Lavatai and Govs topple McKinley

Coming out of halftime with the score tied, Farrington took command by asserting control of the line of scrimmage.

Sanele Lavatai capped the Governors’ first two possessions of the second half with touchdown runs and Farrington held off McKinley 25-13 in an OIA Red East football game Saturday night at Roosevelt’s Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

Lavatai finished with 55 yards on 13 carries and the Governors (3-2, 3-0 OIA Red East) held McKinley (3-3, 2-2) to 144 yards in total offense.

After the Governors got off to an 0-2 start, coach Randall Okimoto said he’s seen growth on both sides of the ball during Farrington’s three-game winning streak, including on the offensive line. Farrington replaced all five starters from last season and the line has gradually meshed while gaining game experience.

"When you have five new starters, it takes time," Okimoto said. "You need that practice in pads."

Farrington running back Vimoto Fuimaono added 39 yards and a touchdown in the second half after both offenses trudged through most of the first half.

Nine of the game’s first 10 possessions ended with punts. The exception was an interception by McKinley’s Kona Bagood-Makanui at the Tigers’ 6-yard line midway through the first quarter.

So it was fitting that defense eventually provided the game’s first score as Farrington cornerback Jacob McEnroe stepped in front of a throw to the sideline and raced 32 yards for a touchdown.

"Whenever the defense can score, it’s a big momentum swing," Okimoto said. "It was good patience on his part. I don’t think they were going to his side all night, and when they did he made them pay."

Bagood-Makanui sparked the Tigers again by returning the ensuing kickoff 62 yards to the Farrington 24. Gerime Bradley followed a block from Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta into the end zone on a toss sweep with 1:47 left in the half and the teams went into the break tied.

The Governors took possession at their 34 to start the third quarter and took eight plays to reclaim the lead. A 21-yard completion from Montana Liana to Siaosi Pakileata ignited the drive and Lavatai ended it with a 5-yard run.

The Governors then recovered a McKinley fumble at the Tigers’ 27 and Enele Scanlan’s 24-yard reception set up Lavatai’s second touchdown run.

"We were playing on our short side of the field the whole first half," McKinley coach Joe Cho said. "Mentally, emotionally, psychologically, sooner or later it gets to you and our offense didn’t do enough to push ourselves out of there."

Fuimaono added a 5-yard scoring run with 4:48 left in the game to push the lead to 25-7.

McKinley answered with an eight-play scoring drive, ending with Tuitele-Iafeta’s dive from inside the 1. Bagood-Makanui recovered the onside kick for the Tigers, but the game was delayed with 3:07 left when McKinley receiver Kani Kuhia was injured after making a reception. He was tended to by trainers and taken from the field in an ambulance with a dislocated shoulder.

"He should be OK," Cho said. "Hopefully he can come back in a couple of weeks."

When the game resumed, the Farrington defense didn’t allow the Tigers to cut the gap any further by stopping them on downs at the 16.