SINGAPORE – Liam Nelligan’s 44-yard touchdown pass to John Schell on fourth down in the first quarter broke open the floodgates and helped keep Singapore’s Falcons perfect in their four games against DODDS Pacific opponents this season.

Their latest win came Saturday in a lightning-delayed contest, with Singapore coming out on top 27-8 over Kubasaki, a team that had beaten the Falcons the last two times they faced each other by a combined 67-8.

The pass play was “really the key moment in the game and got us fired up,” said longtime Falcons coach Jamie Matisin. “They’d beaten us big twice before. The guys were nervous (entering the game), but that play showed we could stay on the same field with them.”

Singapore opened its four-game DODDS tour at home on Oct. 13, beating Kadena 14-6, before hitting the road for 34-0 and 21-14 victories over Osan American and Daegu on Oct. 22 and Oct. 27 before hosting Kubasaki.

“This has been a heckuva season for us,” Matisin said, crediting Singapore American School for permitting the Singapore American Community Action Council, a sort of youth services arm, to play an extended season. “A big boost for the program.”

Jeff Scott scored on runs of 7 and 12 yards, giving him seven TDs in four games, while Josh Dawe rushed 8 yards for another touchdown.

Pacific rushing leader Jarrett Mitchell was held to 47 yards on 13 carries, but he did score the only touchdown and also picked off a Singapore pass for Kubasaki (6-3), which lost its second straight.

“They handled us,” Kubasaki coach Fred Bales said. “They’re strong, they’re well-coached, they played with a lot of heart. They played very good football. It didn’t kill us, so it will make us stronger.”

The Dragons next travel to Yokota for a Nov. 17 rematch of the DODDS Pacific Far East Division I football title game, which Yokota won 34-6 last Nov. 12. Bales said Singapore compares favorably with Yokota.

“They’re a run-first team, they’re strong tackle-to-tackle and they have big backs,” Bales said. “Their coaches got them prepared to compete against us.”

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