No. 1 Kahuku is one step closer to the OIA Open Division title, by air and by land.
Jason Mariteragi returned to the lineup and passed for 314 yards and three touchdowns as Kahuku outlasted No. 9 Waianae 33-7 on Saturday night at Skippa Diaz Stadium.
Two-way playmakers like Brock Cravens Fonoimoana led the way again for the unbeaten team from the North Shore. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior scored on a game-opening kickoff return and again later on a 43-yard catch.
“I feel good. Excited that we’re going to the OIA championship game. Some stuff to work on, but we’ll be there,” said Fonoimoana, who also had an interception.
Kahuku (7-0) advanced to the final and will meet Mililani (5-1) for the crown, clinching a berth in the state championships in the process. The title game will be played on Friday at Leilehua’s Hugh Yoshida Stadium, according to OIA football coordinator Harold Tanaka.
Waianae (3-4) still has a shot at a state berth. The Seariders will play Campbell for third place next week.
Kahuku’s defense was in relatively conservative mode early on, but brought more pressure with a substantial lead and finished with six sacks, including 2.5 takedowns by linebacker Leonard Ah You.
Overall, defensive consistency was key while Kahuku committed 17 penalties for 173 yards.
“Sloppy game. Not the game you want to be playing in the semifinals,” coach Sterling Carvalho said. “We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to do this week. Got to clean things up, stay more disciplined.”
Waianae had a specific game plan and it worked well for a good stretch of the first half. Even after Fonoimoana’s scintillating kickoff return down the left sideline gave Kahuku a 6-0 lead to open the game, the Seariders plugged and slogged their way at the line of scrimmage.
With Mariteragi shaking off some rust, Kahuku’s defense bent without breaking for most of the first half. Fonoimoana’s interception at midfield stopped Waianae’s second series, but four plays later, Seariders linebacker Primo Valu picked off a pass by Mariteragi — who was under heavy pressure — and returned the ball deep into Kahuku territory. However, an illegal block penalty brought the ball back to near midfield.
After Waianae’s ensuing drive ended at the Kahuku 16-yard line, Mariteragi connected with Kainoa Carvalho on a middle screen for an 85-yard TD. Kahuku led 14-0 after a 2-point conversion with 7:16 to play in the first half.
The Seariders then drove 77 yards in 14 plays, chewing nearly six minutes off the clock. On fourth-and-4, backup QB Akoni Halemano found fullback Jamal Plunkett on a play-action call for a 7-yard TD. That brought Waianae within 14-7 with 1:35 to go in the half.
Kahuku got another big play moments later on a 43-yard strike from Mariteragi to Cravens Fonoimoana on a post route to open the lead to 20-7 with 1:05 before intermission.
A sack by Hyrum Woods stopped Waianae’s opening series of the second half. Three plays into their next series, Kahuku went big-play again on a long alley-oop pass from Mariteragi to Kingsley Ah You, who leaped, snared the pigskin and went to the end zone for a 77-yard TD. Kahuku led 26-7 with 8:50 to go in the third quarter.
A 30-yard scramble for a touchdown by Mariteragi extended Kahuku’s lead to 33-7 with 7:51 remaining.
Roosevelt 17, Waipahu 16
Dean Mizukami returned a field goal blocked by Kolo Kahooilihala 88 yards for a touchdown for the only score of the second half to give the Rough Riders (2-4, 2-3 OIA Division II) just their second win all-time in 19 meetings against the Marauders (2-3, 2-3).
Roosevelt senior defensive end Kaeo Akana, a Boise State commit, finished his high school career with 13 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks and three quarterback hurries.
Both teams finished in a four-way tie at 2-3 in OIA Division II behind Aiea (3-2) and Moanalua (4-1), who will play for the league title next week.
Waipahu sophomore Liatama Uiliata played his first varsity game at quarterback and finished 17-for-38 for 167 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 112 yards on 22 carries.
Roosevelt’s George Matsunaga caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and finished with a game-high nine receptions for 149 yards.
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Billy Hull, Star-Advertiser
Kalani 41, Kalaheo 0
The Kalani Falcons rode a stout defense and an opportunistic run game to spoil Kalaheo’s senior night with a shutout victory.
“We prepared and did well. We took away a lot of the things that we saw in the films,” Kalani head coach Scott Melemai said of the defense.
The Falcons racked up four touchdowns on the ground, all of which came in the first half. Three of those scores came by way of Josh Oh, who led the team with a game-high 69 yards along with his three touchdowns. The other touchdown was scored by do-it-all senior Seti Taualupe, who helped the Falcons open the game with a bang on a 45-yard fake-punt touchdown run.
Quarterback Logan Lim played an efficient game behind his rushers, completing 13 of 15 passes for 229 yards and a pair of touchdowns in just one half played. Noa Uchida accounted for a bulk of Lim’s yards, making 16 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. Noah Ah Sam was on the receiving end of the other touchdown pass, adding 82 yards on four catches.
“Josh is a senior running back, he’s helped us be steady in our run game all season,” Melemai said of Oh. “We need to run the ball, and we counted on him, along with our O-line.”
Short-handed Kalaheo was dealt another early blow, as the team was forced to turn to senior Isaiah Akiu early in the game after an injury to starting QB Riis Weber. Akiu threw for 53 yards, 44 of which came in the second half.
After Taualupe’s long rumble to start the day for the Kalani offense, Oh joined in on the scoring, one-upping Taualupe’s 45-yard carry with a 52-yard touchdown run. The Falcons defense came up with an interception two plays later, setting up Lim’s first touchdown pass of the day, a 30-yard toss to Ah Sam. The turnover turned out to be a trend, as the next three drives ended in two Kalaheo fumbles and one Kalani fumble. The second of the Mustangs’ fumbles set the Falcons up with a short field, which turned into Oh’s second touchdown from the goal line.
Kalani nearly scored their fifth touchdown of the first quarter, driving down to the Kalaheo 6-yard line. Instead, Oh would score his third rushing touchdown on the very first play of the second quarter, a 6-yard carry. After a quick-scoring first quarter, Oh’s TD would turn out to be the only points for either team for much of the second quarter, until Lim’s 4-yard touchdown toss to Uchida on the final play of the first half.
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Jonathan Chen, Star-Advertiser
Roosevelt 17, Waipahu 16
At Waipahu H.S. field
Roosevelt (2-4, 2-3) 10 0 7 0 — 17
Waipahu (2-3, 2-3) 0 16 0 0 — 16
ROOS—George Matsunaga 27 pass from Kayman Lewis (Porter Ellis kick)
ROOS—FG Ellis 27
WAIP—Joseph McKenzie 3 pass from Liatama Uiliata (kick blocked)
WAIP—FG Conner Wittig 40
WAIP—Triton Nieves 11 pass from Uilata (Wittig kick)
ROOS—Dean Mizukami 88 blocked FG return (Ellis kick)
RUSHING—Roosevelt: Kalua Nahale 7-21, Kaeo Akana 1-6, Kamuela Kaaihue 1-1, Landen Kalani 3-1, Matsunaga 1-(minus 1), Lewis 3-(minus 10), team 3-(minus 25). Waipahu: Uiliata 22-112, Michael Iaulualo 8-52, Moziah Rogers-Tivao 16-41, McKenzie 1-11, Braeden Togafau 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Roosevelt: Lewis 14-27-1-208, Kaaihue 0-1-0-0. Waipahu: Uiliata 17-38-0-167, team 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Roosevelt: Matsunaga 9-149, Chase Aguinaldo 3-22, Kaaihue 1-24, Christian Aarona 1-13. Waipahu: Aston Contado 5-75, McKenzie 5-54, Nieves 4-23, Iaulualo 3-12, Oakland Viliamu 0-3.
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Kahuku 33, Waianae 7
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Waianae (3-4, 3-4) 0 7 0 0 — 7
Kahuku (7-0, 7-0) 6 14 6 7 — 33
KAH—Brock Cravens Fonoimoana 75 kickoff return (run failed)
KAH—Kainoa Carvalho 85 pass from Jason Mariteragi (Kana Loa Kaluna run)
WAIN—Jamal Plunkett 7 pass from Akoni Halemano (Zyren Villanueva kick)
KAH—Cravens Fonoimoana 43 pass from Mariteragi (kick failed)
KAH—Kingsley Ah You 77 pass from Mariteragi (kick failed)
KAH—Mariteragi 30 run (Horyzen Farley kick)
RUSHING—Waianae: Kolu Quisquirin-Sabagala 21-85, Tevin Wilbur 1-0, Plunkett 1-0, Tarent Moniz-Babb 6-(-36).
Kahuku: Mariteragi 3-25, Kana Loa Kaluna 8-24, Clyde Taulapapa 3-14, Kelsyn Tangaro-Kanoa 3-16, team 1-(-6).
PASSING—Waianae: Moniz-Babb 8-18-1-45, Halemano 1-1-0-7. Kahuku: Jason Mariteragi 17-21-2-314, Waika Crawford 7-9-1-105.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Wilbur 3-6, Joshua Santiago 2-17, Quisquirin-Sabagala 2-16, Plunkett 1-7, Chayce Gomes 1-6. Kahuku: Kainoa Carvalho 9-166, Kealoha Kaio 8-91, Kaluna 2-12, Ah You 1-77, Fonoimoana 1-43, Jamerus Tai Hook 1-14, Tangaro-Kanoa 1-8, Keona Pooauhi-Macpherson 1-8.
JV—Kahuku 37, Kapolei 15.
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Kalani 41, Kalaheo 0
At Alex Kane Stadium
Kalani (5-2) 26 15 0 0 — 41
Kalaheo (1-7) 0 0 0 0 — 0
KALN—Seti Taualupe 45 run (kick blocked)
KALN—Josh Oh 42 run (2pt. conversion)
KALN—Noah Ah Sam 30 pass from Logan Lim (run failed)
KALN—Oh 1 run (run failed)
KALN—Oh 6 run (Taualupe run)
KALN—Noa Uchida 4 pass from Lim (Eddie Arii kick)
RUSHING—Kalani: Oh 8-69, Taualupe 1-45, Uchida 1-15, Devin Nguyen 4-4, Lim 2-3, #9 1-1, TEAM 1-(minus 10). Kalaheo: Isaiah Akiu 8-24, Damian Ruano 3-13, Riis Weber 2-1, Deshon Will 1-0, TEAM 1-(minus 6).
PASSING—Kalani: Lim 12-15-0-229, #9 2-3-0-(minus 9). Kalaheo: Akiu 8-24-0-53, Weber 2-6-1-12.
RECEIVING—Kalani: Uchida 5-117, Ah Sam 4-82, Ryder Iwata 1-18, Oh 1-7, Mikala Nishimoto 2-0, Chance Phommachanh 1-(minus 4). Kalaheo: Alika Amasiu 1-20, Kamalu Anoba-Jordan 1-19, Vinny Bandini 5-17, Ruano 1-5, Gray Brady 2-4.
