Waimea High School girls flag football made history on Thursday when the Menehune squad edged out the Kauai High School Red Raiders, 7-6, for the inaugural Central Pacific Bank Kauai Interscholastic Federation girls flag football championship.
Playing before a stalwart audience that braved thunder, lightning and rain, the Menehune plugged forward after Kauai struck first in the second quarter of the title game.
With 9 minutes, 11 seconds showing on the break in soggy weather, Kauai quarterback Naomi Ikimaka found Carly Dela Cruz in the end zone. The crucial Point After Touchdown came up short at the goal’s edge for the 6-0 Kauai margin that stood through a series of turnover pass interceptions from both sides.
Through the turnovers, Waimea quarterback Wailana Tanigawa-Christian turned to the option play of pitching out to either Leily Suga or Keena Smythe to sting the Raiders.
With just 17 ticks remaining in the third 12-minute running clock quarter, Waimea quarterback found a receiver in traffic on the far side to tie the contest, 6-6. The swing PAT came when Tanigawa-Christian found Cayden Aranio in the promised land for the PAT.
Following the scoring excitement, both team exchanged turnovers until Tanigawa-Christian sealed the Raiders’ fate by plucking an Ikimaka pass at the end zone at the 2-minute mark to stifle the Red Raider threat.
In the single elimination tournament format, any one of the four KIF member schools had a shot at the championship pennant. For Waimea, under the coaching of Jason Caldeira, the Menehune had to first battle No. 3 seeded Island School.
Facing a 20-0 deficit in the fourth quarter, Island School scored two quick touchdowns in the waning minutes of the contest to finish chasing a 20-14 deficit.
Voyager signal caller Chloe Ayonon kept the pigskin and broke the plane to the end zone with 1:50 showing in the game and, with barely time to recover, Ayonon connected with Kennedy Braun for the second Voyager score that came with just 3.3 seconds remaining in the contest.
Kauai High School inaugurated the saturated ground at the Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Park stadium where spectators pulled off the bypass road to watch the contest from the safety of their vehicles after the first game got started nearly three hours late because of lightning.
Carly Dela Cruz found the end zone, twice in the second quarter to start the scoreboard action, and a Kamaile Manibog pass interception for touchdown upped the ante, 18-0 against the No. 4 seed Kapaa High School.
An Ikimaka to Keira Caoagas connection in the third quarter, and an Aileah Villatorya touchdown that the Raiders sitting on a 31-0 lead before Kapaa quarterback Gracelyn Nishimura found the sole Warrior senior, Keilana Pia Salvador in the end zone with just ticks left in the game for the 31-6 showing.
With the girls flag football championship, Waimea High School will advance to the 2025 Hawaii Dental Service Hawaii High School Athletic Association Girls Flag Football State Championships that will start play on April 30 and continue until May 3.
Tournament play will feature 16 teams, including the KIF and will be played at Mililani and Pearl City.
For more information, visit hhsaa.org.
