Kahuku back to winning ways by beating Moanalua in mud

Whenever something is ailing No. 5 Kahuku, the Red Raiders can always count on a little home cooking to make things all better.

Defending state champion Kahuku relied on its punishing running game to ground down Moanalua 33-19 at Kahuku on Saturday night.

Kahuku came into the game on a losing streak after being thumped on the road in Utah. The Red Raiders also fought off an illness that swept through the school last week. The previous time Kahuku lost, in its season opener to Saint Louis at Aloha Stadium, the Red Raiders responded with a win over Kaimuki at home. They didn’t treat Moanalua any differently.

"It always helps to be at home," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. "We feel comfortable here and our crowd is a big help. We just wish it had not been so muddy."

Soli Afalava led the way with 100 yards on 14 carries and quarterback Tuli Wily-Matagi was as efficient as ever with an 11-for-14 line for 97 yards.

Kahuku did its thing from the outset, running 16 plays and marching 80 yards for the first score, capped by a 12-yard run by Soli Afalava. The play was preceded by a strange fourth and 1 from the 13, where fullback Polikapu Liua sold a fake handoff so well that the officials thought he had the ball and whistled the play dead when he hit the ground as Wily-Matagi turned the corner on his way to the end zone. Officials called it a 1-yard gain and a first down.

But Moanalua responded with an 11-yard touchdown run by Ishmil Scott and took the lead after Na Menehune defensive back Antonio Copeland stepped in front of a receiver and picked off a pass from Wily-Matagi. Moanalua quarterback Micah Kaneshiro, who finished with 246 yards against Kahuku’s fearsome defense, took over from there, hitting on eight short passes on a 10-play drive and capping it with a 40-yard score to Jason Sharsh for a touchdown. Kaneshiro failed to convert a pass on the extra-point attempt, but Moanalua held a 12-6 lead before the sun went down.

"Kahuku is Kahuku," Moanalua coach Arnold Martinez said. "They are a great team, (Torres) does a great job, but I love my team — they played their butts off. With a game like this you can’t afford to give them extra opportunities."

Kahuku finished its next drive with a score when Liua rumbled in from 6 yards out and Jacob Samsel hit the extra point for a 13-12 lead. Kaneshiro kept the pressure on Kahuku’s defense, but Na Menehune never led again.

Wily-Matagi hit Lamone Williams on a 2-yard touchdown pass to cap the next drive and Kahuku went into halftime with a 20-12 lead.

Kahuku scored again on its first drive after the break, but the rout wasn’t officially on until sophomore defensive back Manaia Atuaia pilfered a pass from Kaneshiro and took it to the end zone for a 33-12 lead. He intercepted another pass on Moanalua’s next possession.

Nearly all of Kaneshiro’s passing yards came on quick slants and the runs after the catch, but on those two throws Atuaia was in the right place at the right time to stop it.

"I couldn’t have got it without the rest of my teammates," Atuaia said. "The front got a big push and made him throw it before he wanted it. Home really helps us. You see these fans over here? It’s really nice."