LIHU‘E — Kapa‘a junior varsity quarterback Fresno Masaniai ran for two touchdowns and threw for one to lead the Warriors to a 36-0 shutout over the Kaua‘i JV team, Saturday, at Vidinha Stadium. Helping the effort, Rusty Ah Loo plucked
LIHU‘E — Kapa‘a junior varsity quarterback Fresno Masaniai ran for two touchdowns and threw for one to lead the Warriors to a 36-0 shutout over the Kaua‘i JV team, Saturday, at Vidinha Stadium.
Helping the effort, Rusty Ah Loo plucked two Kelson Andrade passes, both in the third quarter, and the defense coughed up a safety while Jonathan Paleka, in addition to his four point-after boots, smacked two field goals in the Kapa‘a JV victory.
One of the coaches on the Kapa‘a sidelines noted this is the second time the JV Warriors amassed a win of more than 30 points. Last week the JV Warriors shut down Waimea, 48-0.
Kapa‘a chewed up the clock on its first possession, Daniel Alonzo grounding the ball on the Warriors’ 32-yard line to open the game.
From there, Kapa‘a marched down the field, capping the drive when Masaniai peeled off 34 yards for a touchdown with 3:58 showing in the period.
Paleka graced the TD with his point-after boot for the 7-0 bulge after Kaua‘i was forced to punt away on its first possession.
The Warrior JV exploded for three touchdowns in the second period, capping its 37-yard drive when Masaniai pushed for seven yards for the first of three scores. Masaniai also engineered the drive after pouncing on a loose ball at the Kaua‘i 37-yard stripe.
Leevi Bethel got the nod for the second TD in the quarter, galloping from his own 26-yard line to paydirt with 3:14 showing in the half.
But Kapa‘a was not done as Masaniai took to the air to hit Kanai Thronas-Kahoonei on a 25-yard scoring strike with 16 ticks showing on the half for the 28-0 halftime lead.
Coming out of the locker room, the Warrior defense reared its head by recovering a muffed kickoff in the third period, capping that drive on a Paleka field goal from the Kaua‘i 11-yard line for the 31-0 lead.
A defensive exchange set up the next score in the fourth quarter when Kapa‘a’s Bethel drove to the Kaua‘i 3-yard line — only to lose the ball to Kaua‘i’s Nicholas Gabriel, who killed the drive with a fumble recovery.
But that moment was short-lived as Kapa‘a marked a safety by dropping the Red Raider ball carrier deep in the end zone.
Bethel returned the ensuing kick to midfield to set up the final score as relief quarterback Turtle Kuhaulua, on a keeper play, drove to the Kaua‘i 21-yard line where Paleka graced the scoreboards with the Warriors’ final score — a field goal from the Kaua‘i 20-yard line.
Kapa‘a is off Saturday. Waimea will host Kaua‘i at Hanapepe Stadium, the start of the homecoming round.
The JV game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. followed by the varsity at 3 p.m.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
