YOKOHAMA -- Quarterback Yujiro Katsura threw two touchdown passes and linebacker Masafumi Kawaguchi registered the game-clinching interception in the end zone with 45 seconds to play as the Asahi Beverage Challengers defeated the Kajima Deers 21-13 Saturday at Yokohama Stadium in the semifinal of the X League.
Defending national champion Asahi Beverage takes on the Matsushita Denko Impulse, who beated the Recruit Seagulls 10-7 in overtime at Osaka's Nagai Stadium in the other semifinal, in the Tokyo Super Bowl at the Tokyo Dome on Dec. 18.
Kajima took a 10-0 lead on Tomohiro Tanaka's 41-yard field goal and Kazuyoshi Suzuki's 28-yard scoring pass to Shuji Shiino. Asahi, however, came back 11 seconds before halftime when Katsura hit Osamu Momozawa with a 18-yard scoring strike.
In the opening series of the third quarter, Asahi took advantage of a number of penalties against Kajima to keep a six-play, 61-yard scoring drive alive and made the score 14-10 on Keisuke Sebata's 35-yard rush with 9:36 remaining in the quarter.
Two minutes later, Asahi recovered a fumble and Katsura sent a 13-yard touchdown pass to Katsuo Takimoto.
Kajima cut Asahi's lead to 21-13 with a 37-yard field goal with 9:37 left in the fourth quarter and advanced to Asahi's 7-yard line with 51 seconds to play. But Suzuki's pass was picked off by Kawaguchi in the end zone and Asahi sealed the victory.