LIHU‘E — The Kapa‘a High School Warriors scored two touchdowns and a field goal in the third quarter to wrap up a 23-6 win over the Kaua‘i High School Red Raiders Saturday during the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation football game at Vidinha Stadium.
Playing before a home crowd that filled the stands because of the Warriors’ homecoming, Kapa‘a opened the quarter following the homecoming festivities with Conor Payomo taking the opening kickoff and returning it 75 yards for a touchdown.
Warrior Kala Velasco’s boot upped the score, 14-0 on his successful point-after-touchdown kick. Velasco’s foot also reaped a field goal from the Raiders’ 12-yard line when Kapa‘a couldn’t convert and faced a fourth-and-four situation with 5:11 showing in the quarter. The field goal upped the Warriors’ edge, 17-0.
With 18.7 seconds showing in the quarter, Kapa‘a pushed the button when quarterback Kapono Na-o connected with Jerico Castro on a five-yard scoring pass. Solomone Malafu attempted to run in the ball on the PAT, but came up short, giving the Warriors a 23-0 lead entering the final period.
Kaua‘i was finally able to find the end zone when Greg Manintin broke out of a traffic jam and scooted 28 yards to the end zone with 8:49 showing on the game clock. Facing the 23-6 hole, Kaua‘i attempted the two-point conversion, but Kaomea Inouye’s effort came up short of the plane.
Earlier, Kapa‘a first score popped up in the second quarter when Na-o pushed through the final two yards to the end zone. Velasco’s PAT boot put Kapa‘a up 7-0 with 10 minutes remaining in the half.
As the clock ticked toward the final minutes leading to the retirement of Kapa‘a’s team doctor Dr. Rick Goodale, the players gave spectators an exciting finale.
Following Manintin’s breakout score, Kapa‘a Homecoming King Kawika Rogers took the medium-distanced kickoff and pitched it back to Keanu Ebesu, who got the ball to the Kapa‘a 29-yard line to start the drive. Driving inside Kaua‘i territory with 5:01 showing on the game clock, Red Raider Austin Renaud sparked the Kaua‘i fan base with an interception of a Na-o aerial inside the Kaua‘i 5-yard mark.
The turnover sparked a Kaua‘i drive to the Kapa‘a 5-yard mark, where the Red Raiders lost the ball to Malafu, who recovered the errant pigskin on the Kapa‘a 6-yard line with less than three minutes showing.
With the win, Kapa‘a heads to the First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II Football State Championships with an undefeated record. The Warriors play the first round of the Division II championships Dec. 22 at the Mililani High School field against an opponent that is yet to be determined.
The Division II championship is scheduled for Dec. 30 at Farrington High School.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
