Warriors smack around tigers 48-0

Del Norte earns first win since September 11

ARCATA — Now, that’s more like it.

After dropping four straight games by the combined score of 211-28 the Del Norte High varsity football team came back in a big way Friday night.

The squad put a 48-0 hurting to winless Arcata Friday evening on the Tigers’ homecoming night at the Redwood Bowl on the Humboldt State University campus.

It was the first time in a ball game this season that Del Norte scored more than one touchdown.

The Warriors were beasts on the ground, rumbling for seven touchdowns and 385 yards rushing compared to 158 rushing yards for the Tigers.

Brandon Kakitsuka smashed his way for three rushing touchdowns. Greg Kirby and Shane Endamano each had two rushing touchdowns apiece for Del Norte as the Tigers had no answer whatsoever for the Warrior rushing attack.

The Warriors did not score until around 2:13 left in the first quarter on a 10-yard rushing touchdown by Kakitsuka. On a two-point conversion Layton O’Reilley connected with Nate Bruder to make things 8-0.

At the start of the second quarter quarterback Thor Hadfield made a deep throw, which was hauled in by receiver Austin Carpenter for a more than 40-yard reception at around the five-yard-line of the Tigers.

Unfortunately, Carpenter was  injured on the play with an apparent broken leg and was taken off the field by gurney and taken to the hospital.

The Warriors’ scoring barrage did not stop until they had a 42-0 lead at the end of the first half.

In the first half the Tigers coughed up the ball for four turnovers and two interceptions, which Del Norte took advantage of. Both Bruder and Kody Henderson each had an interception for the Warriors in the first half

At the start of the second half Kirby raced down the field for a 46-yard score to make things 48-0 with a little more than nine minutes left in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter it appeared that the Tigers would finally get the ball into the end zone as they moved deep into Warrior territory and were on the doorstep of the end zone.

But the Tigers could not hold onto the pigskin and fumbled the ball at around the three-yard line as the Warriors preserved the shutout.

Del Norte improved to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big 4 Conference. Arcata fell to 0-7 overall and 0-3 in the Big 4.

In the junior varsity game Del Norte fell to Arcata 26-12.

Next up for the Warriors is Eureka. They will face the Loggers at home on Friday.