KAPA‘A — With less than a minute remaining in the D1 contest Saturday, the Kapa‘a Junior Warriors ignited the stands of spectators on a breakout touchdown, breaking a 0-0 stalemate and lighting up the scoreboard for the first time.
“You can’t tell who the players are,” said Jessie Pagtolingan, one of the monitors at the gate checking for temperatures and close-contact information. “Kapa‘a had a problem with getting their uniforms so the boys are wearing their practice jersies. The boys in the older D2 and D3 divisions are borrowing uniforms from the high school.”
Following the 9-0 Junior Warrior bulge, fans were treated to a rare play when Lihu‘e, taking the kickoff (no kicks for safety reasons) on their own 25-yard line, fumbled the ball that bounced into the arms of a Kapa‘a defender. On the runback, the Junior Warrior was hit by a Lihu‘e defender, causing the ball to be loose again. Another Warrior pounced on the loose ball, grounding it just outside the end zone as the scoreboard announced the 9-0 Kapa‘a advantage at the game’s end.
The Kapa‘a victory was just part of the day’s season opener for the Kaua‘i Youth Football league, whose president, Brad Hiranaka, was part of the officiating crew.
Opening under COVID-19 rules and guidelines hammered out by KYF and county officials, Hiranaka said the most important thing is allowing the kids an opportunity to play.
“We’re letting in as many people as we are allowed to,” Hiranaka said. “Everyone needs to come through the checkpoint where they are monitored for temperature and hand sanitizing. Once inside, they can sit as families, but no large crowds, and social distancing is being observed. Once their kids’ game is over, every one for the participating teams leaves the stadium.”
The stadium announcer said despite the season starting, the Lihu‘e Red Raiders are still enrolling players. Interested players and parents can visit the team’s practices weekdays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Nawiliwili Park.
During the D2 games that followed, the announcer described Lihu‘e as playing “ironman football” with just 11 players on its roster facing the full compliment of Kapa‘a Junior Warriors.
The D2 Junior Warriors overwhelmed Lihu‘e, scoring on almost all of its first-half drives while the defense allowed just a sprinkling of Lihu‘e productive yards.
With just over a minute left in the half, Kapa‘a’s defense churned up another score by capitalizing on a Lihu‘e fumble on the 10-yard stripe, the Junior Warrior offensive machinery taking over for a 24-0 showing at the half behind a pair of touchdowns from Isaiah Lizama.
Kapa‘a added a touchdown each in the third and fourth quarters en route to a 39-0 shutout.
Hiranaka said the next series of games takes place Saturday at Vidinha Stadium starting with the flag teams taking to the field at 10 a.m. That contest will be followed by the D1, D2, and D3 games.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
