Waimea got off to a slow start offensively, but scored a touchdown in the third quarter and a pair in the fourth en route to a 27-7 win over Kapa‘a Friday at Vidinha Stadium. With Kapa‘a leading 7-6 midway through
Waimea got off to a slow start offensively, but scored a touchdown in the third quarter and a pair in the fourth en route to a 27-7 win over Kapa‘a Friday at Vidinha Stadium.
With Kapa‘a leading 7-6 midway through the third, Oni Schmidt took a sweep to the left side, then cut back to the middle for a 43-yard score at the 7:03 mark. Kalen Fleming connected with Chris Newcomb for the 2-point conversion to give the Menehune a 14-7 lead.
Relying on the short, steady rushes up the middle, the Menehune capped their ensuing possession on a Max Agor sweep left for a 5-yard score to open the fourth quarter. Waimea capped the victory when Ikaika Rapacon nailed a 5-yard score with seven minutes left in the contest. Allen Pancho hit only one of three PAT attempts, but saved the best for last, splitting the updates to round out the scoring.
Waimea defense set the tone early, forcing a fumble from quarterback Coty Salausa on the first play from scrimmage. The loose ball was pounced on by Newcomb in the end zone and Waimea was on the board with just 15 seconds peeled off the clock.
The Warriors settled down and played some serious defense, though, holding the Menehune scoreless for nearly 30 minutes. Kapa‘a’s offense entered the scorebooks in the second quarter as Daniel Lizama rumbled for 43 yards just 10 ticks into the period.
A Salausa point-after boot gave Kapa‘a the 7-6 lead that stood at the half.
With the win, Waimea improves to 2-1 on the season as they prepare to host Kaua‘i Friday night at Hanapepe Stadium. Kapa‘a falls to 0-3 despite being able to move the pigskin relatively well.
Kickoff for the junior varsity game is 5 p.m., followed by the varsity contest starting at 7:30 p.m.
The game will be broadcast live on KQNG Am570 by Anahola Joel Pahukula.
