KAPA‘A — Derek Silva made a crucial play Saturday night at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium. Silva, a defensive back for the Kapa‘a Junior Varsity football team, swatted away a pass from Kaua‘i quarterback Kanoa Iwasaki to lock up
KAPA‘A — Derek Silva made a crucial play Saturday night at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium.
Silva, a defensive back for the Kapa‘a Junior Varsity football team, swatted away a pass from Kaua‘i quarterback Kanoa Iwasaki to lock up a 15-13 Kapa‘a win with no time left on the board.
The junior Red Raiders took advantage of a quarterback sack with 2:33 remaining in the game to set up its final score that came with no time showing on the clock.
Trailing 15-7 at that point, Kaua‘i QB Iwasaki connected with Randin Napeahi on a three-yard touchdown that came under heavy defensive pressure from the Warriors as time ran out on the JV game, Saturday.
With the touchdown, Kaua‘i had an opportunity to tie on a two-point point-after-touchdown play, but Kapa‘a’s defense pressured Iwasaki and Silva snagged the ball in heavy end zone traffic to preserve the junior Warrior win.
Earlier, Kaua‘i opened the scorebooks when Iwasaki connected with Keoki Palau on a 61-yard pass play for a touchdown at the 6:44 mark in the first quarter.
Grant Basquez, a strong soccer player, graced the score with the PAT boot for the 7-0 lead that stood after a Kapa‘a field goal with 30 seconds showing came up empty.
But Kapa‘a would not relent, its defense yielding a safety less than 30 seconds into the second quarter when Rusty Abreu dropped the Kaua‘i punter in the end zone when a bad snap sent the ball awry at the 9:41 mark.
The junior Warriors broke open the defensive period when Daniel Reis found Reese Hickse-Whetsel in the end zone with 1:33 showing in the half. A failed PAT kick gave Kapa‘a the 8-7 nod at the half.
Kapa‘a added to the margin in the third quarter when Reis found Edsel Lactaotao on a 10-yard touchdown pass at the 3:55, T.J. West’s PAT boot settling the board at 15-7.
The junior Warriors continued to asset itself when Kevin Esteban pounced on a loose ball on the ensuing kickoff at the Kaua‘i 40-yard line. Kapa‘a drove to striking distance before Reis’ pass was plucked in the end zone by Kaua‘i’s Dryke Smith-Butac who ran the ball out of danger.
With the win, the Kapa‘a JV opens the Saturday night action when it travels to Hanapepe Stadium to match up against the Waimea Menehune starting with the 5 p.m. kickoff.
The varsity game will follow, starting no earlier than 7:30 p.m.
