HANAPEPE — Out on the Westside, the Warriors reclaimed the league title.
Kapaa High School’s varsity football team defeated Waimea, 53-21, Saturday afternoon at Hanapepe Stadium to clinch the Kauai Interscholastic Federation championship.
It is Kapaa’s fourth league championship in the last five years.
“This feels so good,” said Kapaa head coach Philip Rapozo. “We had a rough year last year. After the season, the coaches and players vowed that we were going to give our best. Everybody put their heads and hearts together. We went after it every day. We worked hard, and this is the result.”
Kapaa (6-2, 5-1 KIF) went into halftime with a 42-7 lead.
Warriors senior running back Ryno Banasihan ran for five touchdowns against the Menehune, scoring four in the first half. Banasihan totaled 143 yards rushing on 14 carries, his biggest run going for 53 yards for a touchdown.
Warriors sophomore rusher Baba Na-o ran for 102 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries.
“The plan was to come in and run the ball and get things done,” Rapozo said. “The kids did their job. They were focused. After the first loss to Kauai High, the team just changed. The kids called a players-only meeting. That changed everything. The coaches didn’t panic. We knew we made mistakes as coaches. We just had to fix it. We pulled it together.”
With clinching the league title, Kapaa also clinched a berth at the 2018 First Hawaiian Bank Football Championships–Division II state tournament, which begins next month.
“It’s great to have another opportunity to compete for a state championship,” Rapozo said. “We’ve been blessed to be in two (state championship games). I’m hoping we’ll be back for another chance at it. We’ll just keep working hard. Like I told the boys today, ‘Enjoy this today. Enjoy this tomorrow. Nobody can take this 2018 championship away from us. But come Monday, we got to get back to work for a new season.’”
Waimea (1-7, 0-6 KIF) started with an early slump. The Menehune then were energized on an interception by junior linebacker Ariki Cardejon which put Waimea from deep on their side of the field all the way to the Kapaa 20-yard line.
Cardejon’s interception set up Waimea’s first score, a seven-yard run to the end zone by Menehune junior fullback Cory Soares.
“That interception from Ariki Cardejon sparked a light in the team. That was a big play on him,” said Waimea head coach Jason Caldeira. “We came back on offense, and he made a big catch. We ran it in (for a touchdown), and it was a little bit before halftime. It lit a spark.
“In halftime, we told them to not think about the score. Just go out there and play for pride and for each other. Let’s leave this place with our head up and be proud of our second-half efforts. They came together. I’m very proud that they did that.”
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, Waimea bookended its season with one more touchdown — a huge 54-yard completion from senior quarterback Lacin Montemayor to junior running back Isahn Ulanday.
“They’re two hard-working kids. … They deserve a lot,” Caldeira said of Montemayor and Ulanday. “They’re good people. They do the right thing every day. They try their best. I’m really glad they can end their season on some kind of positive.”
Scoring summary
1st quarter
08:27 KAPAA Ryno Banasihan 11-yard run, Chysen
Lagunes-Rapozo PAT good, 7-0 Kapaa
05:53 KAPAA Ryno Banasihan 53-yard run, Chysen
Lagunes-Rapozo PAT good, 14-0 Kapaa
02:20 KAPAA Baba Na-o 2-yard run, Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo PAT good, 21-0 Kapaa
2nd quarter
11:51 KAPAA Ryno Banasihan 17-yard run, Chysen
Lagunes-Rapozo PAT good, 28-0 Kapaa
08:02 KAPAA Kahanu Davis 4-yard run, Chysen
Lagunes-Rapozo PAT good, 35-0 Kapaa
07:19 KAPAA Ryno Banasihan 15-yard run, Chysen
Lagunes-Rapozo PAT good, 42-0 Kapaa
01:54 WAIMEA Cory Soares 7-yard run, Ryan Emayo-Schmidt PAT good, 42-7 Kapaa
3rd quarter
05:38 KAPAA Ryno Banasihan 3-yard run, 2-point conversion good (PAT fake, Nakela Snyder run), 50-7 Kapaa
4th quarter
11:00 WAIMEA Elijah Henderson 9-yard run, 2-point conversion good (Kaanan Ephan reception from Lacin Montemayor), 50-15 Kapaa
08:07 KAPAA Chysen Lagunes-Rapozo 21-yard field goal, 53-15 Kapaa
00:26 WAIMEA Isahn Ulanday 54-yard reception from Lacin Montemayor, 2-point conversion failed (Elijah Henderson pass incomplete), 53-21 Kapaa
Stat leaders
Kapaa
Passing: Kahanu Davis, 7-13, 75 yards, 2 interceptions
Rushing: Ryno Banasihan, 14 carries, 143 yards, 5 touchdowns
Receiving: Nakela Snyder, 2 receptions, 24 yards
Defense: Heath Rosa, 7.5 tackles, 1 interception
Waimea
Passing: Lacin Montemayor, 12-24, 129 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions
Rushing: Cory Soares, 13 carries, 26 yards, 1 touchdown
Receiving: Isahn Ulanday, 2 receptions, 56 yards, 1 touchdown
Defense: Keanu Fernandez, 7 tackles
