KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – Seniors enjoyed a big night for Kubasaki football, which secured a measure of revenge for the Dragons’ 41-27 Far East Division I title-game loss last Nov. 8 against Kadena.

Isaiah Johnson rushed for two touchdowns, Miles Mahlock caught a touchdown pass, kicked a 32-yard field goal and three extra points and Jacob Green returned an interception for a score as the Dragons scored 36 unanswered points to down the Panthers 36-6 in Friday’s season opener.

“Senior leadership was the story tonight,” Kubasaki coach Fred Bales said. “Our guys got after it on both sides of the ball. It was a very physical game by both teams, a lot of mistakes, a good hard-hitting opening game and Kadena is always a worthy opponent.”

It was the most lopsided loss by any Kadena team dating back to the days the Okinawa schools played a split-squad schedule in the 2004 season. Sergio Mendoza’s Kadena Islanders lost the sixth and last Rising Sun Bowl 50-6 at Yokota to close that season.

“It was a great team effort on defense,” Bales said.

The Dragons also got a 90-yard scoring run by sophomore running back Lester Parker, making his debut on the Dragons’ varsity.

Jason Bland opened the scoring for Kadena with an 8-yard touchdown run. From there it was all Dragons, but it was hardly a perfect game played by Kubasaki, Bales said.

“We need to work on everything,” he said. “We had some special-teams issues. A lot of the guys were cramping up in the fourth quarter. Our ball security was good; that was a real positive.”

Entering Friday’s game, Mendoza said he wasn’t quite sure of what his team possessed coming into the season. “Now, I know we’re a rebuilding team,” Mendoza said.

Kadena travels to Nile C. Kinnick for a 3 p.m. game on Sept. 12. Kubasaki gets the next week off before hosting Kadena in a 6 p.m. rematch Sept. 18.

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