It took a week longer than either team had hoped, but Yokota finally clinched the U.S. Forces Japan-American Football League North Division regular-season title, while Joint Task Force came within a win of sealing the South crown:

• Fredrick Guild, on in relief of starting quarterback Ryan Jones, threw for a touchdown pass and ran for another in the final two minutes, helping the Warriors pull away for a 22-8 win over Misawa at Yokota High School’s Bonk Field.

• Joseph Huewitt broke a 0-0 third-quarter tie with his third touchdown catch in two weeks, and the Wolfpack’s defense forced six sacks, two fumble recoveries and a Huewitt interception in a 14-0 shutout of Kadena at Camp Courtney Bowl.

Yokota improved to 4-2 and clinched the North Division’s first-round playoff bye; the Warriors will host the Yokosuka at Misawa July 10 first-round playoff winner July 17. Meanwhile, the Wolfpack only needs to beat Kadena Friday at Courtney Bowl to wrap up the South title.

“We needed this,” said coach Selwyn Jones after Yokota snapped a two-game losing skid after starting 3-0. “Now, I can breathe a little.”

Coach Darell Keith said his Wolfpack (4-1), which lost to defending champion Foster last week, knows they still have work to avoid a tie for the division title with Foster (4-2) and a possible three-way tie for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“We have them (Kadena) one more time, and I expect it to be a dogfight,” Keith said. “(Kadena coach Will) Cupp’s going to prepare his team.”

Yokota 22, Misawa 8YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Though the Jets (2-4) kept it close, Yokota never trailed, as Jones hit Anthony Showers with a 35-yard touchdown pass, and the Warriors got two first-half safeties on special teams.

Joshua Scott blocked a third-quarter Yokota punt, and Robert Smith ran it 30 yards for a score that cut it gap to 10-8.

But that set the stage for Guild’s heroics. He first tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to Darius Merritt with just under two minutes left.

Yokota immediately got the ball back on a Misawa turnover, and then Guild sealed the scoring with a 25-yard quarterback keeper.

Joint Task Force 14, Kadena 0CAMP COURTNEY, Okinawa — Huewitt’s 28-yard scoring catch from Mike Geddie 8:20 into the third period proved to be the only points the Wolfpack needed. Eddie Hamilton capped a 75-yard, 11-play drive in 6:57 with a 1-yard insurance touchdown run with 11:36 left.

Geddie was 6-for-17 for 92 yards and also carried 19 times for 36 yards to lead all offensive players, while Huewitt had 50 yards on three catches in an otherwise defensive struggle.

JTF’s Michael Harris had a fumble recovery and a sack, while Lavon Watkins — added to the roster earlier Saturday — had two sacks and Huewitt had his second interception in two weeks.

Emanuel Griffin had 69 yards on 13 carries and Timothy Lawson 53 yards on nine carries for the Dragons, who were in Wolfpack territory six times but got as far as the 23 in the second quarter. Greg Robinson had a fumble recovery and a blocked punt for Kadena.

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