New QB helps McKinley advance

McKinley might have found its quarterback just at the right time.

Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta, the third different starting QB used by McKinley coach Joe Cho this season, threw for 203 yards and four touchdowns on Friday night, leading the Tigers to a 36-15 win over Waipahu in the opening round of the OIA Red football playoffs at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

McKinley (5-4) won its first OIA Red playoff game since 2002, when it advanced to the Division I state semifinals before losing in triple overtime to Castle.

McKinley will play at Campbell, the No. 2 seed out of the West, in next week’s quarterfinals as it tries to make it back to states.

“It’s a good milestone for us,” Cho said. “We played Campbell last year and it was pretty bad, so hopefully we show coach (Amosa) Amosa a little better showing.”

McKinley ended a six-year OIA Red playoff drought last year, but was shut out by the Sabers, 35-0.

The Tigers showed they are a threat offensively with Tuitele-Iafeta at quarterback. The 5-foot-11, 235-pound senior threw for more yards in the first half than any Tigers quarterback had thrown for in a game all season.

He was 10-for-14 for 198 yards, with four of those completions going for touchdowns.

“It was like backyard football playing with all of your friends,” Tuitele-Iafeta said. “Throwing touchdown passes like that is a dream and I’m just trying to live my dream and do what I can for this team to help us out and get this victory.”

Senior Tyrell Tuiasosopo caught two of them, including a 47-yarder for the opening score midway through the first quarter.

Tuiasosopo also returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown in the final minute.

“When we forced them to pass, we could get those interceptions,” said Tuiasosopo, who had three picks among McKinley’s six takeaways.

Denzel Kalahiki-Gaspar, who entered the game leading the team in passing, caught a 52-yard pass from Tuitele-Iafeta to give McKinley a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Waipahu’s Jacob Anae, who finished with a game-high 116 rushing yards, scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7, but a series of turnovers late in the half doomed the Marauders.

Quarterback Kai Mercado-Aiona was intercepted on three consecutive passes, leading to 16 McKinley points.

Tuitele-Iafeta found Tuiasosopo again from 28 yards and ended the half with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Gerime Bradley with 34 seconds remaining.

“He can do it all,” Cho said of his QB.

After they were held to 105 total yards in the first half, the Marauders went 83 yards on their first drive after the break to cut the lead to 30-15.

Mercado-Aiona and Anae took turns churning up yards against the McKinley defense. The two combined to run the ball on all seven plays of the drive with Mercado-Aiona scoring the TD from 12 yards out.

Waipahu drove inside the McKinley 10 with nine minutes remaining when Anae got hurt. The Marauders were without their leading rusher on two key plays as McKinley’s Mana Laulu made his sixth tackle on the drive, stopping Corey Fitiausi behind the line on fourth down to turn Waipahu away.

Tuitele-Iafeta was only 1-for-8 for five yards in the second half as the Tigers had just two first downs.

“We were trying to be more patient, but I guess our team was satisfied with our lead,” Tuitele-Iafeta said. “That’s what brought us down and that’s what brought Waipahu back because they wanted it, too.”