No. 10 Kaiser withstood Moanalua’s high-octane offense to claim its first Division I playoff win.
It can expect more of the same next week trying to upset the OIA’s No. 1 team.
Junior Jensen McDaniel rushed for a career-high 247 yards and three touchdowns and quarterback Kalawai’a Judd threw for three scores and caught another in a 54-48 win over Moanalua in the first round of the OIA Division I playoffs on Friday night at Kaiser Stadium.
The Cougars (5-3) scored a season high in points to hold off Na Menehune (3-5) and advance to the quarterfinals next week against No. 2 Mililani.
Kaiser gave up 476 passing yards to Moanalua quarterback Kawika Keama-Jacobe and now has to worry about the Trojans’ Madden-style offense quarterbacked by junior McKenzie Milton.
"I’m not going home. I’m staying here and watching film," Kaiser coach Cameron Higgins said. "We need to take advantage of every minute we can."
The Cougars lived to play another week after claiming their first Division I playoff win in the state championship era (since 1999).
The defending Division II state champions rolled up 631 total yards to snap a six-game losing streak to Moanalua dating back to 2004.
McDaniel, the first running back to rush for more than 1,000 yards this season, ended his night with an 87-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to give Kaiser a 47-21 lead.
McDaniel cramped up on the play and was held out the final 18:42 of the game to finish 17 yards shy of the Kaiser single-game record held by Isaac Saffery in 2006.
Kaiser had two significant injuries in the fourth quarter, losing junior linebacker Parker Higgins and defensive back Nicolas Tom.
Higgins was down on the field for roughly a minute before hobbling off under his own power. Tom was taken off on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance with 4:20 remaining in the game.
"Parker is OK. He just busted his knee up a little bit, but he is walking around and he’ll be fine," Cameron Higgins said. "Nic Tom, our prayers are with the kid, I heard it’s just precautionary, but we’ll see."
Judd finished 16-for-22 for 202 yards and caught a 28-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
Kaiser got tricky as Cody Kim took a reverse and threw to Judd leaking out of the backfield, who tight-roped the sideline into the end zone for the first of 15 touchdowns scored in the game.
Keama-Jacobe finished 26-for-52 and accounted for seven touchdowns, throwing for five and rushing for two more.
Receiver Jason Sharsh, who had 232 receiving yards in a game earlier this season against Aiea, had 12 catches for 300 yards against the Cougars, becoming the fifth player since 1973 with 300 yards receiving in a game.
Karson Cruz had 310 receiving yards against Farrington earlier this year.
The teams combined for 1,199 total yards.
Moanalua scored 27 fourth-quarter points to pull within six but ran out of time.
"This was a good experience for us going into our next game against a similar team with a similar type of offense," Higgins said. "You’ve got to play until there are all zeros on the clock."
| At Kaiser Stadium |
| Moanalua (3-5) |
14 |
7 |
0 |
27 |
— |
48 |
| Kaiser (5-3) |
21 |
13 |
20 |
0 |
— |
54 |
Kais–Kalawai’a Judd 28 pass from Cody Kim (Matt Sai kick)
Kais–Jensen McDaniel 8 run (Sai kick)
Moan–Kawika Keama-Jacobe 22 run (Thomas Sheridan kick)
Moan–Karson Cruz 66 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Kais–Jordan Kannys 23 pass from Judd (Sai kick)
Kais–McDaniel 29 run (Sai kick)
Kais–Destin Moss 30 pass from Judd (kick failed)
Moan–Jason Sharsh 16 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Kais–Nicolas Tom 25 pass from Judd (run failed)
Kais–McDaniel 87 run (Sai kick)
Kais–Justin Ikei 2 run (Sai kick)
Moan–Keama-Jacobe 23 run (Sharsh pass from Keama-Jacobe)
Moan–Michael Feliciano 20 pass from Keama-Jacobe (run failed)
Moan–Rodson Kealohi 10 pass from Keama-Jacobe (run failed)
Moan–Brandon Bender 2 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
RUSHING–Moanalua: Keama-Jacobe 22-63, M. Feliciano 6-27, Kyle Bender 1-5, Kealohi 2-(minus 3). Kaiser: McDaniel 22-247, Keith Jones II 13-62, Ikei 2-56, Judd 5-27, Nicolas Tom 1-9, Moss 1-1, Team 3-(minus 3).
PASSING–Moanalua: Keama-Jacobe 26-52-0-476. Kaiser: Judd 16-22-1-202, Kim 1-1-0-28.
RECEIVING–Moanalua: Sharsh 12-300, M. Feliciano 5-44, Steve Feliciano 3-27, Cruz 2-82, Kealohi 2-15, Isaiah Jackson 1-6, B. Bender 1-2. Kaiser: Moss 7-105, Kannys 4-44, Judd 1-28, Tom 1-25, Justin Ikei 1-8, Dylan Buck 1-8, Isaiah Pongasi-Adric 1-8, Jones II 1-4.
OIA DIVISION I PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
Friday
>> Campbell 56, Waipahu 0
>> Kapolei 34, Castle 0
>> Kaiser 54, Moanalua 48
Saturday
>> Aiea (2-5) at Waianae (4-3), 7 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Oct. 17-18
>> Mililani (7-0) vs. Kaiser (5-3)
>> Farrington (6-1) vs. Waianae/Aiea winner
>> Kahuku (6-1) vs. Kapolei (4-4)
>> Leilehua (6-1) vs. Campbell (6-2)
