Leilehua shook off recent blowouts to Open Division powers and wiped out Nanakuli 48-28 in front of a homecoming crowd at Hugh Yoshida Stadium on Friday night.
Mules quarterback Hanohano Plunkett threw for 297 yards and five touchdowns, and Timmy Arnold climbed the school’s record books with 185 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Leilehua improved to 3-1 in league games after going winless last season. Nanakuli dropped to 0-4 a year after earning an OIA championship.
“We tell the kids, a lot of the games we have played have been against Top 5 teams,” Leilehua coach Mark Kurisu said of losses to Campbell and Kamehameha, both of whom have climbed into the rankings’ upper reaches this season. “These are our meaningful games, and being tested early along with some of our experiences last year, these seniors deserve this.”
The Hawks threw an intial shock into the home team when Blaze Baltazar-Conselva returned the opening kickoff to Leilehua’s 22-yard line. Nanakuli needed six plays to go the rest of the way, with Lester Meyers scoring from 7 yards out on fourth down but missing the point after kick.
After a three-and-out on Leilehua’s first possession, Plunkett got the Mules rolling. Leilehua scored two touchdowns that were called back before Plunkett rolled off three scoring passes along with a plunge by running back Cole Northington to enter halftime up 26-6.
Arnold caught two of those TDs and had 112 yards receiving by the time Leilehua’s band hit the field on his way to the sixth-best receiving performance in Leilehua’s storied history.
“We wanted to get him involved more; he’s actually been sick,” Kurisu said. “He played well for us. Coaches did a great job running the packages that got him in the one-on-ones. That’s Tim — he loves the game.”
Not to be overlooked, Northington carried the ball 18 times for 136 yards, and his touchdown was his eighth on the ground this season after the entire team scored only four rushing touchdowns last season. One of those was by Northington, who has blossomed into a threat in his senior campaign. He is up to 698 yards after collecting 343 last year and has a chance to become Leillehua’s first 1,000-yard rusher in a season since John West in 1996.
Leilehua goes on the road to Farrington and Kahuku to end the season. Nanakuli closes with Moanalua and Aiea at home.
Nanakuli stuggled on offense until the fourth quarter, when it turned to running back Imi Asinsin. Asinsin finished with 133 yards on 17 carries after toting the ball only four times in the first half.
It was Nanakuli’s first trip to Leilehua since 2017. The Golden Hawks haven’t beaten the Mules since 2003 and are 0-8 all-time on the Mules field.
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At Hugh Yoshida Stadium
Nanakuli (1-5, 0-4) 6 0 8 14 — 28
Leilehua (4-3, 3-1) 6 20 15 7 — 48
NANA—Lester Meyers 7 rush (Kick failed)
LEIL—Zaeven Newman 1 pass from Hanohano Plunkett (kick failed)
LEIL—Cole Northington 1 rush (kick failed)
LEIL—Timothy Arnold 43 pass from Plunkett (Maci Rivera kick)
LEIL—Arnold 9 pass from Plunkett (Rivera kick)
LEIL—Arnold 55 pass from Plunkett (Rivera kick)
LEIL—Arnold 18 pass from Plunkett (Logan Peters run)
NANA—Imi Asinsin 16 rush (Asinsin rush)
NANA—Asinsin 29 rush (Asinsin rush)
LEIL—Camren Flemeister 6 rush (Rivera kick)
NANA—Asinsin 2 rush (pass failed)
RUSHING—Nanakuli: Asinsin 17-133, Talitonu Keohuhu 8-19, Kanoa Torres 7-16, Meyers 1-7, Lyric Anuenue 2-(minus 11). Leilehua: Northington 18-136, Flemister 8-57, Plunkett 7-13.
PASSING—Nanakuli: Torres 6-13-2-28. Leilehua: Plunkett 16-22-0-297, Logan Peters 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING—Nanakuli: Asinsin 3-23, Anuenue 1-7, Richard Federico 1-3, Talitonu Keohuhu 1-(minus 5). Leilehua: Arnold 8-185, Flemister 3-50, Northington 1-8, Peters 1-5, Newman 3-50.
