HANAPEPE — The Lihu‘e Patriots picked up wins in two of its three divisions as the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League opened its fall season, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium. The Patriots’ wins came in the Mitey Mite division, a new
HANAPEPE — The Lihu‘e Patriots picked up wins in two of its three divisions as the Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League opened its fall season, Saturday at Hanapepe Stadium.
The Patriots’ wins came in the Mitey Mite division, a new age group for the KPWFL this season, and the Junior Midget division. Its loss came in the Junior PeeWee division where Ryan Banasihan of the Koloa Packers broke a 0-0 defensive slugfest at the 7:17 mark in the final period to score on a one-yard charge.
Koloa quarterback Alika Ventura found Noah Sasil on an aerial hit for the point-after and the 7-0 final.
The Hanapepe Colts split its series against Kekaha in the afternoon matches, the Colts JPW posting a forfeit win before dropping its JM match 22-20 to Kekaha.
Kekaha lost little time getting on the boards, scoring at the 4:36 mark of the opening period on an 8-yard charge by Neno Costales, Jordan Baptista gracing the score on a point-after boot for the 8-0 lead.
With 3:31 remaining before the half, Kekaha scored again, Costales netting a two-yard touchdown and Baptista booting the point-after for the 16-0 lead.
Reymund Mendoza found the end zone on an 80-yard scamper to put the Hanapepe Colts on the board with Ryan Ruiz booting the point-after for the 16-8 read at the intermission.
With just 52 seconds showing in the third period, the Colts overtook Kekaha when Bernny Ned broke open for an 81-yard touchdown for the 20-16 lead.
Earlier, the Colts came out of the locker room to pull to within two, 16-14, when Ned found the end zone on a 14-yard scoot, the PAT kick failing.
Kyrus Rapacon rode the seesaw for the lead by charging four yards to put Kekaha back in the lead at the 9:53 mark. That gave Kekaha the 22-20 final edge.
Trey Taba opened the day for the Koloa Mitey Mites when he found the end zone on a 50-yard touchdown, Nicholas Herbig running in the PAT for the 7-0 bulge at the 7:47 mark in the second period.
But the Patriots Mitey Mites came back from the locker room to force a defensive score when Tyler Oshima recovered a fumble for a 70-yard runback, Junah Corpuz running in the PAT for the 7-7 tie at the 4:13 mark in the third quarter.
Corpuz put the Patriots up, 13-7, on a 17-yard score with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
But the Patriots were not done, yet as Wailani Kawaihalau tapped paydirt on a four-yard charge with 25 seconds showing in the game. Trevor Carbonel ran in the PAT for the 20-7 final.
Keenan Kaluahine-Arroyo ran for three touchdowns and Kekoa Cacal charged for two scores to lead the Lihu‘e Patriots Junior Midgets to its 44-14 win over Koloa.
Cacal opened the books with his first TD, a 6-yarder with Aaron Renaud kicking the PAT for the 8-0 lead early in the game.
On the ensuing possession, Koloa tapped paydirt when Lopaka Ventura found the end zone on an 85-yard run, his first of two scores in the day.
Jenson Hanohano’s PAT boot deadlocked the match, 8-8.
With 1:48 showing in the opening quadrant, Kaluahine-Arroyo tapped paydirt on a 27-yard run for the 14-8 read at the buzzer.
Kaluahine-Arroyo opened the second rame on a 21-yard scoring run, Renaud kicking the PAT for the 22-8 lead at the 8:26 mark.
That score was answered when Ventura notched his second TD of the game, a 33-yarder with 5:56 showing in the half.
Kaluahine-Arroyo notched his third TD with 2:29 showing in the half, this one a 9-yard charge to the end zone. Renaud’s point-after boot gave the Patriots a 30-14 read at the half.
Cacal came back in the third quarter to score his second goal, a 2-yard charge with Renaud’s PAT boot giving Lihu‘e a 38-14 read with less than a minute peeled off the clock.
Keala Iwasaki triggered the running clock at the 1:07 mark in the third period on his one-yard touchdown for the 44-14 final.
The KPWFL hosts games on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
On Saturday, the Lihu‘e Patriots host Kekaha in a JPW and JM match starting at 8 a.m. at Vidinha Stadium, the JM game scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m.
On Sunday, Hanapepe Colts host the Kapa‘a Eagles for three games at Hanapepe Stadium starting at 11:30 a.m.
The Mitey Mites kick off at 11:30 a.m. followed by the JPW at 1:30 p.m. and the JM at 3:30 p.m.
