HANAPEPE — Hilton Delima-Kamai ran amidst yellow flags and netted two touchdowns to lead Waimea to a 42-12 win over the Fort McMurray Trappers last night. Playing before a sparse crowd that swelled with the setting sun, the Menehune were
HANAPEPE — Hilton Delima-Kamai ran amidst yellow flags and netted two touchdowns to lead Waimea to a 42-12 win over the Fort McMurray Trappers last night.
Playing before a sparse crowd that swelled with the setting sun, the Menehune were plagued with more than a dozen penalties, including one that called back a Jayrald Watanabe touchdown in the third quarter.
Watanabe, seeking an open man on that play, eluded Trapper defenders and scooted through traffic for 62 yards and the end zone only to have a blocking in the back penalty call back the score.
But that was just an irritant for the Menehune who capped that drive with a 1-yard charge to paydirt by Ikaika Rapacon at the 2:43 mark.
That scoring drive was set up on the Menehune 23-yard line after Waimea picked up an unsportsmanship penalty, but the ensuing drive chewed up the clock with the Menehune holding the ball for more than seven minutes on that 77-yard scoring drive that included a 41-yard aerial hit from Watanabe to Justin Moriguchi to set up the score on the Trapper 3-yard line.
The Trappers were unable to move the ball against the quick Menehune defense, and relied on its defense and special teams for its scores.
After stumbling through its opening possession, Trapper Nathan Robbins snagged a bad Waimea snap that soared over the head of the punter, the ball coming to rest on the Menehune 25.
Brett Howell marked the first score of the game on a 23-yard run to paydirt, but the point-after kick by Pat Inoke pulled the Canadians into a 6-0 lead only to have Waimea answer as Delima-Kamai, aided by a 37-yard aerial connection from Watanabe to Isaac Horner, score on a 7-yard scoot. The point-after boot failed for the 6-6 stalemate with 6:06 left in the quarter.
Delima-Kamai broke that tie in the second quarter on another 7-yard run, that score set up on a fumble recovery by Allen Pancho.
Cody Owens, who kicked the point-after, salvaged a broken play on an 11-yard keeper for the 20-6 bulge.
But never count the Canadians out as Taylor Brebant returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for an answering score with 3:23 left in the half.
Watanabe hit Horner for a 15-yard connection at the 1:00 mark to cap another 76-yard drive that was started with a Menehune penalty tagged on to it.
Kelly Batis kicked the point-after for the 28-12 halftime score.
Rapacon’s score in the third quarter and a final Menehune TD by Kienan Allianic-Rapozo in the fourth quarter iced the Menehune victory that came in a mixture of strong ball running led by Delima-Kamai, Rapacon, Kaiwi Machado and Allianic-Rapozo, punctuated by passes from Watanabe to Horner, one that resulted in a score, and Moriguchi.
Waimea, 3-0 in the pre-season, draws the bye when the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation opens its season Friday when Kaua‘i hosts Kapa‘a at Vidinha Stadium.
The JV game kicks off at 5 p.m. followed by the varsity contest at 7:30 p.m.
