Kadena running back Ethan Ferch tries to avoid Kubasaki defender Connor McBee. (Heather Mendoza/Special to Stripes)

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa – New season opener, same result.

Haustin Lunsford scored twice, including a 95-yard kick return to open the second half and Kubasaki held off a two-touchdown fourth-quarter Kadena rally to edge the defending Far East Division I champion Panthers 14-13 Friday at Ryukyu Middle School.

“Another nail biter,” Kubasaki coach Tony Alvarado said of the Dragons’ second straight season-opening victory at Habu Field in as many seasons. Kubasaki beat Kadena 34-20 last Sept. 8 at the same site, but the Panthers went unbeaten the rest of the way.

“We always seem to do well on their field,” Alvarado said.

In Friday’s contest, the Dragons led throughout, with Lunsford putting Kubasaki on the board with a 7-yard first-quarter touchdown run. It stayed that way through the first half.

Kubasaki received the opening second-half kickoff and Lunsford ran it to the end zone to give the Dragons a 14-0 lead that would last until early in the final period. Ryan Hater kicked both Dragons extra points.

“You can never count Kadena out,” Alvarado said. “Even in the (last few seconds), they still didn’t give up. Hats off to them. They’re a great team, they’re well coached. It was amazing. It was crazy.”

Panthers quarterback DeShaun Nixon rushed in from 5 yards out at the start of the fourth quarter, then scored again on a 4-yard run to cut the gap to 14-13 with two minutes left. The Panthers had a bad snap on the extra-point kick attempt and Kubasaki kept the lead.

But it wasn’t over. The Panthers recovered an onside kick and drove to the Dragons’ 30-yard line with 6 seconds left. Kubasaki sacked Nixon at the 45 with 1 second left, then he threw incomplete to end the contest.

“It’s always a great game with Kadena,” Alvarado said.

Kubasaki senior lineman Nathan Reeves holds his helmet aloft following Friday's football game at Kadena. The Dragons won the season opener over the Panthers for the second straight year 14-13. (Trent Lewis/Special to Stripes)

Kadena defenders Isiah Cepin and Samuel Valdez home in on Kubasaki back Lukas Gaines. (Heather Mendoza/Special to Stripes)

Kadena quarterback DeShaun Nixon tries to avoid Kadena defender Tre Johnson. (Heather Mendoza/Special to Stripes)

Penalties and turnovers were the downfall for the Panthers, coach Sergio Mendoza said.

“We had so many mistakes. We just looked terrible,” he said. “We gave Kubasaki good field position early and they scored on the big play in the second half. Little mistakes, but these are things we can fix.”

The Dragons hit the road for their next game, next Friday at Nile C. Kinnick. The Panthers get next weekend off, then host Humphreys on Sept. 6, also at Habu Field. Kadena visits Kubasaki on Sept. 27.

Like last year’s season-opening loss, “this was a wakeup call for us,” Mendoza said. “Nothing is going to be given to you in this league. We have to work harder.”