LIHUE — Halloween night had clearly announced itself, and like the shadowy figures that emerge from the dark shadows, the Hanapepe Colt Mitey Mite player whose identification was shrouded by the rapidly descending darkness ended the game with 22.5 seconds
LIHUE — Halloween night had clearly announced itself, and like the shadowy figures that emerge from the dark shadows, the Hanapepe Colt Mitey Mite player whose identification was shrouded by the rapidly descending darkness ended the game with 22.5 seconds showing on the clock Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.
Crossing the end zone under the veil of darkness, the unidentified player stopped the clock at 18-14 in favor of the Hanapepe Colts Mitey Mites over the Kapaa Eagles before a field of wildly cheering fans in the darkness.
“This was an important day for Kauai Pop Warner Football League,” said KPWFL commissioner Teddy Arroyo. “Hanapepe Colts Mitey Mite is right now undefeated. The Koloa Redskins Junior Peewee won the Junior Peewee title with a 22-6 win over the Lihue Patriots, ending the season with a 5-0-1 record.”
Arroyo said Koloa JPW advances to the regional game against an Oahu team which will be played Nov. 21 starting at noon on Kauai.
“The winner of that game advances to the Pop Warner Superbowl nationals in Florida,” Arroyo said. “Lihue clinches a Division 3 spot in the Dec. 5 game in Las Vegas. The Hanapepe Junior Midgets, with its 40-16 win over the Kapaa Eagles, are also eligible for a spot in the Dec. 5 games in Las Vegas. This is an important day for us.”
Hanapepe Colts’ Gabe Bustillos tripped the scoreboard into action in the opening frame, charging 3 yards to the end zone. His score was followed by Wesley “Kamu” Santiago ripping the turf for 40 yards and a touchdown. With the point-after attempts failing, the Colts looked at 12-0 lead heading to the half.
But the Eagles were undaunted, when Kapaa’s Makepa Cummings found the end zone at the end of a 4-yard charge and Steeler Burley splitting the uprights for an 8-12 challenge at the break.
The Eagles took the lead with 1:02 showing in the game, the sun already gone to bed behind the mountains.
Burley hit Makana Cummings on a 12-yard touchdown pass for the 14-12 go-ahead after the point-after failed.
Hanapepe Colts, fighting a running clock to hasten the end of the game, and the growing darkness, came back in the final 22 ticks to cross the end zone for the 18-14 final.
Mitey Mite: Koloa 32, Lihue 12
Koloa Redskins’ Jaeden Sams rolled for more than 100 yards to put four touchdowns on the boards in Koloa’s 32-12 win over the Lihue Patriots. He also booted three PATS to ice the win.
Sams opened the books in the first quarter, peeling off 66 yards for the first score and then going 40 yards for the second score in the quarter.
Lihue kept the score close when Jaymison Kaohi charged 9 yards for the 16-6 halftime reading.
Sams added two more scores in the second half, a 44-yard and a 6-yard in the third quarter.
Lihue finished when Calvin Corpuz Jr. added a 41-yard score in the final period.
Junior Peewee Koloa 22, Lihue 6
Joseph Sams kicked two point-afters to ice the Koloa victory which came on touchdowns by Elijah Henderson, a 74-yard romp, Chet Pimsaguan carrying for 5 yards, and Gregory Manintin going for 4 yards in the final quarter.
Kaiden Lopes did the honors for Lihue in the second quarter with a 44-yard score.
Junior Peewee Kapaa 20, Hanapepe 16
Jericho Castro and Kian Rapozo ran in touchdowns of 3 yards and 2 yards, respectively, and Kelston DeSilva ran in the extra point to give the Eagles a 13-0 halftime bulge at the break.
Hanapepe Colts went to work in the third quarter when Isaac Ulanday hit Kade Erdmann on a 28-yard scoring pass, Ulanday doing the PAT boot for the 13-8 read.
The score triggered the Eagles into action as Hanohano Kuhaulua hit DeSilva on a 16-yard scoring pass with 2:13 remaining in the game. Kuhaulua hit Castro on a pass for the point-after.
Hanapepe was not done yet: Ulanday hit Chris Kanahele on a 50-yard scoring pass with just 15 ticks left in the game. Trenton Shigematsu booted the point-after in the effort.
Junior Midget Hanapepe 40, Kapaa 16
Makoa Vanaman ran for a 64-yard touchdown, pulled in a 5-yard pass from Kris Ragudo, and intercepted a pass and ran it back 47 yards for a score to lead the Hanapepe Colts Junior Midgets to its 40-16 win over Kapaa.
Kawelo Huddy passed to Kailani Kawaihalau and pulled in a 78-yard pass from Degan Davis for two touchdowns.
A 49-yard pass from Kahanu Davis to Wailani Kawaihalau in the final quarter iced the win.
Kawika Na-O scored the first touchdown for Kapaa in the opening quarter, going 51 yards to the end zone, and Raimana Huddy blocked a kick and ran it into the end zone in the final quarter to keep Kapaa from being shut out.
Kauai Pop Warner Football League wraps up its season Sunday at Hanapepe Stadium with the first of five games kicking off at 8 a.m.
