KAPA‘A — The Kaua‘i High School football teams made their inaugural 2024 football appearance on the gridiron on Friday night during a doubleheader at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex.
During the junior varsity matchup, Kaua‘i faced the Kapa‘a JV in a 26-26 final. During the varsity matchup against Viewpoint School from Los Angeles, the Red Raiders battled through fumbles and fouls to come up short in a 14-13 loss.
The JV matchup saw Kaua‘i break away from a 13-12 halftime deficit on an 85-yard kickoff return for touchdown to go up 19-13. Kaua‘i followed that score on a 9-yard passing score for the 26-13 go-ahead. That score was set up on a fumble recovery on the Warriors’ 14-yard line.
Kapa‘a answered with two scores in the fourth quarter for the 26-26 final.
With a little more than two minutes remaining, Kapa‘a found the end zone on a 15-yard pass. A successful point after touchdown kick pulled the JV Warriors to within a touchdown at 26-20.
With less than a minute showing on the game clock, Kapa‘a went to the air for a 12-yard score in the left side pocket. A successful point after attempt would’ve given Kapa‘a the win by a point, but the boot was called back on an infraction. The re-kick came up short resulting in the 26-26 tie.
On the varsity field, Viewpoint scored two touchdowns in the first half and escaped with the 1-point victory after Kaua‘i’s Noah Ibaan recovered a fumble in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
The Patriots struck first when quarterback Logan Price found Darren Haggerty at the end of a 15-yard scoring strike following a fumble recovery at midfield. Magnus Merriman did the point after attempt boot for the early 7-0 lead that came with 5:04 showing in the first quarter.
Kaua‘i answered on the ensuing kickoff when Red Raiders signal caller Tyren Aona passed for an 11-yard score with 1:01 showing. Ibaan’s point after attempt boot knotted the scoreboard, 7-7.
With 1:39 showing in the half, Viewpoint’s Haggerty drove to the Raiders’ 5-yard line only to have the ball called back to the Kaua‘i 31-yard line on an infraction. That only delayed the Patriots slightly when Lucien Solis took the pigskin on the next play and scored with 1:14 showing. Merriman’s point after attempt boot gave Viewpoint the 14-7 lead at the break.
The score stood until the clock showed 8:40 in the contest and Ibaan corralled the loose pigskin in the end zone for the 14-13 scoreboard reading. Gambling on a 2-point conversion, the Red Raiders were snuffed out of the end zone.
Kaua‘i next travels to Maui where the team will face Baldwin on Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
