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Rock solid defense was the name of the game and it had been all season for the contenders in the KIF football title race in 2022.
Forget a game-winning pass or an exciting long kickoff return. No need.
Kapaa’s Christopher Rapozo and his special teams unit was all the Warriors needed for points in a 3-0 victory over Waimea for the league championship last Saturday at the Baptiste Sports Complex.
Rapozo’s 21-yard field goal with 1:21 left in the second quarter was the elixir that put Kapaa (5-3 overall) on top with a 5-1 league record, leaving the Menehunes (6-2) at 4-2.
Rapozo, a 6 foot, 200 pound senior who is also a two-way lineman, is Bedrock’s outstanding player of WEEK 13.
Neither of those KIF finalists are packing away the equipment yet.
Kapaa will hop on a plane to play in the Division I first round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships on Nov. 11 at Waipahu (9-1).
Waimea will also be playing in the tournament and has the luxury of staying on the Garden Isle for a D-II first round matchup against Kaiser (6-4) on Nov. 12 at Hanapepe Stadium.
It was a classic race for the KIF title this year. Earlier, Kapaa dropped a 7-3 decision to Waimea on Sept. 10 before topping the Menehunes 24-6 on Oct. 1.
For Kapaa, it was the 11th overall league championship and the eighth in the 11 seasons (no football played in 2020) since 2011.
The Menehunes own 37 KIF crowns but were going for their first since 2003, a drought of 18 seasons played.
Story links for previous Bedrock outstanding players of the week are listed below.
>> WEEK 12: Damien’s AJ Tuifua Is Bedrock’s Outstanding Football Player For WEEK 12 (Oct. 27)
>> WEEK 11: Bedrock’s Outstanding WEEK 11 Football Player Kayman Lewis Of Roosevelt Finishes High School Career In Style (Oct. 20)
>> WEEK 10: Campbell sophomore Quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Is Bedrock’s Outstanding Football Player Of WEEK 10 (Oct. 13 )
>> WEEK 9: Aiea Junior Quarterback Ezekiel Olie Is Bedrock’s Outstanding Football Player of WEEK 9 (Oct. 6)
>> WEEK 8: A ‘Tama-Of-All-Trades’: Waipahu’s Uiliata Can Throw, Too, And Is Bedrock’s Outstanding Player Of WEEK 8 (Sept. 30)
>> WEEK 7: ‘Iolani Kicker Allison Chang Is Bedrock Sports’ Outstanding Player Of WEEK 7 (Sept. 4)
>> WEEK 6: Radford’s Michael Hayslett Is Bedrock Sports Hawaii’s Outstanding Player Of WEEK 6 (Sept. 14)
>> WEEK 5: Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Michael Perry Is 2022’s Third Football Player Of Week From Big Island (Sept. 8)
>> WEEK 4: Mililani Cornerback Jordan Fetu Is Bedrock’s Outstanding Player Of WEEK 4 (Sept. 1)
>> WEEK 3: Honokaa’s Uhane Mock Chew Is Second Straight Player Of the Week From The BIIF (Aug. 25)
>> WEEK 2: Keaau’s Diego Pettypool Selected As Bedrock Sports Hawaii’s Player Of The Week (Aug. 17)
>> WEEK 1: Mililani’s Jabiel Lauvao Is First Bedrock Football Player Of The Week In 2022 (Aug. 10)
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ALSO At BedrockSportsHawaii.com:
Kamehameha’s Abu Maafala Out As Football Coach; Search For New Head Man Underway
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The season as it unfolds:
