Pacific
Kinnick rallies past Humphreys in final minutes
Stars and Stripes
September 9, 2023
Nile C. Kinnick's Tre Bennett eludes two Humphreys defenders. He rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. (Jim Mills/Special to Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – An unlikely hero capped Nile C. Kinnick’s most effective drive of Saturday’s game just when the Red Devils needed it most.
Bobby Crisafulli, a senior lineman, fell on a fumble in the Humphreys end zone with 1 minute, 32 seconds left, giving Kinnick a 21-17 victory in a game pushed back a day due to Tropical Depression Yun-yeung.
Crisafulli covered the ball after senior running back Tre Bennett lost control of it at the goal line, capping a Red Devils rally from 14-0 deficit at halftime.
“It was a tale of two halves,” Red Devils coach Dan Joley said. “We had dropped passes, we fumbled once, we were in the red zone twice and didn’t execute and gave up a couple of big plays in the first half.”
Brandon Miller hit Andrew Thompson for 30 yards for the Blackhawks’ first touchdown and Luke Robinson ran for a short-yardage touchdown to put Humphreys ahead at halftime in the opener for both teams. Thompson added a second-half field goal for the Blackhawks.
It was in the second half that things turned around. “The defense was stout in the second half and the kids responded to the adjustments we made, they played for each other and we came back,” Joley said.
Arashi Blocton began the comeback with a 4-yard TD scramble. Kellen Broach intercepted a Miller pass and returned it 60 yards to set up Kinnick’s second touchdown, a 2-yard run by Bennett.
The Red Devils got the ball with 3:20 to go at midfield and “were fundamentally sound on the last drive,” Joley said.
“Our defense was holding its own, the offense was moving the ball,” in the first half, Blackhawks coach Reggie Meno said. But in the second half, “we started to feel the heat (and) we made mental mistakes. Everybody knew their assignments. We just made mental mistakes.”
Humphreys' Brian Taylor goes up for an interception in front of Nile C. Kinnick's Michael Torres. (Jim Mills/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys quarterback Bradley Miller tries to elude Nile C. Kinnick's Michael Torres. (Jim Mills/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys' Luke Robinson tries to cut around a pack of Nile C. Kinnick defenders. (Jim Mills/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys' Luke Robinson gets wrapped up by Nile C. Kinnick defenders Joseph Maldin and Michael Torres. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Humphreys quarterback Bradley Miller is surrounded by a sea of Nile C. Kinnick defenders. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick's Arashi Blocton pulls into the end zone with the touchdown that began the Red Devils' comeback. (TeAnna Reimers/Special to Stripes)
Bennett finished with 98 yards on 14 carries and Blocton 64 yards on six attempts for the Red Devils. Joseph Maldin recorded nine tackles for Kinnick.
“Humphreys came to play,” Joley said. “They’re physical, they’re well-coached; they smacked us in the mouth in the first half.”
This was the second try at a season opener for both teams. Kinnick was due to play at Kubasaki and Kadena at Humphreys on Sept. 1; both games were postponed due to Typhoon Haikui and rescheduled for Sept. 22.
Humphreys next travels to Kubasaki and Kadena visits Kinnick on Friday; both kickoffs are at 6 p.m.
Humphreys' Luke Robinson gets wrapped up by a Nile C. Kinnick defender. (Lindy Croxton/Special to Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick quarterback Kellen Broach sparkled defensively, returning an interception 60 yards to set up the Red Devils’ second touchdown. (Lindy Croxton/Special to Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick receiver Khalil Buscher awaits a pass. (Lindy Croxton/Special to Stripes)
Nile C. Kinnick's Tre Bennett tries to outrun Humphreys' Jermel Wheeler Jr. (Lindy Croxton/Special to Stripes)
