HANAPEPE — Kauai High School opened the Kauai Interscholastic Federation football calendar in unconventional manner — winning the junior varsity contest, 6-2, and dropping the varsity matchup, 28-21 — on Saturday at the Hanapepe Stadium.
“The bottom line is this is not our home field,” said a Red Raider fan. “Don’t get me wrong. Hanapepe Stadium is a great facility, but it’s not our home field. At least our JV team won.”
With 5 minutes and 46 seconds showing on the half in the JV contest, Waimea JV broke the 0-0 stalemate when the Menehune defensive forces dropped the Kauai ball carrier in the end zone for the safety.
The Red Raiders answered in the second half as the Kauai defense forced a turnover by intercepting a Menehune aerial in the third quarter to save a Menehune touchdown.
Chewing up the clock on the ensuing drive, Kauai finally struck with 1:54 showing in the third quarter when quarterback Kanehi Belmodis hit Levi Hirokane Jr. on a 26-yard scoring pass for the go-ahead and final score.
During the varsity encounter, Kauai High School came up with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but fell short, 28-21.
With 30.8 ticks remaining on the game clock, Kauai quarterback Mana Inouye found Karter Reichle at the end of an 8-yard scoring pass. Inouye followed that by hitting Daelin Grace for the two-point conversion to end the night a touchdown short.
Waimea went to its big man, Jayden Sablan for two touchdowns, and Menehune QB Kolby Correa passed for two scores in the win.
Correa hit Kalawaia Martins on a 19-yard pass to cap the Menehune’s opening possession. A Brayden Wilson point-after boot gave Waimea the early 7-0 lead that was answered in the second quarter when Inouye hit Grace in the end zone for an 18-yard score. Chance Kawakami split the uprights for the 7-7 stalemate.
Sablan broke the tie with two touchdowns, one for six yards, and the other for two yards, in the second quarter to give the Menehune a 21-7 bulge at the break.
With the Raiders threatening, 13-21 in the final stanza, Waimea’s Chance Gomes plucked an Inouye airball and ran it back 56 yards for the Menehune’s game clincher with 2:12 showing on the game clock.
Kauai High School next travels to the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Park stadium to take on Kapaa High School, the KIF’s reigning champion and Division I representative, on Friday during the Warriors’ homecoming ball game. The JV contest kicks off at 5 pm, and the varsity contest kicks off before the OC16 television cameras 30 minutes following the JV contest.
Source: The Garden Island