Kaiser hasn’t needed its offense to start 2-0 for the first time since winning the D-II state title in 2013.
Ethan Domen’s second pick-6 in as many weeks gave the Cougars an early lead and Kaiser added a safety on special teams in a 33-7 win over Pearl City in the OIA Division II opener for both teams at Kaiser Stadium on Friday night.
Freshman Easton Yoshino made his first start at quarterback for Kaiser (2-0, 1-0) and threw two first-half touchdown passes to build a 26-0 halftime lead.
“I was nervous at first,” said Yoshino, who found out after practice Thursday he was starting. “Everything was faster. But then I settled down.”
His 24-yard touchdown pass to Dre Falls in the first quarter was the first score by the offense after defense and special teams accounted for the Cougars’ first four scores of the season.
Domen, who scored on a 100-yard pick-6 and a punt block recovery in the end zone in a win over Aiea last week, ripped a pass out of the air on Pearl City’s first drive and brought it back 41 yards to give Kaiser its first points in the opening two minutes.
Yoshino, who split time at quarterback against Na Alii, got all of the playing time against the Chargers (0-2, 0-1). His brother, junior Mason Yoshino, returned after a one-week absence and hauled in a 14-yard touchdown pass in the back corner of the end zone in the second quarter for a 24-0 advantage.
Kaiser added a safety after a bad punt snap by Pearl City for the large halftime lead.
The Chargers’ Juan Vargas, who made two nice catches on third down to move the chains, was injured on the first play of the second quarter, causing a 21-minute delay.
He was coherent and moving and even wanted back in the game before he was taken off in an ambulance.
Pearl City had just 27 yards in the first half, with senior Makana Canyon, the Chargers’ returning QB from last year who sat out last week’s loss to Kealakehe, getting the start.
Canyon finished 12-for-41 for 133 yards with three interceptions. Jesse Stroede had two of Kaiser’s three picks.
Kaiser’s Joseph Chin finished with six tackles for loss and Ethan Lynch scored on a 15-yard TD run for the final margin.
Pearl City scored its lone TD on the fourth quarter when Isaiah Cruz-Amerperosa took a pitch from Canyon and tossed a 3-yard score to Joshua Gleason.
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Kaiser 33, Pearl City 7
At Kaiser Stadium
>> Pearl City (0-2, 0-1) 0 0 0 7 — 7
>> Kaiser (2-0, 1-0) 17 9 0 7 — 33
Kaiser — Ethan Domen 41 interception return (Kyler Halvorsen kick)
Kaiser — Dre Falls 24 pass from Ethan Yoshino (Halvorsen kick)
Kaiser — FG Halvorsen 24
Kaiser — Mason Yoshino 14 pass from E. Yoshino (Halvorsen kick)
Kaiser — Safety, Pearl City recovers bad punt snap in own end zone
Pearl City — Joshua Gleason 3 pass from Isaiah Cruz-Amerperosa (Landon Chang kick)
Kaiser — Ethan Lynch 15 run (Halvorsen kick)
RUSHING — Pearl City: Ali’i Gaspar 12-15, Cruz-Amerperosa 1-11, Victor Atkins 2-(minus-5), Makana Canyon 10-(minus-25), TEAM 3-(minus-37). Kaiser: Cavin Lime 8-78, Lynch 4-22, E. Yoshino 5-5, Hunter Phelps 7-(minus-3), Domen 1-(minus-3), TEAM 1-(minus-25).
PASSING — Pearl City: Canyon 12-41-3-133, Cruz-Amerperosa 1-1-0-3. Kaiser: E. Yoshino 14-30-1-126.
RECEIVING — Pearl City: Gleason 4-36, Raiden Pabo 2-31, Juan Vargas 2-30, Cruz-Amerperosa 2-16, Adam Puchert 2-13, Preston Hong 1-10. Kaiser: M. Yoshino 4-56, Falls 3-33, Kamakana Mahiko 2-9, Jesse Stroede 1-10, Lynch 1-8, Xavier Kepa 1-7, Phelps 1-3, Lime 1-0.
*Junior varsity — Pearl City 14, Kaiser 6
