LIHU‘E — After being edged out last week by Kapa‘a High School during the Menehune Homecoming game, Waimea lost tothe Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders on the Red Raiders’ Senior Night at Vidinha Stadium on Saturday.
The Red Raiders’ 14-7 victory, its first regular season win, came on a pair of touchdowns by Racen Pegeder, a senior who was earlier recognized as the school’s Homecoming King and a senior for the cheer squad earlier during the cheer’s quest for the Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic Federation (KIF) championship.
A pair of pass interceptions proved critical at keeping Waimea — the KIF Division II entry in the First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association state football championship — at bay.
The Menehune were kept scoreless in the opening frame following a missed field goal attempt. The team’s second attempt at finding the end zone was quashed when Lynden Kealoha plucked a Kameron Apilado pass intended for Mikah Rita in the end zone to open the second quarter of play.
Kaua‘i scored in the ensuing kickoff series.
Following a 23-yard pass reception by Kaimana Kaui from Tyren Aona, Aona hit Julius Percell-Telefoni for a 48-yard scoring pass. But the play was called back on a blocking behind the back infraction. Pegeder took the next snap and made good on a 42-yard scamper to the end zone.
Kaidyn Yago, a strong cross-country finisher for the Raiders, made good on the extra point kick for a 7-0 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the half.
After holding the Menehune on the ensuing kickoff series, Kaua‘i took control on a trick play that had the Raiders threatening on the Menehune 32-yard line, as the seconds ticked down to halftime. Pegeder capped the 80-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown with less than a minute before the half. The second Yago extra point kick gave Kaua‘i a 14-0 halftime bulge.
Waimea finally found the end zone in the fourth quarter when quarterback Kameron Apilado tapped paydirt on a 2-yard smash through traffic. Khayden Ranis-Alameda Dela Cruz booted the extra point to make the score 14-7.
The Raiders sealed the deal with less than two seconds showing on the game clock, when Purcell-Telefoni plucked Apilado for the second time to end the Menehune threat.
Earlier in the afternoon, Kaua‘i’s Jacob Bukoski pulled in a fourth quarter pass to keep Kaua‘i from being shut out in a 21-6 loss to the Junior Varsity Menehune.
Details for the First Hawaiian Bank HHSAA state football championships have not yet been announced. The Division I and Division II championships will start on Nov. 10 with the championships to be played on Nov. 24 and 25.
The Division I Open class will start Nov. 17 and 18 with the championships being contested on Nov. 24 and 25.
Information: SportsHigh.com
