Aiea finally put things together Friday — with its backup quarterback no less — and it was enough to make Na Alii playoff-bound.
Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo rushed 18 times for 134 yards and three touchdowns and passed for 90 yards as Aiea beat host Nanakuli 29-8 in an OIA Division I game.
“Talent-wise we’re capable. It’s a matter of building our confidence because of our youth,” Aiea coach Wendell Say said.
After a scoreless first half, Aiea scored a touchdown in the third quarter and three more — all on Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo rushes — in the fourth.
“The game plan coming out of halftime was pound the ball and we just got to win this,” Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo said.
Na Alii’s first league victory came in their final regular-season game. Aiea (1-5, 2-6) claimed the No. 3 seed in OIA D-I Pool A and will play Kailua in the first round of the playoffs.
“We talked about it. We didn’t want the season to end this way,” Say said.
Aiea was outscored 205-31 by its Hawaii opponents coming into the game. Na Alii also forfeited against Kahuku on Aug. 26.
Aiea’s only previous victory was 33-25 over Alaska’s West Anchorage on Sept. 1.
Noah Deed started at quarterback for Aiea on Friday and completed two passes for 27 yards. He got injured early and was replaced by Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo. Say said Deeb may have re-broken his collarbone. He suffered the same injury Aug. 19 against Campbell.
“Coaches always said a man goes down, it’s the next man up. That’s exactly what I did,” Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo said.
Both teams went on long opening drives but came up empty.
Aiea received the opening kickoff, drove 41 yards on 10 plays and had a 38-yard field goal blocked.
Nanakuli ran 14 plays and drove 62 yards to the 10-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs.
The Golden Hawks drove to Na Alii’s 5 late in the second quarter, by Kanoa Torres’ fourth-down pass was intercepted by Aiea’s Ezekiel Madelo.
Nanakuli had 139 yards of total offense and Aiea had 135 in the scoreless first half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Nanakuli went for it on fourth-and-1 from its 36 and Christian Asinsin was dropped for a loss of 1 by Eric Saau.
“Defense stepped it up,” Say said. “The whole season our defense has been keeping us in the game. The key was moving the chains and resting our defense.”
Aiea scored six plays later on Kobe Higa’s 4-yard run up the middle. Bryson Boyea Quiton’s PAT kick made it 7-0 with 8:18 remaining in the third quarter.
Nanakuli (0-5-1, 1-6-1) went up 8-7 on its next possession on Asinsin’s 2-yard run on fourth down and Talitonu Keohuhu 2-point conversion run with 2:48 left in the third.
Na Alii took a 15-8 advantage on Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo’s 2-yard sneak and 2-point conversion pass from Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo to Jheremie Cacpal with 11:21 remaining in the game.
Nanakuli attempted another fake punt and came up short at its own 43. On the next play, Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo scored down the left side to make it 22-8 Aiea with 10:21 remaining.
Na Alii went up 29-8 on Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo’s 1-yard run with 2:45 left. The drive was set up by Chad Colburn’s interception.
Nanakuli’s Torres completed 17 of 32 passes for 93 yards.
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At Nanakuli
Aiea 0 0 7 22 — 29
Nanakuli 0 0 8 0 — 8
AIEA—Kobe Higa 4 run (Bryson Boyea Quiton kick)
NAN—Christian Asinsin 2 run (Talitonu Keohuhu run)
AIEA—Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 2 run (Jheremie Cacpal from Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo)
AIEA—Kim Choy-Keb-Ah 43 run (Boyea Quiton kick)
AIEA—Kim Choy-Keb-Ah 1 run (Boyea Quiton kick)
RUSHING—Aiea: Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 18-134, Higa 17-43, Keoki Stephens 2-8, CJ Hironaka-Ioapo 1-1. Nanakuli: Asinsin 18-86, Keohuhu 6-35, Kanoa Torres 4-10, Lester Meyers III 3-8, Lyric Anuenue 1-5.
PASSING—Aiea: Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 7-18-0-90, Noah Deed 2-2-0-27. Nanakuli: Torres 17-32-2-93.
RECEIVING—Aiea: Cacpal 5-72, Kila Spencer 1-17, Boyea Quiton 1-11, Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 1-9, Higa 1-8. Nanakuli:
Blaze Baltazar-Conselva 6-26, Keohuhu 5-36, Asinsin 3-9, Richard Federico 2-7, Titus Auwae 1-15.
JV—Nanakuli 33, Pearl City 6
