Farrington appears ready to take on OIA Open Division competition this season.
DJ Faavi completed 16 of 23 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score, and Chansen Smith accounted for three touchdowns as host Farrington beat Tafuna 41-14 on Friday.
“I’m like these kids’ biggest fan,” Farrington first-year head coach Michael Lafaele said. “I’ve been working with them. Just to watch their work come to fruition is such a blessing. I’m happy to see it. I’m like a little kid on the sideline watching them fly around.”
Kingsten “Solovi” Samuelu rushed 14 times for 159 yards and one score for Farrington, which had 391 yards of total offense.
Smith caught two touchdown passes and scored on a kickoff return, and Princeten Samuelu had one receiving touchdown.
“Our O-line was perfect tonight,” Faavi said. “They could not have played a better game. From start to finish, it was the whole O-line. It set the tone for our whole offense.”
The Governors, who beat Kapaa 35-12 in last week’s opener, were promoted to the Open Division this year after two seasons in Division I.
“We’ll just focus on us,” Lafaele said. “That’s our biggest concern.”
Farrington will play two more non-league games before facing Campbell in its league opener Sept. 14.
Tafuna gained only 36 yards rushing against the Farrington.
“They’re physical,” Lafaele said of his defense. “We live and die by the box. The front seven is going to determine the team. We also have special players in the secondary.”
Tafuna, the four-time defending American Samoa High School Athletic Association champion, beat Waipahu 41-35 last week.
“We get to learn. Our kids get to see and watch the speed here, and we think that’s where we need to head to,” said Tafuna coach Oakland Salave’a, who added that everyone on defense is a first-year starter.
On the opening possession Tafuna had a bad quarterback/running back exchange and Farrington’s Ziggy Vea recovered at the Warriors’ 20.
The Governors wound up missing a 30-yard field goal.
Farrington broke through on its next possession on Faavi’s 15-yard touchdown keeper to the left side. Ku Ponciano’s PAT kick made it 7-0 Governors with 5:38 left in the first quarter.
Farrington forced its second consecutive three-and-out and scored on an 11-yard slant pass from Faavi to Princeten Samuelu, which made it 14-0 with 1:35 to go in the opening quarter.
Tafuna cut the deficit to 14-6 on Teariki Fo’a’s 36-yard run up the middle on the second play of the second quarter. The 2-point conversion run failed.
The Governors answered on the first play of their next drive with Kingsten Samuelu scoring on a 64-yard run down the left sideline, which made it 21-6 with 10:43 left in the second quarter.
Farrington extended the lead to 28-6 on Faavi’s 17-yard pass to Smith with 4:43 remaining before halftime.
“He’s the smartest receiver I’ve ever met,” Faavi said. “He reads (the coverage) very well, his route running is crisp and he’s a burner. He’s going to be the guy the whole year.”
The Governors were aided on the drive by a personal-foul penalty and two encroachment penalties on third-and-short.
Farrington continued to dominate after halftime, with Smith returning the kickoff 97 yards to extend the lead to 35-6.
Smith said he’s received the opportunity to return kickoffs because the player who normally does it was injured prior to the season.
“The first return we had, we’d seen it, so I told my coach it was open,” Smith said. “During halftime we talked about what to do. We planned to go to the left side the whole time. When we did it, it worked.”
Farrington went up 41-6 on Faavi’s 17-yard shovel pass to Smith with 7:04 remaining in the third.
The Warriors got within 41-14 on Junior Afoa’s 13-yard pass to Kanai Satele and Satele’s 2-point conversion run with 3:06 left in the game. The drive was set up by Taulima Ho Ching’s interception in the end zone.
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No. 6 Kapolei 42, Lahainaluna 12
Quarterback Liatama Amisone threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns and Makana Taylor returned an interception 49 yards for a touchdown to lead the Hurricanes over the Lunas on Maui.
Kapolei improved to 7-0 all-time against non-Oahu opponents. This was the first time the Hurricanes played an MIL team.
Ava Cook and Chase Camarillo added touchdown runs in the first half for the Hurricanes (2-0), who led 35-0 at halftime.
Michael Rayray ran for a score and caught a touchdown pass to account for all of the scoring for the Lunas (0-1), who were making their season debut.
Kaiser 56, McKinley 7
Brady Kim ran for three touchdowns, powering the Cougars (1-0) to a blowout victory in their season opener.
Kaiser quarterback BJ Rezentes tossed two touchdown passes, while Kim, Dillon Reis and Aidan Leong combined to rush for 130 yards and five touchdowns to fuel the Cougars offense.
On defense, the Cougars held the Tigers (0-1) to negative 81 yards of total offense while forcing four turnovers.
THURSDAY’S GAME
Radford 32, Redlands (Calif.) 7
Junior quarterback Ari Togafau rushed for two touchdowns and completed 11 of 21 passes for 173 yards to lead the Rams (1-1) to their first victory of the season. Hiram Hendri returned an interception for a touchdown and Juju Sagapolutele scored on a short return after a fumble recovery for Radford, which beat a team from California for the second time in three years.
Teddy McGee rushed for 111 yards for Redlands.
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FARRINGTON 41, TAFUNA (SAMOA) 14
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Tafuna (1-1) 0 6 0 8 — 14
Farrington (2-0) 14 14 13 0 — 41
FARR—DJ Faavi 15 run (Ku Ponciano kick)
FARR— Princeten Samuelu 11 pass from Faavi (Ponciano kick)
TAF—Teariki Fo’a 36 run (run failed)
FARR—Solovi Samuelu 64 run (Ponciano kick)
FARR—Chansen Smith 17 pass from Faavi (Ponciano kick)
FARR—Smith 97 kickoff return (Ponciano kick)
FARR—Smith 17 pass from Faavi (kick blocked)
TAF—Kanai Satele 13 pass from Junior Afoa (Satele run)
RUSHING—Tafuna: Fo’a 4-43, Paulo Akeripa 1-9, Satele 3-(minus 7), Afoa 9-(minus 9). Farrington: Solovi amuelu 14-159, Faavi 5-19, Donivan Bergantinos 2-7, team 1-(minus 7).
PASSING—Tafuna: Afoa 16-25-0-143. Farrington: Faavi 16-23-1-213.
RECEIVING—Tafuna: Jamal Tauaese 9-85, Satele 4-50, Fo’a 2-3, Marques Maluia 1-5. Farrington: Smith 6-98, Govanni Siamani 3-53, Ponciano 3-36, Princeton Samuelu 2-14, Lolotai Tunoa 1-8, Joah Mossman 1-4.
KAISER 56, MCKINLEY 7
At Kaiser Stadium
McKinley (0-1) 7 0 0 0 — 7
Kaiser (1-0) 28 28 0 0 — 56
KAIS—Dillon Reis 59 run (Morgan White kick)
KAIS—Apo Toetuu-Kelekolio fumble recovery in end zone (White kick)
KAIS—Zayden Ling 10 pass from BJ Rezentes (White kick)
KAIS—Brady Kim 1 run (White kick)
MCK—Gregory Givens 52 interception return (Givens kick)
KAIS—Rayne Sumida 15 pass from Rezentes (White kick)
KAIS—Kim 1 run (White kick)
KAIS—Kim 10 run (White kick)
KAIS—Aiden Leong 6 run (White kick)
RUSHING—McKinley: Iosua Sefo 1-1, Mareko Sefo 9-0, Marvin Nakamura 2-(minus 2), Jayvon Williams 4-(minus 4), Gloryo Moses 1-(minus 5), Team 4-(minus 76). Kaiser: D. Reis 5-79, Kim 5-26, Leong 6-25, Jason Park 6-21, Sumida 1-12, Blaine Kupahu 1-9, Rezentes 1-2, Jesse Shinagawa 3-(minus 6), Team 4-(minus 25).
PASSING—McKinley: I. Sefo 1-2-0-7, Givens 1-1-1-0, Devin Sablan 2-3-0-(minus 2). Kaiser: Rezentes 12-15-2-97, Koa Reis 1-1-0-8, Shinagawa 3-3-0-1.
RECEIVING—McKinley: Givens 1-7, M. Sefo 1-2, Shea Miyasato 1-(minus 4). Kaiser: Shinagawa 3-34, Sumida 2-31, Ling 2-15, Keo Lapera 3-15, Leong 3-6, Caleb Hamasaki 3-5.
NO. 6 KAPOLEI 42, LAHAINALUNA 12
At Sue D. Cooley Stadium
Kapolei (2-0) 21 14 7 0 — 42
Lahainaluna (0-1) 0 0 6 6 — 12
KAP—Ava Cook 1 run (Larry McCarley kick)
KAP—Chase Camarillo 3 run (McCarley kick)
KAP—Nikko Smith 52 pass from Liatama Amisone (McCarley kick)
KAP—Makana Taylor 49 interception return (McCarley kick)
KAP—Tristen Inay 17 pass from Amisone (McCarley kick)
LAH—Michael Rayray 9 run (kick failed)
KAP—Maui Remigio 54 pass from Leysen Rodrigues (McCarley kick)
LAH—Rayray 18 pass from Ty Bronco-Gomes (run failed)
RUSHING—Kapolei: Amisone 3-22, Chazz-Michael Kapahu 3-16, Frankie Toluao 2-12, Drey Pascual 1-10, Cortez Lino-Isles 3-9, Cook 1-1, Camarillo 4-(minus 4). Lahainaluna: Kyle Thomas 5-56, Enoka Balinbin 7-24, Joseph Arcangel 12-24, Rayray 3-9, Jaeden-Ian Pascua 1-5, Erland Pahukoa 1-4, Lehia Tihada 2-0, Ezekiel Opunui 1-0, Hoken Hironaka 2-(minus 4), Bronco-Gomes 5-(minus 7).
PASSING—Kapolei: Amisone 12-17-0—234, Rodrigues 3-3-0—67. Lahainaluna: Bronco-Gomes 3-8-1—38, Pascua 0-1-0—0.
RECEIVING—Kapolei: Smith 4-85, Ikaika Viernes 4-51, Kapahu 2-60, Zayne Pasion 2-31, Inay 2-20, Remigio 1-54. Lahainaluna: Rayray 1-18, Kaimiloa Kaina 1-10, Moku Basques 1-9.
THURSDAY
RADFORD 32, REDLANDS (CALIF.) 7
At John Velasco Stadium
Redlands (0-1) 0 0 0 7 — 7
Radford (1-1) 6 6 7 13 — 32
RAD—Afi Togafau 13 run (pass failed)
RAD—Juju Sagapolutele 3 fumble return (pass failed)
RAD—Togafau 7 run (Zeke Schulz kick)
RAD—Hiram Hendri 24 interception return (kick failed)
RAD—Schulz 3 run (Schulz kick)
RED—Teddy McGee 10 run (Jaime Moreno kick)
RUSHING—Redlands: McGee 17-111, Julien Scarbrough 1-10, Jamaul Macafee 1-9, Connor Hunsicker 1-(minus 2), Anthony Fraire 1-(minus 3). Radford: Togafau 3-36, Schulz 7-30, Kellen Fortsen 6-23, Caius Johnson 3-22, Gabe Thorpe 4-17, Jacob Sullivan 2-2.
PASSING—Redlands: Macafee 3-4-0-54, Fraire 9-20-1-33. Radford: Togafau 11-21-0-173.
RECEIVING—Redlands: McGee 5-41, Scarbrough 4-24, Collier Colbert 3-22. Radford: Michael Robinson 3-51, Sullivan 3-40, Jacob Barner 1-37, Schulz 2-19, Brad Yoakley 1-17, Fortson 1-9.
Also:
Beaumont (Calif.) 19, KS-Maui 16
