Kaiser hands Radford a loss, takes over first

Rich Miano’s first year at Kaiser is beginning to have a special feel to it.

The host Cougars took over first place in the OIA White division, matching their longest winning streak in six years with a 33-14 win over previously undefeated Radford on Friday night.

Kaiser (6-1, 6-2) won its sixth consecutive game and beat the Rams (5-1, 6-1) for the first time in seven tries dating back to 2000.

The Cougars scored twice on defense and added another score on an 82-yard punt return by Kai Gonda, who finished with a season-high 138 yards on the ground.

“I had a feeling if we played our game and played at the level we’re capable of playing, that we’ll control our own destiny … that’s what happened tonight,” Miano said. “This is as satisfying a win as we’ve had this year.”

The Cougars held Radford quarterback Cody Lui-Yuen to a season-low 113 passing yards. He was just 13-for-38 overall and completed only 20 percent (4-for-20) of his throws in the second half, which ended with an interception by junior Jeshua Bitanga in the final two minutes to seal the game.

“Our strength is defending the pass in the back end and then applying the pass rush,” Miano said. “It was a great job by the defensive coaches.”

Sophomore Zeno Choi had two of Kaiser’s seven sacks and senior linebacker Justin Isobe forced a fumble on a sack midway through the fourth quarter that set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Gonda to make it 33-14.

“All four quarters, we were conditioned well and we stuck it out and won in all phases of the game,” Isobe said. “We had an excellent game plan by our coaches and we’re just ready to play every week.”
Each team punted the ball three times in a scoreless first quarter in which Radford didn’t pick up a single first down.

Junior Fitou Fisiiahi gave Kaiser a 7-0 lead, plunging into the end zone from 3 yards out to complete a nine-play drive.

Kaiser scored 20 points over a three-minute span as Gonda, who totaled 280 all-purpose yards, tightroped down the sidelines to score on an 82-yard punt return to push the lead to 14-0.

After a Fisiiahi sack pushed Radford inside its own 10-yard line, a bad snap from the center was recovered in the end zone by Melvin Kahunanui to push the Cougars in front 20-0.

Senior defensive back Mason Manuma intercepted Kaiser quarterback Makana Lyman in the end zone and returned it 65 yards to set up Radford’s first score.

The Rams needed just four plays as Lui-Yuen followed up a 25-yard pass to Keanu Keaweehu-Ancog with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Zach Tinao-Rabellizsa to make it 20-7.

On the very next play from scrimmage, Lyman was picked off again as Amu Poe, one of Radford’s four team captains for the game, returned it 25 yards for a score to cut the Cougars lead to 20-14 going into halftime.

At Kaiser
RADFORD (5-1, 6-1)     0    14    0    0    —    14
KAISER (6-1, 6-2)          0    20   0    13  —    33
KAIS—Fitou Fisiiahi 3 run (Clayton Sai kick)
KAIS—Kai Gonda 82 punt return (Sai kick)
KAIS—Melvin Kahunanui fumble recovery in end zone (kick blocked)
RAD—Zach Tinao-Rabellizsa 3 pass from Cody Lui-Yuen (Cayman Conley kick)
RAD—Amu Poe 25 interception return (Conley kick)
KAIS—Leimana Chong-Gum recovered blocked punt in end zone (run failed)
KAIS—Gonda 2 run (Sai kick)

RUSHING—Radford: Chris Jackson 10-34, Tinao-Rabellizsa 1-4, team 1-(-8), Lui-Yuen 8-(-47). Kaiser: Gonda 22-138, Fisiiahi 7-21, Elima Haole 1-5, Justin Isobe 2-1, TEAM 1-(-2), Jeshua Bitanga 4-(-3), Justin Ikei 1-(-6), Vidijay Kannys 1-(-6), Makana Lyman 4-(-22).
PASSING—Radford: Lui-Yuen 13-38-1-113. Kaiser: Lyman 11-20-2-130.
RECEIVING—Radford: Jameson Pasigan 5-36, Tinao-Rabellizsa 3-24, Dre’ell Blackwell 2-16, Keanu Keaweehu-Ancog 1-25, Julian Brown 1-14, Jackson 1-(-2). Kaiser: Ikei 4-79, Christian Clapp 3-48, Gonda 2-(-4), Ikona Makaneole 1-5, Destin Moss 1-2.