Keli‘i Efhan ran for seven touchdowns and had 12 tackles to lead the Crusaders to a 50-34 win over the Raiders, Saturday at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium. The win breaks a 2-2 deadlock in the standings of the
Keli‘i Efhan ran for seven touchdowns and had 12 tackles to lead the Crusaders to a 50-34 win over the Raiders, Saturday at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium.
The win breaks a 2-2 deadlock in the standings of the Kaua‘i Youth Football spring league, giving the spring title to the Crusaders. The Crusaders finish with a 3-2 record while the Raiders drop to 2-3.
With the title at stake, both teams battled through three quarters before the Crusaders surged in the fourth quarter, pulling ahead from a 25-21 bulge toward the 50-34 final.
The Raiders opened the final quarter when quarterback Damien Butac found the end zone on a 28-yard scoring run, gracing the touchdown by running in his own point-after to give the Raiders 21.
But Efhan answered on an 8-yard scoot to paydirt and followed that score with a 42-yard scoring hit to Travis Girard.
Keli‘i Kelekoma iced the score with the point-after run for the 38-21 bulge.
A defensive play by Mana Gorospe-Ka‘aihue, recovering a loose ball in the end zone, pushed the margin to 44-21 before Butac interrupted the clock with a 27-yard run to the end zone, capping that score with another PAT run for the 44-28 deficit.
Efhan iced the Crusaders’ win on a 28-yard runback of a Raider interception for the 50-28 lead, but the Raiders answered when the Raiders’ Brayden Keoho-Apilado charged back with a 48-yard scoring run for the 50-34 final.
Keoho-Apilado finished with three touchdown runs, 14 yards in the first quarter, 58 yards in the third period and his final 48-yard scoot. He also pulled in a PAT pass from Butac in the first quarter for the Raiders’ only lead, 7-6, in the game.
The Crusaders’ Efhan marked two TDs in the first period, a 12-yard scoreboard-opening run and a three-yard charge, adding a PAT run after the three-yard TD.
In the second quarter, Efhan pushed the Crusaders to a 19-7 halftime lead with an 18-yard scoring run.
He continued to fuel the Crusader scoring with a third quarter 45-yard score for the 25-14 Crusader lead at the buzzer.
On the other side of the ball, Keoho-Apilado led the Raiders’ defense with nine tackles. Butac, Taylor Cabacungan and Shawn Balai-Apilado each finished with six tackles. Ian Castro and Braden Galiza marked a pair of stops and Dexter Barroga rounded out the defensive effort with a stop.
Efhan did double duty for the Crusaders, leading the defense with a game-high dozen stops. Kelekoma added five tackles, Girard had four stops, Bulla Alo finished with three stops, Branden Asuncion at two tackles. Kamuela Numazawa, Nick Girard and Gorospe-Ka‘aihue each marked a tackle each.
With the completion of the spring season, Kaua‘i Youth Football president Brad Hiranaka said KYF will host a double-header bowl game June 12 at the New Kapa‘a Town Park stadium starting at 5:30 p.m.
Hiranaka said the first game will feature the 8-11 year old youth and will be followed by the Hawaiian Warriors, a championship all-star team from O‘ahu, tangling with KYF players aged 12-13 years old.
Hiranaka said KYF is accepting registrations for its summer intermediate league football and cheer program which will start July 26.
Youth between ages 8 and 11 years old and 11 to 14 years old are eligible with no weight limit. Practices are in Kapa‘a, Lihu‘e, and Hanapepe.
Visit www.kauaiyouthfootball.com or call Hiranaka at 652-9962 for more information, or if you would like to volunteer for the league.
