Kahuku’s offense was in ball-control mode Saturday against host Kapolei, while the Red Raiders’ special teams and defense took command late in the first half.
Kahuku ran a successful fake punt, which led to a touchdown, and Red Raiders defensive lineman LeBron Williams scored on a 39-yard interception return a short time later as No. 3 Kahuku beat No. 4 Kapolei 17-7 in an OIA Open Division game.
The Kahuku victory set up a showdown against visiting Campbell next Saturday on the final weekend of the regular season. At stake is the No. 1 seed in the four-team OIA tournament.
“Campbell is a tough team, but we’re a better team. I say we’re the best team in the state,” Williams said.
Entering Saturday, Campbell, Kahuku, Kapolei and Mililani had already qualified for the tournament. The semifinal-round losers will play for the OIA’s third and final state tournament berth.
If Campbell wins at Kahuku next Saturday, the Sabers will be the No. 1 seed with a three-way tie for the No. 2 seed possible.
If Kahuku beats Campbell, a three-way tie for the No. 1 seed is possible.
On Saturday against the Hurricanes, the Red Raiders (6-3, 3-1) took a 3-0 lead on Manoa Kahalepuna’s 26-yard field goal with 5:13 left in the first quarter.
A key sequence came late in the first half when Kahuku faced a fourth and 5 from its 45.
The Red Raiders ran a fake punt, with Aiden Manutai heading up the middle and pitching the ball to punter Kaimana Carvalho, who advanced it to the 39.
“We’ve seen the numbers (on defense) and we just took it,” said Manutai, who added he made the call to run the play for the first time this season. “I heard Mana yelling pitch, so I just pitched it to him.”
Three plays later, Isaiah Joaquin scored on a 31-yard run to extend the Red Raiders’ lead to 10-0 with 2:50 remaining before halftime.
On the second play of Kapolei’s next drive, Kahuku linebacker Malaki Soliai-Tui deflected a pass from Tama Amisone at the line of scrimmage, and Williams caught the ball and returned it 39 yards for a score, which made it 17-0 with 1:56 to go in the first half.
“I was just hustling to the ball as much as I can and get to the quarterback and the ball just fell right into my hands. I had to score for my team,” Williams said.
Said Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho: “It’s a D-lineman’s dream to get an interception plus a touchdown. You add that he’s a senior, it’ll be a memorable moment for him, a highlight reel film for him.”
Carvalho said the focus for the Red Raiders was keeping their defense off the field and containing Amisone, the Hurricanes’ dual-threat quarterback.
Kahuku rushed 45 times for 230 yards. Joaquin carried the ball 17 times for 124 yards as the Red Raiders held a nine-minute advantage in time of possession. Two Kahuku quarterbacks combined to throw for 43 yards.
“With our defense playing as great as they did, our special teams being special, we just had to control the clock,” Carvalho said. “ ‘Do we want to open it up and air it out a little bit more? Absolutely.’ They were stacking the box, but we’re very efficient with our running game and we controlled the clock and kept Tama off the field.”
Amisone gained 4 yards on the ground and was 7-for-16 for 30 yards with one interception for the Hurricanes, who have dropped 13 in a row against the Red Raiders. Kahuku registered five sacks for 55 yards.
“It’s hard to be Tama. The whole defense, all 11, all they’re doing is keying on you,” Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. “It’s hard to be a one-man team. Others got to step up and make plays and we didn’t do that today.”
The Hurricanes (5-2, 2-2) finished with 126 yards of total offense, with 94 coming on a touchdown drive on their second-to-last possession with numerous reserves in the game.
Leysen Rodrigues threw a 16-yard scoring pass to Nikko Smith and Larry McCarley made the PAT kick, which made it 17-7 with 36 seconds left.
“They are gap-sound, very, very well coached, they’re physical, fast,” Hernandez said of Kahuku’s defense. “It’s hard to game-plan against them. They do a great job. They’ve played against top competition, Mater Dei and Bishop Gorman, so that defense is the real deal.”
Kapolei’s Jaydanse Pahinui recovered the onside kick, but the Hurricanes couldn’t move the ball in the final 30 seconds.
—
At Kapolei
Kahuku (6-3, 3-1) 3 14 0 0 — 17
Kapolei (5-2, 2-2) 0 0 0 7 — 7
KAH—FG Manoa Kahalepuna 26
KAH—Isaiah Joaquin 31 run (Kahalepuna kick)
KAH—LeBron Williams 39 interception return (Kahalepuna kick)
KAP—Nikko Smith 16 pass from Leysen Rodrigues (Larry McCarley kick)
RUSHING—Kahuku: Joaquin 17-124, Malosi Fiatoa 15-53, Sheadon Kanoa 9-37, Kaimana Carvalho 2-15, Kalaheo
Kanae-Oliveira 1-4, Zennon Alo-Rosa AloRosa 1-(minus 3). Kapolei: Chazz-Michael Kapahu 6-9, Tama Amisone 14-4, Leysen Rodrigues 4-3, Chase Camarillo 4-(minus 2).
PASSING—Kahuku: Christian Sanford-Tupuola 6-14-1-30, Kanae-Oliveira 4-7-1-13, Carvalho 0-1-0-0. Kapolei: Amisone 7-16-1-30, Rodrigues 5-10-0-82.
RECEIVING—Kahuku: Carvalho 5-17, Bodhi Kaanga 2-8, Noah Ah You 1-9, Joaquin 1-6, Halakilangi Muagututia 1-3. Kapolei: Smith 4-78, Zayne Pasion 3-28,
Kapahu 3-8, Shayden Roman 1-3, Kaina Kamohalii 1-(minus 5).
OIA DIVISION I
AIEA 60, PEARL CITY 20
Elijah Mendoza threw for 309 yards and five touchdowns, leading Na Alii to a blowout win over the Chargers.
Mendoza spread the wealth around for Na Alii (4-3, 2-3), with Jheremie Cacpal and
Evan Mendoza each catching six passes and two touchdowns, while Hiki Kim Choy Keb Ahlo led the team with 96 yards on five catches, including a touchdown, and added a 65-yard punt return for a score.
Cacpal finished with 86 receiving yards, while Mendoza had 60.
Lennon Elder had 95 all-purpose yards and a touchdown for the Chargers (0-7, 0-5), totaling 48 rushing yards, 25 receiving yards, and 22 return yards.
At Aiea
Pearl City (0-7, 0-5) 0 0 14 6 — 20
Aiea (4-3, 2-3) 20 7 20 20 — 60
AIEA—Evan Mendoza 13 pass from Elijah Mendoza (Dominic Okada kick)
AIEA—Hiki Kim Choy Keb Ahlo 38 pass from El. Mendoza (Okada kick)
AIEA—Jhermie Cacpal 32 pass from El. Mendoza (kick failed)
AIEA—Cacpal 8 pass from Mendoza (Okada kick)
PC—Jacian Mizuno 20 pass from Jonah Galanto (2-pt failed)
AIEA—Xzavier Niko 50 kickoff return (2-pt failed)
AIEA—Kim Choy Keb Ahlo 65 punt return (kick failed)
PC—Keaton Tomas 25 pass from Galanto (Lennon Elder pass from Galanto)
AIEA—Ev. Mendoza 20 pass from El. Mendoza (Okada kick)
AIEA—Kaimi Kahookele 89 interception return (Okada kick)
PC—Elder 14 run (2-pt failed)
AIEA—Taylor Chuck 6 run (Okada kick)
RUSHING—Pearl City: Elder 10-48, Tiger Ader 1-25, Caleb Pintor 3-18, Tomas 5-14, Mizuno 1-(minus 10), Galanto 2-(minus 21). Aiea: Chuck 6-27, CJ Ioapo 5-17, Ezra Kila Spencer 1-2, El. Mendoza 2-(minus 17)
PASSING—Pearl City: Galanto 21-41-2-175, Mizuno 1-2-0-5. Aiea: El. Mendoza 20-28-0-309, Ev. Mendoza 1-1-0-28.
RECEIVING—Pearl City: Tomas 9-69, Mizuno 4-54, Elder 4-25, Tayvon Ching-Harrell 3-28, Christian Kihewa 2-4. Aiea: Cacpal 6-86, Ev. Mendoza 6-60, Kim Choy Keb Ahlo 5-96, Kila Spencer 2-52, Jeremiah Hill 1-28, Chuck 1-15
Also:
Leilehua 13, Moanalua 10, OT
Kailua 35, Waianae 24
OIA DIVISION II
Kalani 15, Waialua 13
Kalaheo 30, McKinley 0
Kaiser 34, Kaimuki 17
