Kaiser bulldozes McKinley in season opening contest

Rayden Aoki | SL

Kaiser opened up its 2024 campaign with a non-league win over a league opponent, routing McKinley, 56-7, in both teams' season openers.

Dillon Reis took his second carry of the game 59 yards to the end zone to put the home team up 7-0 just 45 seconds into regulation, one of four scores in the opening quarter for Kaiser. Reis could have added a second score on the ground, but on the Cougars' second possession, he fumbled at the two yard line. The beneficiary of the miscue was his teammate Apo Toetuu-Kelekolio, who hopped on the ball in the end zone for a score.

Senior BJ Rezentes, starting his first game for the Cougars, found Zayden Ling for a 10 yard score, and Brady Kim punched one in on the ground from a yard out for the final score in the quarter for the home team.

A bright spot for McKinley came in the final minute of the first, when Gregory Givens picked off Rezentes and took it back 52 yards for a score to make it 28-7.

From there, the Cougars continued to put points on the scoreboard, at least until the half.

The second quarter opened with a Rezentes to Rayne Sumida scoring toss from 15 yards out, followed a minute later by Kim's second one yard plunge that made it 35-7.

Kim scored his third touchdown of the contest at the 3:13 mark, and Aiden Leong found the end zone from six yards out to cap the scoring in the half.

Cougars' placekicker Morgan White had a busy evening, booting through all eight extra points.