Sparkling on both sides of the football, Daegu American took the first step toward a return engagement in the Far East Class A championship game by defeating Osan American on the road Friday.
Thomas Smith caught two touchdown passes from Trey Griffin, Antoine Feagin ran for a score and David Martinez returned an interception for a TD as Daegu downed Osan 28-10.
"Good game all the way around for us," said coach Ken Walter of the Warriors (1-1), adding that the Cougars (0-2) played Daegu tough, trailing 14-10 at halftime.
"They hung with us for three quarters," Walter said. "We had our way in the fourth quarter, but they were tough."
The teams play again on Oct. 3 at Kelly Field in Camp Walker, and again at Osan, if necessary, on Oct. 24 or 25. The winner of the best-of-three series visits two-time defending Class A champion Robert D. Edgren on Nov. 1.
TD catches of 35 and 18 yards by Smith, Feagin’s 25-yard TD run and Martinez’s 45-yard interception return gave the Warriors enough of a cushion against a Cougars team that got a 4-yard TD run from Jesse Crockett and a 37-yard Derek Becker field goal.
Osan also lost quarterback Rashad Bell to a second-quarter knee injury, which coach Duke Allen said hindered the Cougars’ ability to move the ball.
"Losing him … limited our offense to say the least," Allen said. "With our limited playbook, it was hard to move the ball."
The Warriors nearly tripled their yardage of their 20-0 loss on Sept. 6 at Seoul American, going with a no-huddle offense on the first two possessions. "I don’t think they were ready for that," Walter said. "The execution was really pretty good most of the game."
The defense played in Osan’s backfield most of the way. Phillip Cox led the way with four sacks.
"The defense just played great," Walter said.
Kinnick-Zama moved to Monday: Typhoon Sinlaku forced Friday’s DODDS-Japan and Kanto Plain Association of Secondary Schools game between Nile C. Kinnick and Zama American to be postponed until Monday at Naval Air Facility Atsugi’s Reid Memorial Stadium.
It’s the second straight year the teams’ September game was delayed by a typhoon.
Also called off were Friday’s DODDS-Japan girls volleyball match pitting Edgren at Kinnick.
Organizers said Saturday’s Zama American Invitational Cross-Country Meet was still a go, but Kinnick athletic director Nico Hindie said the Red Devils couldn’t participate because Yokosuka Naval Base was locked down Friday night into Saturday.
The base was shut down at 10 p.m. Friday and Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness-1 declared in advance of forecast wind gusts of up to 75 mph mid-morning Saturday.