HANAPEPE — Kahekili Kelekoma of the Hanapepe Colts Junior Pee Wee ran for 10 yards and a touchdown on Saturday. That was the Colts JPW’s first score of the season, but the effort was overshadowed by the Lihu‘e Patriots who
HANAPEPE — Kahekili Kelekoma of the Hanapepe Colts Junior Pee Wee ran for 10 yards and a touchdown on Saturday.
That was the Colts JPW’s first score of the season, but the effort was overshadowed by the Lihu‘e Patriots who finished with a 26-6 win over the Colts.
Lihu‘e opened strong with three touchdowns in the first quarter as Kapena Texeira bulled for a yard and the score with less than a minute peeled off the clock.
Ryland Peahu followed about midway through the period on a 14-yard scoring scoot with Aaron Renaud’s point-after boot giving the Patriots a 14-0 nod.
With 1:38 remaining in the period, Jordan Nakamura found paydirt on a 40-yard scoring run for the 20-0 halftime read.
Lanakila Wilson closed the Patriots’ scorebook with 1:40 showing in the third quarter on an 80-yard touchdown run before Hanapepe found the end zone.
Kekaha Panthers’ Jaycob Rapanot ran for 35 yards and the only score in the evening series against the JPW Lihu‘e Patriots.
The Patriots JPW win gives it firm control of second place with a 3-1 record and 6 points below the undefeated Kapa‘a Eagles JPW that was enjoying a weekend bye, preparing for the 2009 Regional Cheer Competition at the Bernice Hundley Gym in Kapa‘a.
Kekaha Panthers’ win puts it in third place in the JPW standings with a 2-2 record and four points followed by Koloa dropping to 1-3 and two points. The Colts round out the standings at 0-4.
But the JPW blackshirts should be encouraged by the performance of the Junior Midget Lihu‘e Patriots that scored its first season touchdown last week and iced that with a 16-14 edge over the Hanapepe Colts, Saturday.
Kanoa Iwasaki was key to the two-point victory as Iwasaki pulled in a nine-yard scoring pass from Chanse Ramirez, ran a four-yard touchdown and iced the victory with two point-after boots.
Keenan Kaluahine-Arroyo, scoring Lihu‘e’s first touchdown last week, was key on defense this week, intercepting a pass that was combined with a Hanapepe penalty that kept the Colts away from the end zone late in the game.
Following a defensive slugfest through most of the first half, Ramirez broke the ice on a touchdown pass to Iwasaki, and a Iwasaki kick gave the Patriots an 8-0 bulge with just 1:32 showing in the first half.
Another defensive matchup stalemated the third quarter until Clysen Agrade put the Colts on the board with a two-yard dash to the end zone.
But Agrade’s run on the point-after kept the Colts in the chase, 8-7 at the 3:10 mark.
Iwasaki answered for Lihu‘e on the ensuing series with a four-yard run to the end zone, gracing that TD with another PAT boot for the 16-7 bulge.
Brock Tacata gave the Colts its final touchdown with 4:27 left in the game. Colts QB Blaze Rendon hit Peterson Lahip for the point-after.
“This is what the Pop Warner program is all about,” said Kaua‘i Pop Warner Football League commissioner Mel Rapozo at the cheer competition. “We want equitable games like this that go down to the wire.”
Koloa’s Kelson Andrade ran for one score and threw for two passes and Kendall Rivera pulled in a two scoring passes and ran for a touchdown in Koloa’s 33-7 win over the Kekaha Seahawks in the nightcap.
A 12-yard pass from Andrade to Rivera opened the game at the 3:22 mark of the opening period and was followed by Andrade running in a one-yard TD for the 12-0 halftime lead.
Kekaha was facing an 18-0 deficit after Chase McFadden ran the ball 55 yards for a Koloa TD at the 4:19 mark of the third period.
Acetyn Emayo, scoring at least three TDs for Kekaha last week, bulled for eight yards and a score at the 1:20 mark with Neno Costales doing the point-after run for the 18-7 read.
But Koloa was not done as it opened the final period with a safety for the 20-7 read.
Andrade found Rivera for a one-yard score and Rivera iced the win on a 12-yard scamper with less than a minute remaining in the game for the 33-7 final.
The Kapa‘a Eagles remain undefeated at 4-0 and eight points for the Junior Midgets followed by Koloa improving to 3-1 and six points in second place.
What follows is a three-way tie for third as Hanapepe, Kekaha and Lihu‘e are now 1-3 with two points apiece.
That logjam can be broken Saturday when Lihu‘e opens against Koloa at the Hanapepe Stadium starting at 9 a.m.
Kekaha hosts the Kapa‘a Eagles in the afternoon series starting at 1:30 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
