KAPA‘A — When was the last time Waimea High football won a championship?
The question floated on the breeze Saturday night when the Menehune took an early 7-0 edge over the defending Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation champion Kapa‘a High before a near-capacity audience at the Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex.
Kapa‘a could only answer with a field goal for the 7-3 final of the defensive slugfest.
Earlier in the evening, the Kapa‘a junior varsity broke a 0-0 halftime stalemate with scores in the third and fourth quarters to edge the Waimea JV, 17-0.
Facing a fourth-and-long (19 yards) in the third quarter, Kapa‘a JV quarterback Jaden Hedges connected with Isaiah Konishi on a 35-yard passing touchdown, Kamalei Dasalia-Mundon splitting the uprights on the point after touchdown boot for the 7-0 go-ahead with 5:55 showing in the third frame.
Kapa‘a JV’s Mahana Alameda opened the fourth period with a two-yard charge to paydirt with Dasalia-Mundon’s PAT boot giving the JV Warriors a comfortable lead with 7:59 remaining on the game clock.
With just over 30 seconds remaining in the contest, Kapa‘a scored again on a second-chance field goal when Dasalia-Mundon split the uprights on a 41-yard field goal for the 17-0 final.
The Korean chicken and poke bowls were not enough to whet the appetite of Warrior fans who were left hanging following a 0-0 first quarter defensive slugfest when Jayden Yamashita plucked a Waimea aerial at the end zone and ran the pigskin back to the 23-yard line.
But the Warriors failed to capitalize on the turnover, and on the ensuing Waimea drive that was helped by a roughing-the-passer infraction against Kapa‘a, the Menehune broke the 0-0 stalemate on a keeper play by Kameron Apilado, who found paydirt at the end of a 20-yard run. Haweo Akeo did the PAT kick for the 7-0 stinger.
The Warriors failed to answer on the ensuing kickoff return series, but got a second opportunity when Steeler Burley plucked another Menehune airball on the Menehune 39 yard line with just over a minute remaining before the break.
Warrior quarterback Kapono Na-O found Kanalu Kaneholani on a pass that landed the pigskin inside the Menehune 10-yard line with 41.6 ticks remaining. Following three tries against the stiffened Menehune defense, Kapa‘a settled for a Christopher Rapozo field goal with 24.5 ticks before the halftime.
Kapa‘a, according to the KIF schedule, will host Kaua‘i High Saturday during its homecoming game at the Mayor Bryan J. Baptiste Sports Complex. The JV game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. kickoff with the varsity game getting underway 30 minutes following the conclusion of the JV contest (or, in the proximity of 7:30 p.m. for those concerned about finding parking). This will also be the final night game until Oct. 1 before the shearwater fledging season kicks in.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 808-245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
