Kadena High advances to its first
appearance in All-Japan title game
From Stripes and special reports
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — For the first time in the Rising Sun Bowl’s three-year
history, a Kadena High School team will represent Okinawa in the All-Japan football
championship Saturday.
The Kadena Buccaneers defeated the Kubasaki Shogun 18-7 Saturday in the Okinawa High
School Athletic Association championship game at Kubasaki’s Mike Petty Stadium.
Dominique Thomas and A.J. Morgan ran for second-half touchdowns for the Bucs.
"The best team is representing Okinawa because we played as a team all year
long," said coach Brian Wetherington, whose Bucs closed the Okinawa campaign 8-1 and
won their first island title since 1993.
They also earned a berth in Saturday’s Rising Sun Bowl against Yokota, the Japan
Football League champion. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at either Petty Stadium or Kadena’s
McDonald Stadium.
Thomas ran 25 times for 184 yards and added 48 yards on four returns. The sophomore
tailback said the Bucs’ solid offensive line deserved the credit.
"That’s how it’s been for us all season," Thomas said.
"They’ve been blocking for us all year. It all starts with them. It’s been
a team effort."
"From the line to the quarterback to the running backs," Wetherington said,
"we played as a team."
They also beat the Shogun for the third time this season.
"Just like we had the Samurai pegged, they had us pegged," Shogun coach
Charles Burns said."But [the Buccaneers] played hard. Brian did a good job of
preparing them."
The Bucs scored first on Mike Rodriguez’s 25-yard pass to flanker Marcus Hayes in
the left corner of the endzone with 11:20 remaining in the second quarter.
Thomas scored what proved to be the game-winning points when he took a handoff, skirted
to the left sideline and dove into the end zone with 1:52 left in the third period.
The Bucs’ defense, which allowed 21 rushing yards on 19 attempts and 118 yards
overall, finally bent when senior tailback Anthony Sutton swept left for a 10-yard
touchdown run with 5:30 left.
Buccaneers tailback A.J. Morgan closed the scoring with a 49-yard scamper around right
end one minute later. Morgan gained 79 yards on eight attempts.
Leading the defensive charge was Ben Toa, who recorded 1½ sacks and an interception.
Sutton, who had 202 yards in the Shogun’s 26-16 semifinal win over the Samurai,
was held to 43 yards on 12 carries. Frank Swan was 9-for-28 for 106 yards, with Sam Roy
catching five passes for 70 yards. Sutton had 27 yards on two catches.
Jeremy Scott recovered two fumbles, and Orlando Bell and Mark Fogel each picked off
passes for the Shogun.
Now the Buccaneers must prepare for Yokota senior tailback Darren Taylor, who has 1,613
yards and 22 rushing touchdowns this season.
"If our defense keeps playing the way it has and we don’t give up, we can
stop them," Thomas said.
The Panthers are the defending Rising Sun Bowl champions.
Yokota 28, Nile C. Kinnick 0
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Taylor scored twice as Yokota (9-0) ran its Far East-best
winning streak to 16 games in driving rain and mud at Darling Field.
Yokota ended the Japan Football League season unbeaten and won its 17th straight Kanto
Plain game.
Taylor scored on runs of 2 and 14 yards and gained 120 yards on 22 carries. He is 475
yards behind Far East rushing leader Corey Dunlap-Buckmon of Guam’s Simon Sanchez
Sharks, who finished the season Friday with 2,088.
Mike Chamberlain had 104 all-purpose yards and ran for a touchdown. Josh Diekmann hit
Jay Irwin for a 22-yard touchdown on Yokota’s only pass play. Andrew Johnson and Nick
Broadney recovered two fumbles each.
Zama 53, Matthew C. Perry 0
IWAKUNI MARINE CORPS AIR STATION, Japan — Kelvin Lewis accounted for 113 yards and
three touchdowns, and Justin Pierce ran for 68 yards and a pair of scores as Zama American
(4-5) snapped a two-game skid.
Lewis and Russ Casimire intercepted passes for a Trojans defense that recorded seven
sacks.
Omar Pinon returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, and Willie Spires and William
Badillo each caught TD passes. Anthony Salas returned a fumble 12 yards for a score.
Matthew C. Perry fell to 0-6.
Osan 54, Taegu 12
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Bryan Clary and Jackson Dayberry each ran for two
touchdowns as Osan (1-5) snapped an 11-game losing skid with a homecoming victory.
It was the Cougars’ first victory since their 14-8 homecoming victory over Taegu
on Oct. 30, 1999. And it was by far the largest margin of victory in Osan’s history;
the previous largest margin was eight.
Anthony Langdon ran for a touchdown and had one of three Osan interceptions. Mike Owens
ran for a score and James Pederson caught an 8-yard TD pass from Thomas Tulley. Josh Cho
and Mike Rojko each had interceptions for the Cougars.
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