Kadena defender James Kinney tries to bring down Humphreys' Joshua Cannon. (Beckham Thompson/Special to Stripes)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Offense and defense each carried equal parts of the scoring load as Kadena recorded its second straight shutout, blanking Humphreys 28-0 Friday at Blackhawks Field.

But to Panthers coach Sergio Mendoza, it didn’t have the same aura that victories are supposed to have.

“We had a lot of takeaways, but we gave up a lot of turnovers,” Mendoza said. “We have a lot of things we have to clean up. For a win, it didn’t feel like it. We didn’t play to our potential.”

Still, the Panthers recorded their second straight shutout, on the heels of their 50-0 win last Saturday at Nile C. Kinnick.

DeShawn Nixon ran 20 yards for one touchdown and Jeremiah Drummer added a 2-yard scoring run. On defense, linebacker Flint Barton returned an interception 20 yards for a TD and Julius Gantz covered a fumble in the end zone.

“We made some basic mistakes and they capitalized on all of our mistakes,” Blackhawks coach Reggie Meno said.

Coupled with Nile C. Kinnick’s 41-20 win Friday at Kubasaki, the race for DODEA-Pacific Division I title space now features three teams at the top, with the Red Devils, Panthers and Dragons each 2-1. The Blackhawks fell to 0-3 with half the season yet to be played.

“The Blackhawks are a tough team,” Mendoza said. “They came out and hit us hard.”

Both teams are off next week; on Oct. 6, Kadena plays at Kubasaki, while Nile C. Kinnick journeys to Humphreys. Each kickoff is at 6 p.m.

Humphreys' Joshua Cannon looks for running room against Kadena's defense. (Beckham Thompson/Special to Stripes)

DeShaun Nixon ran 20 yards for a touchdown for Kadena against Humphreys. (Beckham Thompson/Special to Stripes)

Kadena's Sadiq Haynes looks for open space against Humphreys. (William Jones/Special to Stripes)

Kadena running back Jeremiah Drummer looks for room against Humphreys' Luke Robinson and William Dales. (William Jones/Special to Stripes)

Kadena's Jeremiah Drummer rushed 2 yards for one of two touchdowns the Panthers scored on offense against Humphreys. (William Jones/Special to Stripes)

Humphreys' Joshua Cannon finds an open seam against Kadena. (William Jones/Special to Stripes)