Nojima Sagamihara Rise stun Fujitsu Frontiers in historic X League comeback
The Nojima Sagamihara Rise (2-0) rallied from a 28-17 fourth-quarter deficit to edge the Fujitsu Frontiers (1-1) 29-28 in a thrilling X League clash, securing their first fall-season victory over their rivals at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.
Palandech Kurt’s heroics seal dramatic win
Trailing 28-17 with 7:56 remaining, quarterback Kurt Palandech (31/37 passing, 240 yards, 3 TDs; 108 rushing yards, 1 TD) engineered two late scoring drives. He connected with Junpei Yoshimoto for a 29-yard touchdown, then hit Tay Cunningham for a 30-yard game-winner with 11:12 left in the fourth. Cunningham finished with 92 receiving yards and two scores, including a critical third-quarter TD that narrowed the gap to 21-17.
Nojima Sagamihara RB Yoshizawa Sho was named Game MVP Photo: @XLEAGUE1996
Early fireworks set stage for chaos
Fujitsu dominated early, building a 21-10 halftime lead behind QB Tsubasa Takagi’s 285-yard, two-TD performance. RB Takaki Miyake opened the scoring with a 3-yard rush, while Takagi found Kazuki Kimura (113 yards, 1 TD) and Riki Matsui (64 yards, 1 TD) for scores. Trashawn Nixon’s 13-yard fourth-quarter TD run seemingly sealed the game at 28-17 before Nojima’s rally.
Defense delivers clutch stops
CB Yuchi Miyamoto’s interception halted a Fujitsu drive, while LBs Kazushi Masaoka and Takuya Iwamoto (5 tackles each) contained Nixon (40 rushing yards) late. DL Naoyuki Saikawa’s sack on Takagi forced a pivotal punt, setting up Kurt’s game-winning drive.
Fujitsu Frontiers QB Tsubasa Takagi Photo: @XLEAGUE1996
Historic breakthrough for Rise
The victory marked Nojima’s first win over Fujitsu since 2023, fueled by Kurt’s dual-threat dominance and Cunningham’s big-play brilliance. The Rise overcame RB Ryunosuke Kawamura’s fumble and a 44-6 rushing yard deficit to outscore Fujitsu 12-0 in the final quarter.
Scoring summary integration
Key plays included Kurt’s 55-yard first-quarter rushing TD, Cunningham’s 30-yard fourth-quarter winner, and Miyamoto’s interception. Nojima’s defense held Fujitsu scoreless for the final 11 minutes to preserve the comeback.
Source: XLeague
