Kicoh Guenther is one of a handful of Yokota offensive weapons who can move the ball downfield. (Greg Holladay/Special to Stripes)
URUMA, Okinawa – Sometimes, one star player can make a difference.
Yokota and Matthew C. Perry each lost a key senior – Casey Bumpers of the Panthers and the Samurai’s Xander Grantham – during the middle portion of the 2024 season.
But now they’re back, and the last couple of games each team has played demonstrates how each has helped his team play for the DODEA-Pacific Far East Division II football title, coaches of both teams said.
“Casey is an impact player. It’s just different with him on the field,” Yokota coach Michael Woodworth said of Bumpers, a senior running back-linebacker who played a key role in Yokota’s 22-6 semifinal win over Zama.
Once he gets the ball from quarterback Josh Low, he can be difficult to bring down, Woodworth said. “It takes a lot more effort to get him to the ground. And the teammates see his effort. It kind of uplifts you. You want to do the same thing.”
Grantham, a senior tight end-defensive end, returned to the Samurai lineup three weeks ago for Perry’s homecoming win over Yokota. The Samurai beat Robert D. Edgren in last week’s semifinal 27-21.
“Massive difference. He’s our leader, our captain,” Perry coach Daniel Burns said of having Grantham in the lineup.
“He shuts down one side of the field defensively, and on offense he creates so many mismatches with pass receiving and blocking. They feel more confident when he’s on the field, get an extra boost.”
Josh Low brings a double-threat dynamic to Yokota’s offense with his ability to throw and run. (Kevin Rossiter/Special to Stripes)
Jordan Burford helms the Perry modified Wing-T offense that outlasted Yokota in the second of their two regular-season meetings. (Kevin Rossiter/Special to Stripes)
Perry running back Kameron Ramos is a dual threat to run and catch passes out of the backfield. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
Yokota and Perry kick off at 6 p.m. Friday at Perry’s Samurai Field. The Samurai have won one D-II title, in 2016, and have appeared in four total finals. The Panthers won the 2011 and 2012 Division I titles before moving to D-II; they lost the 2015 final at Daegu.
The teams met twice during the regular season, the Panthers winning in overtime 29-28 at Yokota the first Friday of September, then the Samurai responding at Perry’s home field four weeks later.
Perry was the third seed and Yokota the fourth in last week’s semifinal playoffs.
Both teams’ quarterbacks bring a dynamic to the game, Low with his double-threat pass-run ability, while Perry’s Jordan Burford helms the Samurai’s modified Wing-T formation and can hit that rare economical pass for big yards.
It’s a question, Woodworth and Burns said, of holding down penalties and taking good care of the football.
“We have to stop the run,” Burns said. “We have to find a way to stop Josh Low, contain Bumpers and get (Yokota’s offense) off the field after third down, play turnover-free football and stay disciplined.”
Likewise, Woodworth says the Panthers must cut down on penalties that hurt them against the Samurai in their last meeting.
“We have to execute our gameplan and limit our mistakes,” Woodworth said, adding that miscues can “100 percent” decide a championship game. “The teams are evenly matched,” he said. “That one mistake can be the difference in the game. I’ve seen it time and time again.”
