Dylan O'Neal pulls down one of three interceptions by Kadena against Kinnick. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – A.J. Webster made some significant contributions on both sides of the football to help Kadena hold off a pesky defense-minded Nile C. Kinnick squad in Friday’s DODEA-Pacific Division I season opener.

The junior running back-defensive back ran 12 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive, Carson Kenderdine added a 20-yard TD run early in the second quarter, then Webster grabbed one of three interceptions by the Panthers in a 15-9 win over the Red Devils.

“It was a team effort,” Webster said. “We just implemented what we do in practice on the field.”

It was a contest that featured some challenges for both teams.

After opening the game strong in the first 13 minutes, several Panthers players spent time on the sidelines treatment for cramps, drinking water to stay hydrated and pickle juice to ward off cramps.

“We’re definitely going to need a little more potassium” to prepare for future games, Panthers coach Sergio Mendoza said. “But the boys never gave up. Kinninck’s a good team. We needed this to wake up. This is going to be a tough season. We’ll fix the things we need to fix.”

The Red Devils’ day began with a bus ride to Haneda Airport at 5 a.m., followed by a flight to Okinawa around 9 a.m. with the game following six hours after they landed. Kinnick turned the ball over three times and scored all its points on defense.

“We’re a young team. There were some first-game jitters, we made too many turnovers, too many mistakes,” Kinnick coach Dan Joley said. “But the way they came out in the second half is when I became proud of them. Nice job by Sergio. Props to his team.”

Kadena's Braylon Stephens tracks down Kinnick's Mack Jordan. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kinnick's Jesse Brooks hauls in a pass in front of Kadena's Farid Goumondokoye. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena's Hajime Reed tries to elude Kinnick's Keanu Serban. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kinnick's Keanu Serban wraps up Kadena's A.J. Webster. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

A.J. Webster dashes around right end for the first of Kadena's two touchdowns. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)

Kadena scored on its first possession, with Webster skirting the right side untouched into the end zone with 6 minutes, 50 seconds left in the first quarter. Kenderdine did likewise around left end for 20 yards one minute into the second quarter. Dylan O’Neal ran in a two-point conversion.

In the closing seconds of the first half, Kinnick got on the board when Kadena snapped the ball into the end zone. It was covered by quarterback Hunter Swartz, giving the Red Devils two points.

Kadena drove from its 20-yard line to Kinnick’s 7, but on the 12th play of the drive, the Panthers fumbled the ball. It was picked up by the Red Devils’ Jacob Bojorquiz, who returned it 96 yards for a score.

“Jacob is a quiet storm,” Joley said. “He works hard, he does anything we ask him to do. He’s what I call the epitome of a Red Devil.”

Each team had more scoring chances, but couldn’t capitalize.

Hajime Reed rushed 22 times for 116 yards to lead Kadena. O’Neal also had an interception and Panthers lineman Braylon Stephens picked a tipped pass out of the air for Kadena’s third pickoff.

Kinnick’s Tyler Stevens was 9-for-22 passing for 94 yards, with Jesse Brooks catching five passes for 43 yards.