Moanalua recovered from a sluggish start to earn its first win in more than a month.
Kawika Keama-Jacobe threw for 335 yards and accounted for four touchdowns in Moanalua’s 42-30 win over Aiea in an OIA Blue Division game on Friday. Jason Sarsh had 11 receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Host Moanalua (2-3, 2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak and won its first game since a season-opening victory at Waianae on Aug. 15.
"There’s nothing he can’t do with the football," Moanalua coach Jason Cauley said of Keama-Jacobe. "You put the football in his hands and plays will happen. He was very poised tonight. He had a great week and it showed on the field tonight."
Aiea (2-3, 2-3) has lost its past three games but led 21-20 at halftime after scoring 21 unanswered points.
Moanalua rallied for the lead in the third. Keama-Jacobe ran into the end zone from 5 yards out, and his 2-point conversion gave Moanalua a 28-21 lead with 8:10 remaining.
Following an Aiea safety, Steve Feliciano’s 30-yard interception return and Thomas Sheridan’s PAT extended Na Menehune’s lead to 35-23. Sarsh caught a 26-yard pass from Keama-Jacobe for another touchdown that made it 42-23 at the end of the third.
Moanalua’s defense held Aiea scoreless in the second half until a touchdown in the game’s closing minute.
"We struggled in the deep third in the first half and they exploited that," Cauley said of his team’s defense. "The defensive coaches did a great job of making the corrections and we came back out in the second half."
Moanalua’s turnaround was a stark contrast from the first half, when it allowed Aiea to take control.
Na Alii rallied with a big second quarter to erase a 12-0 deficit. Noah Taiese’s 85-yard kickoff return with seven minutes left was the first of three consecutive Aiea touchdowns.
Aiea’s Gage Asing intercepted the ball on Moanalua’s next drive. That set up an eight-play drive capped by Rexy Kolone’s short run for another touchdown. The PAT gave Aiea a 14-12 lead with 4:45 left.
With 1:20 left, quarterback Kobe Kato connected with Derreyl Ogawa-Staples for a 1-yard score for a 21-12 lead.
Aiea recovered a Moanalua fumble with 34 seconds left but then fumbled it away on the first play of the ensuing drive. Moanalua’s Cyrus Park recovered the ball and ran it in from 9 yards out for a touchdown.
| At Moanalua |
| Aiea (2-3, 2-3) |
0 21 2 7 — 30 |
| Moanalua (2-3, 2-3) |
6 14 22 0 — 42 |
Moa–Jason Sarsh 31 pass from Kawika Keama-Jacobe (pass failed)
Moa–Keama-Jacobe 2 run (pass failed)
Aiea–Noah Taiese 85 kickoff return (Micah Peters-Valdez kick)
Aiea–Rexy Kolone 6 run (Peters-Valdez kick)
Aiea–Derreyl Ogawa-Staples 1 pass from Kobe Kato (Peters-Valdez kick)
Moa–Cyrus Park 9 fumble recovery (Carson Cruz pass from Keama-Jacobe)
Moa–Keama-Jacobe 5 run (Sarsh pass from Keama-Jacobe)
Aiea–safety
Moa–Steve Feliciano 30 interception return (Thomas Sheridan kick)
Moa–Sarsh 26 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Aiea–Lincoln Tappe fumble recovery in end zone (Peters-Valdez kick)
Rushing–Aiea: Kodi Ongory-Mathias 15-47, Ferenisi Lualemana 1-4, Rexy Kolone 1-6, Jordan Liilii 2-15, Kato 5-9. Moa: Michael Feliciano 9-30, Keama-Jacobe 10-44, Walter Peters 2-(-3), Jason Sarsh 1-4,
Matthew Harrison 2-2, Rodson Kealohi 1-16, Vincent Corpuz 1-0.
Passing–Aiea: Kato 17-39-0-263
Liilii 2-6-1-21. Moa: Keama-Jacobe 21-32-1-335.
Receiving–Aiea: Austin Hartbarger 4-67, Jarod Alama 2-26, Lincoln Tappe 6-79,
Ogawa-Staples 6-99, Ongory-Mathias 1-13.
Moa: Sarsh 11-232, Steve Feliciano 3-32
Karson Cruz 2-13, Rodson Kealohi 3-28, M. Feliciano 2-30.
Junior varsity–Aiea 13, Moanalua 2
