HANAPEPE — Kapa‘a JV quarterback Daniel Reis threw for one touchdown and ran for another as Kapa‘a took a 21-3 win over Waimea JV, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium. But the name of the game was defense as both team’s scores
HANAPEPE — Kapa‘a JV quarterback Daniel Reis threw for one touchdown and ran for another as Kapa‘a took a 21-3 win over Waimea JV, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium.
But the name of the game was defense as both team’s scores were initiated through its respective defensive performances.
Kapa‘a ignited the excitement early when No. 2 QB Fresno Masaniai found A.J. Cummings in the end zone on a 35-yard strike at the 3:33 mark.
But the play was called back on an illegal motion penalty, setting the stage for Waimea whose defender, Derek Callejo plucked a Masaniai airball and ran it back to the 15-yard stripe.
Kapa‘a’s defense stiffened and Waimea settled for a field goal from Kamalei Compoc-Dela Cruz, giving the Menehune the game’s first score with 48 seconds showing in the opening stanza.
Following more defensive jockeying, Kapa‘a answered the Waimea score by capitalizing on a bad snap on a fourth-down punting situation.
The ball squiggled away from the Menehune punter and in attempts to corral the errant pigskin, Kapa‘a’s Rusty Ahloo finally pounced on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
With 3:24 remaining in the half, T.J. West split the uprights for the point-after giving Kapa‘a a 7-3 bulge at the half.
Two third quarter turnovers yielded more scores for Kapa‘a when West intercepted a Waimea pass and ran it back to the Menehune 1-yard line to set up the first of two scores that came within 12 seconds of each other.
At the Waimea 1-yard line, Reis, now bandaged from his earlier game injury, kept the ball for the score at the 1:44 mark, West getting the point-after boot following two attempts for the 14-3 lead.
But the defense wouldn’t rest and Kapa‘a’s Johnny Joel recovered the ensuing muffed kickoff reception on the Waimea 11-yard line to set the score for the final TD of the game.
Reis found Cummings on the next play from scrimmage for the 11-yard score and West’s point-after kick saw Kapa‘a take a 21-3 lead with 1:32 showing in the quarter.
The defense continued to force turnovers, and in the final period, Kapa‘a’s Dustyn DeSilva plucked a Waimea airball and the ensuing 70-yard runback to the end zone was called back on a penalty with 3:58 showing in the game.
Waimea’s Justin Silva finally put the ball to rest by recovering a fumble on the last play of the game.
With the win, Kapa‘a JV improves to a 4-0 standing, including its two pre-season victories. Waimea is 0-1 and will travel to Vidinha Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff against the Junior Red Raiders who also suffered a loss at the hands of the Junior Warriors two weeks ago.
The Saturday game marks the first time the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation will host an afternoon game in anticipation of the fledging of the Newall Shearwater and other endangered seabirds between Sept. 15 through Dec. 15.
Anahola Joel Pahukula will be broadcasting the varsity contest on H. Hawai‘i Media. Kickoff for the varsity game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
