Nanakuli coach Kili Watson made sure to point out nothing changes in preparation for next week’s OIA regular-season finale against McKinley.
Whatever the outcome, the Golden Hawks clinched the No. 1 seed in the OIA Division II playoffs with a 42-20 win over Kaimuki on Saturday night at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.
Senior quarterback Hansen Salausa-Kaawa threw for 240 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another score to help Nanakuli (6-1, 6-0) win its sixth straight game.
Just four years removed from an 0-10 season in which they were shut out four times, the Golden Hawks have won six games in a season for the first time since 2015 and have topped the 40-point mark four times.
“Now that we have the victory — and it was a good victory, hat’s off to Kaimuki — as our mindset shifts to our next game this is our most important game,” Watson said. “We’ve got to focus on this game first despite locking up the playoffs. We want to win every day, win every week.”
Nanakuli has won all of its league games by at least 18 points.
Kaimuki, which played without the OIA’s leading rusher, Ofa Vehikite, who was injured late in last week’s loss to Kaiser, scored first against the Golden Hawks on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Iosefa Letuli to Josiah Hicks.
The Golden Hawks fumbled on their first offensive play and the Bulldogs took advantage of a short field to go up 6-0 less than 4 minutes in.
Nanakuli’s return game on special teams came up big against the Bulldogs, even with two touchdowns called back by penalty.
Five of its seven scoring drives began in Kaimuki territory.
David Kalili, who caught two touchdown passes, Allen Mahoe III and Christopher Paulo all came up with big returns.
“We have a lot of guys who can return kicks,” Kalili said. “We’re going to run a lot on Monday (because of the penalties), but that’s the goal — to give our offense good field position.”
Nanakuli running back Christian Asinsin atoned for his fumble in the first quarter with a short touchdown run to push the Golden Hawks ahead 7-6 after the opening 12 minutes.
Salausa-Kaawa engineered a 12-play drive at the end of the first half and converted a fourth down scrambling to his left and scoring on a 7-yard TD run to make it 13-6 at intermission.
Nanakuli then hit big play after big play in the second half.
Salausa-Kaawa hit Kalili for 36 yards, Blaze Baltazar-Conselva for 20 and Richard Federico for 35 on touchdown passes in the third quarter alone to make it 31-6.
Nanakuli’s four touchdowns in the second half came on drives of four, two, one and two plays.
“We had a good week of practice,” Watson said. “It’s good to have a good, tough week of practice and then come out on a Saturday night like this and get the victory.”
Letuli finished 12-for-26 for 193 yards and a touchdown and ran for a score for Kaimuki, but was held to 28 yards rushing on 14 carries.
Kaimuki badly missed Vehikite and ended up with only 59 yards rushing on 32 carries.
Vehikite had 978 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in Kaimuki’s previous five games.
The Bulldogs (3-4, 3-3) fell into a fourth-place tie with Waialua, but own the tiebreaker against the Bulldogs after beating them 53-33 two weeks ago.
Kaimuki needs a win over Kalaheo or a Waialua loss to Pearl City next week to clinch the final OIA D-II playoff berth.
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NANAKULI 42, KAIMUKI 20
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
Nanakuli (6-1, 6-0) 7 6 18 11 — 42
Kaimuki (3-4, 3-3) 6 0 6 8 — 20
Kaim—Josiah Hicks 8 pass from Iosefa Letuli (kick failed)
Nan—Christian Asinsin 2 run (Koa Asinsin kick)
Nan—Hansen Salausa-Kaawa 7 run (kick failed)
Nan—David Kalili 36 pass from Salausa-Kaawa (kick failed)
Nan—Blaze Baltazar-Conselva 20 pass from Salausa-Kaawa (run failed)
Nan—Richard Federico 35 pass from Salausa-Kaawa (kick failed)
Kaim—Donovan McKeown 3 pass from Avin Tanioka (pass failed)
Kaim—Iose. Letuli 3 run (Iose. Letuli run)
Nan—Kalili 40 pass from Salausa-Kaawa (Allen Mahoe III pass from Salausa-Kaawa)
Nan—FG K. Asinsin 25
RUSHING—NanakulI: C. Asinsin 13-57, Salausa-Kaawa 6-50, Mahoe III 4-20, Nathan Pele-Tukumoeatu 1-15, Raymond Senensi 1-0. Kaimuki: Iose. Letuli 14-28, Amugan Iehsi 3-16, Sonasi Latu 6-12, Iosua Letuli 6-4, Tanioka 2-2, Waihuka Te Tai 1-(minus 3).
PASSING—Nanakuli: Salausa-Kaawa 15-21-1-240, Tanioka 1-1-0-3. Kaimuki: Iose. Letuli 12-26-1-193.
RECEIVING—Nanakuli: Kalili 4-105, Mahoe III 5-55, Federico 2-37, C. Asinsin 3-23, Baltazar-Consalva 1-20, McKeown 1-3. Kaimuki: Jeremiah White 4-115, Dante Peltier 1-29, Josiah Hicks 3-28, Tanioka 2-17, Niutupuivaha Uluave 1-3, Latu 1-1.
Junior varsity—Nanakuli 48, Kaimuki 0
