LIHUE >> Kapaa is going back to a familiar place — the Division II title game of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships.
The Warriors held off a full-throttle comeback by Kaimuki on Saturday for a 35-28 semifinal victory at Vidinha Stadium.
But the outcome was in doubt until the final few minutes, when linebacker Jeffrey Brown sealed it with an interception of Bulldogs quarterback Jayden Maiava.
“Jeffrey Brown has been a hammer for us all year,” Kapaa coach Philip Rapozo said. “He’s the quarterback of the defense. He’s the guy who calls all the plays, has the controls.”
The quarterback on the other side of the ball for Kapaa, Kahanu Davis, was also a major factor, rushing for 174 yards and three touchdowns.
“Davis has been crazy good every game,” Rapozo said.
The KIF champion Warriors (8-1) will play three-time defending D-II state champ Lahainaluna in the first game of a championship tripleheader Friday at Aloha Stadium. Three times in the past four years, Kapaa finished as state runner-up, including twice to the Lunas. The Garden Isle representatives are looking to make that ultimate breakthrough.
“Like always, it’s a great opportunity,” Rapozo said. “We keep getting there. We get the opportunity and that means we get the chance. We are going to play a great team and we won’t shy away from that.”
Kapaa held leads of 13-0 and 35-14, but the resilient Bulldogs (10-3) continued to fight.
After Davis’ 35-yard TD run gave the Warriors that 35-14 lead, Kaimuki responded with an 80-yard TD drive, capped on Maiava’s 3-yard TD pass to Koby Moananu with 2:06 left in the third quarter.
After a stop, the Bulldogs once again took it 80 yards to pull within seven at 35-28. This time, Jonah Faasoa was the recipient of a 23-yard Maiava TD pass with 8:05 to go in the game.
Kaimuki had a golden chance to tie after Sione Taufa recovered a Kapaa fumble. But only 5:44 remained. The Bulldogs marched as far as the Kapaa 24, but on fourth down, Maiava scrambled and his pass landed in the hands of Brown. It was Brown’s second interception of the game.
The Warriors’ next challenge was to see if they could run out the final 3:32. They did it, but it wasn’t easy. Davis ran for two long first downs and Baba Na-O (136 yards rushing) ran for one. But on several plays, the Warriors’ runners ran out of bounds to stop the clock, making the finish more difficult.
Kaimuki also lost to Kapaa at states last year, 20-12.
“This team is always going to be the greatest team in my heart,” Bulldogs guard Daniel Moefu-Tautofi said. “I’m glad that none of our boys gave up. All of them kept pushing.”
Added Bulldogs coach David Tautofi, “We were down by 21 points, so we showed heart (and) character. But in big games like this, it comes down to who makes the most mistakes and who capitalizes on them. We made a lot of mistakes, more than we would like, and a lot of uncharacteristic ones.”
Maiava threw for 325 yards and four TDs in the losing cause.
The Warriors will be gearing up for the big game on the day after Thanksgiving.
“Hard work is paying off,” Davis said. “We’re going back to the ’ship and hopefully we win it all. Our defense held up today, with Jeff Brown doing his thing, getting us the ball back with that pick and sealing the game right there.”
—
KAPAA 35, KAIMUKI 28
At Vidinha Stadium
>> Kaimuki (10-3) 0 7 14 7 — 28
>> Kapaa (8-1) 7 6 22 0 — 35
Kapaa – Kahanu Davis 1 run (Laakea Gonsalves kick)
Kapaa – Baba Na-O 1 run (kick failed)
Kaimuki – Koby Moananu 4 pass from Jayden Maiava (Kurt Kawamoto kick)
Kapaa – Dreyden Iwamoto 15 pass from Davis (Gonsalves kick)
Kapaa – Davis 8 run (Kahale Kaleiohi pass from Davis)
Kaimuki – Kaulana Kaluna 36 pass from Maiava (Kawamoto kick)
Kapaa – Davis 35 run (Gonsalves kick)
Kaimuki – Moananu 3 pass from Maiava (Kawamoto kick)
Kaimuki – Jonah Faasoa 23 pass from Maiava (Kawamoto kick)
RUSHING – Kaimuki: Naomas Asueg-Fualaau 17-62, Maiava 6-4, Kaluna 1-(minus-7). Kapaa: Davis 21-174, Na-O 26-136, Hanohano Kuhaulua 1-(minus-3). PASSING – Kaimuki: Maiava 28-42-325-2. Kapaa: Davis 4-6-62-0, Cody Relacion 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING – Kaimuki: Moananu 10-116, Faasoa 7-115, Kaluna 6-66, Asuega Fualaau 3-4, Blade Pfeiffer-Kekoa 1-22, Alvin Tanioka 1-2. Kapaa: Iwamoto 2-25, Gonsalves 1-30, Micah Tabura 1-7.
