The Chabot football team continued its rousing start with a 34-20 nonconference win over Sequoias Saturday in Visalia. Freshman dual-threat quarterback Chayce Akaka completed 26 of 37 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns for the Gladiators. He also ran for 46 yards.
Receivers Traveon Auzenne and Da'Juan Johnson formed a dynamic 1-2 threat. Auzenne had eight receptions for 160 yards (20.0 avg.) and Johnson amassed 13 receptions for 148 yards (11.4 avg.). Both wideouts had two TD grabs.
Chabot (2-0) will look to stay unbeaten at home against San Joaquin Delta at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15.
In the back-and-forth game against Sequoias, Akaka found Johnson for touchdown passes of 7 yards and 30 yards in the first half, giving Chabot a 14-7 halftime lead. After Sequoias tied it, Akaka found Auzenne on back-to-back TD strikes in the third quarter, of 66 yards and 38 yards.
After Sequoias made it a one-score game in the fourth quarter, Chabot's Ponove Veimau clinched the victory on a 7-yard run with 2:03 remaining, capping a rousing 12-play, 95-yard drive that lasted 5 minutes, 42 seconds.
Chabot also ran the ball effectively as three Gladiators did most of the damage: Chris Washington (4 carries, 59 yards); Osaru Ona (5 carries, 50 yards); Isaiah Nehemiah McGlown (23 carries, 40 yards).
Le-Anthony Grey had a stellar game on defense with a team-high nine tackles, four solo. Devon Vaenuku had five tackles and an interception for 19 yards. Samuele Cavallini had Chabot's lone quarterback sack.
Alejandro Cervantes converted four of five extra-point attempts.
ALOHA, AKAKA: Akaka is picking up right where he left off in Hawaii. He was a three-sport star at Baldwin High School in 2017-18 in the Maui Interscholastic League. He finished his three-year career with 50 touchdown passes and accounted for 73 touchdowns — both league records. He passed for 3,552 yards and ran for 1,799.
RANKED IN STATE: The Gladiators, guided by head coach Eric Fanene, moved up to a No. 23 state ranking in the Sept. 4 JC Athletic Bureau Poll after being unranked heading into the season.
Chabot will travel to Siskyous on Sept. 22, and then will host West Hills on Sept. 29. Chabot will open conference play against DVC at Gladiator Stadium on Oct. 13.