If he high-jumped the uprights and trudged all 100 yards on roller skates, Justin Estes could have said he’s done it all on a football field. But he can be satisfied with what he did at Hanapepe Stadium Friday night,
If he high-jumped the uprights and trudged all 100 yards on roller skates, Justin Estes could have said he’s done it all on a football field.
But he can be satisfied with what he did at Hanapepe Stadium Friday night, which was just about everything else.
Waimea’s Estes caught three touchdown passes, landed on a fumble and kicked a field goal Friday to lead the Waimea Menehune jayvee football team to a 24-7 win over the Kaua’i Red Raiders.
Estes caught TD passes of 5, 16 and 45 yards to account for all of the Menehune end zone appearances and added the final three points on a field goal in the third quarter.
Quarterback Thomas Batis found a reliable receiver in Estes, and it worked wonders for the Menehunes, who remain undefeated in the KIF regular season with 4 wins and one tie. Batis threw just 9 passes but completed 6 of them for an impressive 91 yards.
Running back Luke Tsuchiya provided the bulk of the Menehunes’ offensive production, rushing 20 times for 138 yards. The sophomore was instrumental in the Menehunes’ first drive, which led to the first Estes TD catch. The touchdown was the only score of the first quarter, and what followed has become of tradition in jayvee football this year – a turnover-friendly second quarter.
Four turnovers took place within eight minutes in the second quarter. Estes landed on a Raider fumble before Kaua’i’s Davis Murata landed on a Menehune fumble. Two plays later, Waimea’s James Henriques picked up a fumble, and two minutes after that, Kaua’i’s Bradley Correa, who was relentless for the Raiders on defense, knocked a fumble loose for the fourth turnover of the quarter.
With just under one minute in the half, Batis connected with Estes on a 45-yard TD pass to put Waimea up 14-0.
A 15-yard reception by Walea Arquette led to Estes’ field goal late in the third quarter, and Estes would catch a 15-yard TD pass from Batis in the fourth to give the Menehunes a commanding 24-0 lead.
Kaua’i wouldn’t leave Hanapepe shut out. Preston Ramsen picked up a Menehune fumble mid-fourth quarter and ran it back 60-yards to put the Raiders on the board.
