HANAPEPE — The Lihue Raiders Mitey Mites shut down the Koloa Rams 36-0 to complete an undefeated 8-0 season Sunday during the Kauai Pop Warner Football League games contested at Hanapepe Stadium.
Drake Javier broke out for two touchdowns — including a 66-yard run — to lead the victory, and quarterback Chase Kawakami ran for a nine-yard score and was perfect in executing point-after touchdowns.
Takazee Thomas did the honors of opening the scoring on a 32-yard scoot to the end zone in the win that clinched eligibility of the Lihue Raiders Mitey Mites for the D3 Championship, where the Raiders will be representing Hawaii in the championship game that will be contested against the West conference team on Dec. 7 at Mission Viejo, Calif.
During the Mitey Mite contest played Saturday, Hahai Akeo and Kaikea Miyashiro each scored two touchdowns for the Kekaha Titans in its 36-28 edge over the Hanapepe Colts.
Akeo opened the scoring with 1:45 showing in the first quarter, and bolstered the score with a PAT boot for the 8-0 lead that was answered by the Colts’ Kepa Pablo with a 33-yard scoring run in the second quarter. The Hanapepe PAT came up empty and the Titans sat on an 8-6 margin.
Kekaha upped the ante in the second quarter with touchdowns from Miyashiro and Noah Kanahele before the Colts answered with a Kanoa Naumu scoring run for the 22-12 Kekaha bulge at the break.
The Colts continued to hammer the field, TJ Freitas pulling in a 9-yard scoring pass with Ryver Balocan adding the PAT kick to pull to within two points, 22-20, in the explosive fourth stanza.
Miyashiro pulled the Titans ahead, 28-20, with 1:51 showing in regulation, on a 10-yard touchdown run.
But Hanapepe was not done, as Pablo scored his second touchdown of the game, a 55-yard breakout, with 1:15 showing, and Balocan’s PAT boot knotted the contest, 28-28.
Kekaha broke the stalemate with 26 seconds showing in regulation as Akeo broke out for a 41-yard score and capped the win with his PAT kick.
The Colts redeemed that Mitey Mite loss with a 36-0 shutout over the Kekaha Titans PeeWee team.
Kekaha Titans’ Mykah Brun peeled off a 63-yard touchdown and Ridge Naka‘ahiki-Iwai added a 60-yard score to lead the Titans to a 14-6 edge over the Hanapepe Colts during the Unlimited division play. Naka‘ahiki-Iwai added the PAT run following Brun’s score, and Kaili Arakaki did the PAT honors following Naka‘ahiki-Iwai’s score that came with 1:58 remaining in the third quarter.
Isahc Ulanday plowed for a two-yard score to keep the Colts from being shut out.
Zayden Asuncion scored two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score, to lead the Koloa Rams to a 20-12 win over the Lihue Raiders PeeWee division to wrap up the weekend of football.
Asuncion found the end zone in the second quarter on a 41-yard run to light up the scoreboard with a 6-0 bulge at the break.
Kupa‘a Kaimina‘auao recorded a three-yard score in the third quarter to up the lead to 12-0 before Asuncion peeled off another 44-yard score with 2:49 remaining in the frame.
Lihue answered the 20-0 deficit in the final quarter when Kainoa Renaud and Sonny Thomas each scored for the 20-12 final math.
Today, the Kauai Pop Warner Football League hosts its final football games of this season with the Shriner’s Bowl and the Harold Naumu Bowl being contested at Hanapepe Stadium, a change of venue from the originally scheduled Vidinha Stadium.
The Mitey Mite East vs. West kicks off at 9 a.m. followed by the Unlimited division Kekaha Titans hosting Kihei from Maui starting at 11 a.m.
The Unlimited Hanapepe Colts host Lahaina in a 1 p.m. kickoff, and the PeeWee East vs. West closes the day with a 3 p.m. kickoff.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
