• Two different feats for the Warriors Two different feats for the Warriors By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island So UH’s Tim Chang has finally eclipsed the record for career passing yardage in the NCAA, but what about
• Two different feats for the Warriors
Two different feats for the Warriors
By Duane Shimogawa Jr. – The Garden Island
So UH’s Tim Chang has finally eclipsed the record for career passing yardage in the NCAA, but what about those other Warriors? Chang’s mark is definitely remarkable and it’s great that a local athlete has garnered a national record.
Here at home, the Kapa‘a Warriors did some of their own record-breaking, but not individually, instead they did it as a team.
Kapa‘a emerged last night out of the depths of the KIF den by beating Waimea for the first time in a long time.
The Warriors have been climbing the ladder all season long and they finally reached the top on Friday night, with a convincing, 14-0 victory over the Menehune, who has been on the decline and will have a very long off-season. Waimea has reached unfamiliar territory with two straight KIF seasons without the title, but don’t count them out just yet, because whenever you think the Menehune are down for the count, they bounce right back up and take it out on the rest of the league.
Seniors shined on Friday night for the Warriors, who displayed courage, perseverance, and guts. Kapa‘a made the pesky showers an afterthought, while making their homecoming a spectacular event.
Chris Baltazar stepped up and made the big plays for the Warriors on defense. The aspiring chef, who works at the Aloha Beach Resort, made the smooth transition from running back to the defensive side of the ball. Bronson Yadao, another senior, anchored the Warrior running attack, along with fellow senior Lance Taniguchi-Fu.
Kapa‘a utilized the soggy conditions to their advantage on their way to owning the battle in the trenches. Senior quarterback Kalima Leong and senior wide receivers Ward Mikami and Kaulana Kaye came full circle also, by moving the Warrior offense down the field through the air. Senior Moses Punzal played as big as his stature on both sides of the line. The 6’3″ 200 pound lineman gave Kapa‘a the advantage on the line on Friday night.
The Warrior defense was anchored by player of the year candidate Amini Taufoou, who’s just as big as Punzal at 6’0″ 180 pounds. The senior plays the game as if it’s his last. His aggressive style mirrors the likes of Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. It was also good to see senior defensive lineman Makana Workman (6’4″ 399 lbs.) on the field. Workman must’ve had fun on the muddy field, as Menehune lineman could do nothing but slip off of Workman, who is the biggest high school football player in the state. Warrior head coach Wes Kaui should be very proud of his three years at the helm of Kapa‘a football. I wonder though, if he’s now thinking twice about his decision of leaving the program that’s in need of long-term leadership. Kaui would be the perfect guy to lead the Warriors to the next level. After all, he and his coaching staff have given Kapa‘a something to cheer about this season. If Kaui is stern about his decision to go, then the Warriors have big shoes to fill. But until then, the Kapa‘a football program should be proud of the Wes Kaui years and the improvement made both on and off the field. It’s a shame that he’s moving on, but good things really do come to an end!
Duane Shimogawa Jr., Sports Editor can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 257) and kauaisports@pulitzer.net
