Japan: Fujitsu Frontiers overwhelm Sekisui Challengers to advance to Rice Bowl

AFI | American Football | 12/18/2024

Fujitsu Frontiers WR Kazuki Kimura caught 4 passes for 67 yards and 1 TD Photo: ©xleague

The Fujitsu Frontiers dominated their Rice Bowl Tournament (RBT) semifinal against the Sekisui Challengers at Uvance Todoroki Stadium by Fujitsu from start to finish, finally defeating the Challengers 52-21.

With the win, the Frontiers advance to the Rice Bowl for the fourth straight year and 11th time in 12 years where they will face the Panasonic Impulse for the fourth consecutive time.

The Frontiers opened the scoring at the six minute mark of the first quarter on a fluke as a booming punt bounced on the Sekisui five yard line and grazed the Challengers returner before landing in the end zone. Fujitsu cover man Souhei Itokawa alertly pounced on the ball to give his team a 7-0 lead.

Fujitsu extended the lead to 14-0 after quarterback Tsubasa Takagi hit Kazuki Kimura down the sidelines for a 30 yard gain to the four. Then he connected with Trashaun Nixon for the score. A few minutes later, Koji Nasho booted a 40 yard field goal to boost the lead to 17-0.

With just over six minutes left in the first half, Nixon scored his second touchdown of the game, bursting up the middle from eight yards out to give the Frontiers a 24-0 lead .

Sekisui Challengers QB Garrett Saffron ©xleague

Sekisui finally got on the board with three minutes left after quarterback Garrett Saffron marched his team down to the 13 yard line and then connected with Boogie Knight in the end zone to narrow the lead to 24-7.

Fujitsu responded with a minute to go in the half as Takagi found Kimura wide open in the end zone from 11 yards out to give the Frontiers a 31-7 lead going into the break.

The Frontiers opened the second half with a quick score as on a second and two from the 44 yard line, Nixon dipsy doodled his way out to the sideline and raced the rest of the way for his third touchdown of the game to up the score to 38-7.

Midway through the third quarter, backup quarterback Haruto Kamata moved the Frontiers down to the 17 yard line and then tossed a pass to Riki Matsui who found a gap in the middle and darted into the end zone to make it 45-7.

After picking off Saffron, Fujitsu scored again, this time on a three yard run by running back Koki Miyake.

Trailing 52-7 in the final period, Sekisui scored two late touchdowns with Saffron feeding running back Shu Endo a shovel pass into the end zone and then finding wide receiver Takuro Abe with less than a minute to go.

Fujitsu will now face the Panasonic Impulse in the Rice Bowl on January 3 in the Tokyo Dome.