CAMP ZAMA, Japan – While Luke Beck is a strong-armed, left-handed quarterback, he also has proved pretty fair at scoring points with his legs when it counted most for Yokota.

The Panthers senior rushed for touchdowns of 25 yards in the first half and 4 in the final minutes, each set up by Dylan Cook and Keito Kawamura-Johnson interceptions, and Yokota won its third straight Far East Division II football title, shutting out Zama 14-0 on Friday.

“I do it with both” his arm and his feet, said Beck, who accounted for 122 yards total offense, going 8-for-14 for 104 yards in the air. “If I see an opening, I take it.”

It was the Panthers’ first win in three tries against Zama this season. The Trojans, who have the highest-scoring offense in D-II, beat Yokota 43-7 on Sept. 4 at Zama, then 25-13 at Yokota on Oct. 2.

“This is the game that matters the most,” Beck said. “We had to put those other games behind us and focus on the present. Yokota is the best in Division II. I’m ecstatic, but I have to stay humble.”

In the September loss, Yokota committed six turnovers, four inside their own 20. The Panthers made a key mistake toward the end of the October game after leading 13-12.

“We have four seniors, four juniors, 10 sophomores and nine freshmen, went 4-2 in the regular season and we won a championship with those numbers. And 13 of them had never played football before,” Panthers coach Michael Woodworth said.

The question the Panthers asked during the season was how to stop speedy Zama senior back Gabe Simpkins. “He’s an incredible player (but) we stopped him, Keito had a big interception and Luke ran in two TDs. The defense played lights out. An incredible game to be part of.”

Yokota is the third DODEA-Pacific football program to win three straight D-II titles, joining Daegu (2013-15) and Robert D. Edgren (2006-08). But the Panthers are the first to also win two Division I titles, in 2011-12, when Yokota was classified a large school.

The Panthers (5-2) have won all three D-II championship games on the road, and against teams that beat them during the regular season, to include Matthew C. Perry the last two seasons.

Beck’s first rushing TD came with 3:39 left in the first half, capping an 8-play, 76-yard drive in 4:30, following Cook’s interception.

Kawamura-Johnson’s interception came as the Trojans were driving, on second-and-goal at the 17. Kawamura-Johnson said he tried to return it to the end zone, “but we came out with the victory and that’s what we needed. I hadn’t had a pick all season, so I said I gotta go get it.”

The interception, off a pass from Simpkins, set up the Panthers to get the insurance touchdown from Beck, with 1:41 left.

Simpkins was pressed into quarterback duty after starter Thomas Diaz suffered a rib injury early in the second half. The elusive Simpkins ran 14 times for 108 second-half yards and finished with 132 total.

Zama penetrated to Yokota’s 3-yard line in the first half and the 7 in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone.

“They (Yokota) played a great game,” Trojans coach Shawen Smith said. “They did everything perfectly, capitalized on our mistakes and it’s tough to beat a team three times in a season.”

The Trojans also lost 14-0 the last time they hosted the D-II championship, three seasons ago against American School In Japan.