Kahuku overpowers Farrington

Farrington’s second chance at beating Kahuku went much like the first.

Now the only question remaining in the Division I football season is will Punahou’s be any different?

The top two seeds in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships will meet in a rematch of last year’s final after the Red Raiders blew past Farrington 47-14 on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.

Kahuku (11-0), which proved its 31-6 win over the Governors two months ago was no fluke, will need a repeat of its 21-13 victory over the Buffanblu in August to win its second straight state championship and seventh overall since 1999.

The Division I title game will follow the 4:30 p.m. Division II championship Friday at Aloha Stadium.

Senior Aofaga Wily rushed for 141 yards and tied a career high with four touchdowns as Kahuku stuffed the Governors (10-3) for a 24-0 lead at the break.

Farrington was held to 5 yards total in the first half as running back Tyler Taumua had negative -13 yards on nine carries.

"We’ve got great kids on (the defensive) side of ball that are all kinds of athletes and have great speed," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. "We’re happy to be moving on because Farrington is a great team … and we’ve got to get back to work because Punahou is a tough team, too."

Things were so bad for the Governors that they failed to gain more than a yard on each of their final 11 plays in the half.

Kahuku’s first score was set up by a Taumua fumble caused by senior Rashaan Falemalu that was recovered by Clifford Ramseyer at the Farrington 20.

Three plays later, Wily scored on a 5-yard run and the Red Raiders were off to the races.

"They are at another level and have been so for years," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said.

Abraham Silva’s 16-yard run for a first down with four minutes left in the opening quarter would be Farrington’s last in the first half.

Only five of its next 15 plays would go for positive yardage as Kahuku turned a short field into 17 second-quarter points.

Taumua’s knee was ruled down as he scooped up a ball trying to punt and Wily scored on an 18-yard run two plays later for a 21-0 lead.

Jake Samsel added a 49-yard field goal for a 24-0 lead and Kahuku could have increased its advantage again before half, but time ran out with the ball on the Farrington 2.

"They are one tough (defense) … every time we play they are tough," said Taumua, who rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns.

Torres will try for his third state title in seven years since taking over as head coach in 2006.

Kahuku, which has limited every opponent to 15 points or fewer, will need to contain a Punahou offense that has been held under 27 points just once this year — against the Red Raiders.

"We always want to meet the best at the end," said linebacker Johnny Tapusoa, who had seven tackles and one of Kahuku’s six sacks. "We have to play a perfect game next week."

Wily moved past Kama Bailey for third all-time in career rushing on a 7-yard run early in the second quarter.

He became just the third player ever to reach the 4,000-yard mark on a 25-yard scamper in the third quarter.

His 4,017 rushing yards are now third behind Joe Igber and Mark Atuaia, who owns the Kahuku school record with 4,146 yards.

Farrington’s season ended in the state semifinals for the third time in five years.

Silva recorded the fifth-highest single-season rushing total since 2000, ending with 1,633 yards on 234 carries and 17 touchdowns.

Taumua, who recorded his second 1,000-yard season, ends an impressive career with 3,410 total rushing yards and 41 touchdowns, averaging 117.6 yards a game.

He scored Farrington’s first touchdown on a 2-yard run midway through the third quarter and added a 78-yard scoring run in the fourth.

"He’s done amazing things for us," Okimoto said. "His career is over, but now he’s got to think about his next career. He has to do well in school and hit the books so we can watch him play at the next level."