Kalani benefited from short fields in the first half and it allowed the Falcons to make it a long night for McKinley.
Kalani got out to a double-digit lead at halftime despite gaining only 57 yards en route to a 36-14 victory in an OIA Division II game at Roosevelt.
Kalani’s average starting field position on its five first-half possessions was the McKinley 22-yard line, as it took advantage of three Tigers turnovers and a botched snap in punt formation. The Falcons led 23-8 at halftime.
“Our defense played a really good game. They gave us really good field position and special teams also allowed us to come up with scores,” Kalani coach Scott Melemai said.
Falcons quarterback Logan Lim completed two passes in the first half, with both going to Jake Lee for touchdowns.
McKinley started Alexandria Buchanan at quarterback. Her first pass was intercepted by Titan Bringas and returned to the Tigers’ 8. Two plays later, Lim completed a 9-yard scoring pass to Lee.
McKinley’s botched snap in punt formation allowed Kalani to take over at the Tigers’ 15. Kevin Tabuchi made a 25-yard field goal to put the Falcons up 10-0 with 1:37 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard on a 63-yard screen pass from Kaena Leopoldo to Zion Williams, who broke a tackle and sprinted down the left sideline on the first play of the second quarter. It was McKinley’s second offensive touchdown of the season. Buchanan hit Khert Vincent-Saing for the 2-point conversion, which cut the Falcons’ lead to 10-8.
Rayce Aaron Manriki returned the kickoff 52 yards to set up Kalani at the 18. Lim completed an 8-yard pass to Lee to put Kalani ahead 17-8 with 8:26 left before halftime.
On the Tigers’ next drive, Manriki intercepted a pass by Buchanan and returned it 65 yards for a 23-8 lead with 4:30 remaining.
“Rayce Manriki, he is one of our key players on defense, he’s one of the leaders who comes up big for us,” Melemai said. “We try to get him the ball, too, on kick returns.”
On the first possession of the second half, Kalani’s Nathaniel Balangitao scored on a 5-yard run to make it 29-8.
Balangitao, a senior, finished with 24 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons (3-3, 2-3), who snapped a three-game losing streak.
“The coaches trained us real hard, so I was prepared for it,” Balangitao said of the workload.
Kalani’s Jake Lee scored on a 2-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 36-8.
McKinley’s Alex Linmark scored on a 43-yard fumble return midway through the fourth to cap the scoring.
Leopoldo played most of the game at quarterback for McKinley and finished 10-for-20 for 165 yards.
The Tigers (1-5, 1-4) had scored 12 points over its first five games.
“They made more plays, we didn’t,” said McKinley coach Pat Silva.
—
Kalani 36, McKinley 14
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
>> Kalani (3-3, 2-3) 10 13 6 7 — 36
>> McKinley (1-5, 1-4) 0 8 0 6 — 14
Kalani — Jake Lee 9 pass from Logan Lim (Kevin Tabuchi kick)
Kalani — FG Tabuchi 25
McKinley — Zion Williams 63 from Kaena Leopoldo (Khert Vincent-Saing from Alexandria Buchanan)
Kalani — Jake Lee 10 pass from Lim (Tabuchi kick)
Kalani — Rayce Aaron Manriki 65 interception return (kick failed)
Kalani — Nathaniel Balangitao 5 run (kick failed)
Kalani — Lee 2 run (Tabuchi kick)
McKinley — Alex Linmark 43 fumble return (pass failed)
RUSHING — Kalani: Balangitao 24-115, Lee 3-20, Jaden Self 1-15, Lim 7-1, TEAM 1-(minus 1). McKinley: Leopoldo 12-38, Franklin Pham 9-20, Vincent-Saing 2-10, Williams 7-4, Alexandria Buchanan 1-5, Joab Cruz 5-(minus 5), TEAM 1-(minus 4).
PASSING — Kalani: Lim 8-19-1-118. McKinley: Leopoldo 10-20-0-165, Buchanan 0-3-2-0.
RECEIVING — Kalani: Lee 5-61, Balangitao 2-23, Dillon Cortez 1-34. McKinley: Quincy Owens-Barnes 3-30, Cruz 3-29, Jayden Victorino 2-24, Williams 1-63, Aaron Velasco 1-19.
