LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i High School Junior Varsity defensive back Michael Gabriel recovered a loose ball on the Kapa‘a 29-yard line to put the lid on a 20-13 Kaua‘i win in the hot Saturday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium. The defensive snuff
LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i High School Junior Varsity defensive back Michael Gabriel recovered a loose ball on the Kapa‘a 29-yard line to put the lid on a 20-13 Kaua‘i win in the hot Saturday afternoon at Vidinha Stadium.
The defensive snuff of the Kapa‘a drive with 1:48 showing on the game clock gave the JV Red Raiders its second win following a defensive turnaround last week against Waimea.
Earlier in the period, Reggie McFadden broke a 13-13 stalemate on a two-yard charge to paydirt at the 3:06 mark, Alec King-Martin gracing that touchdown with the point-after boot for the 20-13 go-ahead.
That drive started when McFadden fielded a Kapa‘a punt on the Warriors’ 29-yard line and the 140-pound sophomore fueling the drive on the ground with a 47-yard romp to give Kaua‘i a first-and-goal on the Kapa‘a seven-yard stripe.
But with a little more than three minutes remaining, the Warriors worked the deep kickoff to its own 32-yard line before sputtering on a fumble recovery which lost yardage and then fumbling the ball to Gabriel.
But Kapa‘a showed its tenacity as Rudy Agoot took the opening kickoff on an 80-yard return for touchdown with less than 15 seconds peeled off the clock, Jonathan Paleka gracing that score with the point-after boot for the early 7-0 lead.
Following a defensive exchange, Kapa‘a’s Christian Rapozo stifled a Red Raider drive on the Kaua‘i 34-yard line with a fumble recovery at the 4:38 mark.
But the Red Raider defense stiffened and the Warriors could not capitalize, moving the game into the second period when McFadden corralled a loose ball inside his own 1-yard line.
Fueled by a pair of 17-yard pickups by McFadden, the Raiders slogged to the Kapa‘a 39-yard line, aided by second life on a Kapa‘a offside penalty on a fourth-down situation.
Kaua‘i quarterback Kelson Andrade found Kalawaia Judd on a 14-yard aerial hit to the Kapa‘a 8-yard line where the drive stalled, Kaua‘i getting a holding penalty and the ball moving out to the Kapa‘a 15-yard mark.
Kanoa Iwasaki was pressed into service, bulling for 11 yards to set the stage for an Andrade hit to Kanoa’s brother, Kaiea Iwasaki waiting in the end zone on the 13-yard TD which came with 1:01 remaining in the half, King-Martin’s PAT boot knotting the scoreboard 7-7 at the half.
Kaua‘i returned from the locker room to cap a 74-yard drive with McFadden tapping paydirt on a two-yard charge at the 5:23 mark in the third quarter, King-Martin’s point-after kick blocked for the 13-7 bulge.
The Warriors answered that on the ensuing kickoff, going 70 yards with Leevi Bethel capping the drive on a six-yard charge to the end zone, Paleka’s PAT effort coming up empty for the 13-13 stalemate with 2:30 showing in the third period.
Bethel fueled that drive with a 35-yard pickup on the ground, aided by Warrior quarterback Fresno Masaniai adding an eight-yard keeper pickup to set up the score.
Things heat up Saturday when the Warrior JV squad hosts Waimea at 12:30 p.m. at Vidinha Stadium, the varsity matchup starting no earlier than 3 p.m.
