LIHU’E — In football, adjustments are the spice of life. Little else can turn a mediocre team into a competitor so quickly. Calling Kapa’a a contender for the KIF title may be a bit premature, but the Warriors operated much
LIHU’E — In football, adjustments are the spice of life. Little else can
turn a mediocre team into a competitor so quickly.
Calling Kapa’a a
contender for the KIF title may be a bit premature, but the Warriors operated
much more efficiently than last week in defeating Kaua’i 20-6 at Vidinha
Stadium Friday night.
Where Kapa’a suffered more than its share of uneasy
exchanges coming out of its option offense last Friday, the Warriors improved
their transactions dramatically (though it still fumbled twice). The result was
a healthy helping of ground yards peppered with a respectable air attack.
Quarterback Dustin Mundon looked considerably more comfortable under
center. The sophomore completed 6-of-18 passes for 68 yards. Better hands on
the part of his receivers would have resulted in more completions.
The
Warriors, however, put forth a stellar effort on the ground, picking up 167
yards as a team. Senior-captain Kilani Miyashiro led the Kapa’a charge, picking
up 108 yards on 17 carries and scoring two touchdowns. The Warriors also got 41
yards from junior Tyler Wakuta. Credit must also be given to the offensive
line, a unit overpowered by Waimea last week. The big bodies in the trenches
unloaded on the Red Raiders’ defensive line, clearing wide swaths for Warrior
running backs.
As for Kaua’i, the Red Raiders looked the part of a team
pulling together the pieces of a new offense. Though coach Keli’i Morgado did
get an encouraging effort on his team’s last drive of the contest. The Red
Raiders pushed the ball 63 yards, ending the effort with a one-yard Jameson
Smith score.
Morgado did admit Thursday that plenty remained for his team
to work on offensively, and, for the most part, his squad proved him correct.
But it was not inept on its own. The Warriors swarmed the Kaua’i offensive line
like angered yellow jackets.
Led by linebackers Miyashiro and Tyler
Wakuta, the Kapa’a defense registered no fewer than six sacks, and made Raiders
quarterback Jeremy Yeats miserable all night. The QB found little comfort in
the pocket, as the Warriors’ line penetrated Kaua’i’s offensive unit on nearly
every play.
It was an exploiting of the Red Raiders lack of depth, a
problem Morgado has discussed openly since the preseason. With just 29 players
on the varsity roster (to Kapa’a’s 40), much of Kaua’i’s team was forced to
play both offense and defense. Smith, who rushed for 68 yards, and receiver
Regis Canalas — 51 yards — did manage to have salvage nice nights for
Kaua’i.
Kapa’a 20, Kaua’i 06
Kaua’i 13 0
7 0 20
Kapa’a 0 0 0 6
06
Scoring summary
Kapa’a — Mundon 15 run; Iloreta
kick
Kapa’a — Miyashiro 7 run; kick fail
Kapa’a — Miyashiro 6 run;
PAT fail
Kaua’i — Smith 1 run; PAT fail
The Vital
Stats
Team Stats Raiders Warriors
1st Downs
13 12
Total Yards 154 235
Rushing
25-46 34-167
Passing 13-30-1-108
6-18-0-68
Punting 3-36 2-39
Fumbles-lost
3-2 5-2
Penalties-Yards 4-20 9-90
