HEIR (8-0) and the CD Panthers (7-1) squared off in a highly-anticipated game for the Northwest Premier Junior Football League’s 8U championship. Both were coming off impressive playoff victories and were looking to carry that momentum into the championship game.
HEIR would strike first, as Naniholo Talakai scored on a 47-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game to give his team a 6-0 lead.
HEIR would find themselves in business again as they recovered the ensuing kickoff that was mishandled by the Panthers. A few plays later, HEIR would take a 12-0 lead as quarterback Liam Bartlett scored on a 24-yard touchdown run.
CD would counter later in the quarter, as quarterback Jeffrey Cook scored on a 26-yard touchdown run to close the deficit to 12-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The score would remain the same as the two teams battled back-and-forth during the second quarter and a good portion of the third quarter. However, HEIR would take control of the game in the third quarter when Samajai Smith scored on a long touchdown run, and Micah Wu caught a point-after-attempt to give HEIR a 19-6 lead.
The Panthers would try to rally late as they recovered a fumble at HEIR’s 38-yard line, but it was too little too late for them to make a comeback.
HEIR would go on to win the Northwest Premier Junior Football League’s 8U championship with a 19-6 victory over the CD Panthers.
