kekaha Titans answered to knot the matchup, 6-6, when defender Kailana Kanahele plucked a Raider pass and ran the pigskin back 67 yards to pay dirt for the 6-6 stalemate at the break.
The Raiders broke the deadlock when Javier scampered for touchdowns of 21 yards and 13 yards, respectively, for the 20-6 final showing.
The Kekaha Titans broke a 0-0 halftime stalemate by scoring three touchdowns in the second half for a 23-0 win over the Hanapepe Colts in the first of two Junior Varsity division matchups.
Kaikena Makua found the end zone on a three-yard charge to break the 0-0 tie, and Haweo Akeo booted the PAT for the 8-0 bulge.
Titans’ quarterback Kameron Apilado upped the ante by finding Makenyah Okeiger in the end zone on a 13-yard scoring pass. Akeo booted the PAT for the 16-0 lead.
Daniel Ka‘aumoana capped the victory on a 50-yard scoring run and did the PAT honors on a run-in for the 23-0 final.
The Lihue Raiders broke a 0-0 halftime stalemate when its defense dropped the Koloa Rams ball carrier in the end zone for a safety. Pahoa Itamura found the end zone on a 10-yard scoring run for the 8-0 win in the second JV matchup of the day.
The Kauai Pop Warner Football League continues play Sunday with the first games kicking off at 7:30 a.m. at the Hanapepe Stadium.
The league hosts its Regional Cheer Competition on Oct. 21 at the Clem Gomes Gym on the Waimea High School campus when the doors open at 10 a.m. The competition will start at 10:30 a.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
