Kevin Burke and and Ezekiel Anahu came through with a combo sack in the final seconds, and Chaystin Senas followed with a game-ending interception on Ali Togafau’s hail Mary pass as time expired to give Leilehua a 28-21 win over Radford on Saturday night at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.
The win lifts Leilehua to 5-1 in OIA Division I play with one game remaining before the playoffs.
Radford dropped to 4-2 despite a hearty effort from Togafau and his teammates.
A packed house celebrated both a homecoming and senior-night win. Burke, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior, had 1.5 sacks, and sophomore Braden Liua had two sacks as the Mules’ relentless defense dug deep to contain Togafau, who was an escape artist for most of the night.
“He’s a great quarterback. Give all the credit to him. He out-executed us, you know. Whenever we had a timeout, our coaches just told us to calm down and just relax, do our jobs. Alignment and assignments. Technique. Hustle. Finish,” Burke said. “Tonight means everything, just being with my brothers. This is the closest I’ve ever been to my teammates. I’m really blessed to have this as my last ride.”
Homecoming night brought out the legacy spirit at Leilehua.
“The second half was about not letting homecoming get to them. For both teams, this was probably the biggest crowd we’ve played in front of in a long time,” Mules coach Mark Kurisu said. “When you get Hugh Yoshida and the 1984 (Oahu Prep Bowl) championship team, then you follow that up with the 2007 state championship team. For them to be here, all the alumni, it’s a lot of weight for them to carry. We have leadership, but when I think of those teams and their history, they set the standard for us. We may win the game, but if we didn’t win it the right way, I wouldn’t care about the win.”
The two teams and Moanalua entered Friday’s action in a three-way tie atop the standings. Moanalua edged Aiea 17-13.
The Mules will visit Pearl City next Friday to end the regular season.
Coach Fred Salanoa’s Rams will close the regular season with a home game against Waianae (3-3) next Friday with a playoff berth on the line. Kailua (3-2), which plays Pearl City today, is also in the mix.
If Leilehua and Moanalua finish the regular season tied, Leilehua has the head-to-head tiebreaker via a 13-10 overtime win over Na Menehune last week.
The Mules offense was in attack mode immediately after the opening kickoff sailed out of bounds. In three plays, Bennett Strobel connected on three passes, including a 37-yard bomb to Talon Tarpley, then a 26-yard strike to Tarpley in the end zone for a 7-0 Mules lead with 10:49 left in the opening quarter.
Radford drove into Leilehua territory, where Togafau rolled out and threw directly to Burke, standing at the 36-yard line in zone coverage, for an easy interception.
Four plays later, the Rams returned the favor. Leilehua receiver Brennan Kepaa stumbled on a deep route and fell, allowing Devin Hogan to haul in the interception.
The Rams drove to the Leilehua 10-yard line, but Togafau’s sneak attempt on fourth and 1 was stonewalled by the Mules for a 1-yard loss.
Radford’s next series stalled at the Leilehua 44-yard line, but on fourth down, the punter, Togafau, scooped up a bad snap on the hop and threw a strike to Collin Murphy on an out pattern for a 19-yard gain and a first down. On the next snap, Togafau faked a throw to the left flat, then fired a strike to Michael Robinson near the left sideline. He raced to the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7 with 10:14 remaining in the second quarter.
The Mules regained the lead with a 13-play, 80-yard march. Strobel had scrambles of 13 and 18 yards for first downs, then found running back Kyin Rivera-Galbraith on a swing pass for a 19-yard TD. Leilehua led 14-7 with 6:41 to go before halftime.
The visitors began the second half with a bang. Togafau narrowly eluded the pass rush, fired an off-balance pass to Robinson near the right sideline, and Robinson put on a show. He escaped several defenders, shuffling laterally to avoid what appeared to be sure tackles, got key blocks from his receivers and raced down the left sideline for a 62-yard TD. That tied the game at 14 with 10:01 to go in the third quarter.
After blocking a Radford field-goal attempt, the Mules drove to the Rams’ 21-yard line. Sacks by Deon Tiva and Chief Togafau-Paleafei cut the drive short.
Leilehua’s best starting point on offense came after stopping Togafau on a fake punt run at the Rams’ 44-yard line late in the third quarter.
Strobel was intercepted for a second time on a similar play to the turnover in the first half. His receiver ran straight down the left hash mark instead of a deep post, which allowed two-way starter Jacob Sullivan to haul in an easy pick, returning it almost to midfield.
With both teams bringing heavy pass rush, the Mules went into smashmouth mode in the fourth quarter. They drove 70 yards in eight plays, all on the ground. Cameron Keeve rushed four times for 47 yards, and Rivera-Galbraith finished off the drive with a 1-yard TD to give Leilehua a 21-14 lead with 7:23 remaining.
After a Radford three-and-out, Senas fielded the punt, eluded a tackler and raced down the right sideline 54 yards to pay dirt. The Mules led 28-14 with 4:52 left.
Radford drove and scored on a 5-yard TD pass from Togafau to Zeke Schulz with 2:05 to go, cutting the lead to 28-21.
With Leilehua’s hands team on the field for the kickoff, the Rams elected to go with a normal kickoff for a touchback. An illegal procedure call on the Mules was costly, and after a punt, Radford got the ball at the Mules’ 41-yard line with 58 seconds left — and no timeouts.
Togafau’s 20-yard pass to Robinson gave the visitors first down at the 21-yard line, and an injury time out for a Leilehua player stopped the clock with 44 seconds left.
Damien 42, ‘Iolani 35
AJ Tuifua threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns as the Monarchs hung on to defeat the Raiders.
The Monarchs (8-1, 6-0) jumped out to a 35-14 lead after three quarters, but the Raiders (4-6, 3-3) cut the lead to just seven before a Sylas Alaimalo touchdown run all but sealed the game.
Alaimalo finished with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Dayton Savea had four catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns for the Monarchs. CJ Villanueva threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Raiders, with Tyger Hayashi catching 12 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns and Kekama Kane grabbing 11 for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
This marks the first time Damien has swept the season series with ‘Iolani since 2017. It also is the first time Damien has gone undefeated in ILH play and clinches the best regular-season win total for the Monarchs in school history. Only Damien’s 2017 team that lost in the state championship game to Kauai had more wins in a year with nine. With the loss, ‘Iolani suffers through just its ninth losing season in 33 years under head coach Wendell Look.
Kaiser 42, Waialua 21
Jesse Shinagawa threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score, leading the Cougars to an important win over the Bulldogs.
Shinagawa threw a 6-yard touchdown to Caleb Hamasaki in the first quarter, then added a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Dillon Reis led the Cougars (6-1, 5-1) with 126 yards rushing, including a 71-yard touchdown run. Emery Abilla threw for 152 yards and a touchdown and added 126 yards on the ground to lead the Bulldogs (4-4, 3-3).
With the win, Kaiser remains atop the OIA Division II standings in a tie with Roosevelt. The Cougars conclude their regular season next week against McKinley, while Waialua faces Roosevelt. Kaiser can clinch the regular-season title with a win. The loss eliminates the Bulldogs from contention for the regular-season title.
Roosevelt 50, Kalani 0
Dayton Tilton ran back two punts for touchdowns, leading the Rough Riders to a blowout win over the Falcons.
Tilton returned a punt 54 yards for a score in the second quarter, then took back a 60-yarder in the third. The Rough Riders (6-2, 5-1) also got an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown from Taimane Souza-Fautanu in the second quarter.
The Rough Riders stifled the Falcons (2-6, 2-4) defensively, allowing a combined 33 yards of rushing and passing yards, holding Kalani to just one completed pass.
ILH
NO. 9 DAMIEN 42, ‘IOLANI 35
At Eddie Hamada Field
Damien (8-1, 6-0) 14 14 7 7 — 42
‘Iolani (4-6, 3-3) 7 7 0 21 — 35
DMS—Kaysen Dulay-Gorai 27 pass from AJ Tuifua (Samuel Kawakami kick)
DMS—Dayton Savea 14 pass from Tuifua (Kawakami kick)
IOL—Kekama Kane 15 pass from CJ Villanueva (Kekama Kane kick)
DMS—Savea 67 pass from Tuifua (Kawaikami kick)
IOL—Tyger Hayashi 4 pass from Villanueva (Kane kick)
DMS—Dulay-Gorai 30 pass from Tuifua (Kawakami kick)
DMS—Sylas Alaimalo 80 run (Kawakami kick)
IOL—Hayashi 22 pass from Villanueva (Kane kick)
IOL—Jones Vierra 1 run (Kane kick)
DMS—Alaimalo 4 run (Kawakami kick)
IOL—Kane 4 pass from Villanueva (Kane kick)
RUSHING—Damien: Alaimalo 14-156, Tuifua 7-24, Kameron Castillo 3-6. ‘Iolani: Vierra 25-126, Quincy Oka 1-2, Villanueva 5-(minus 2).
PASSING—Damien: Tuifua 17-23-1-274. ‘Iolani: Villanueva 26-41-1-326, Hayashi 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Damien: Savea 4-112, Dulay-Gorai 2-57, Champ Buffett 5-41, Wyatt Ho-Williams 2-25, Bryse Hopeau-Lampitoc 1-18, Samuel Kawakami 1-12, Alaimalo 1-8, Harlan Kayne Ujano-Bayudan 1-1. ‘Iolani: Hayashi 12-159, Kane 11-146, Vierra 1-7, Jett Katayama 1-7, Kaiaka Lau-Kong 2-7.
OIA DIVISION I
LEILEHUA 28, RADFORD 21
At Hugh Yoshida Stadium
Radford (5-3, 4-2) 0 7 7 7 — 21
Leilehua (6-3, 5-1) 7 7 0 14 — 28
LEIL—Talon Tarpley 26 pass from Bennett Strobel (Rodel Alano kick)
RAD—Michael Robinson 25 pass from Afi Togafau (Luke Barner kick)
LEIL—Kyin Rivera-Galbraith 19 pass from Strobel (Alano kick)
RAD—Robinson 62 pass from Togafau (L. Barner kick)
LEIL—Rivera-Galbraith 2 run (Alano kick)
LEIL—Chaystin Senas 54 punt return (Alano kick)
RAD—Zeke Schulz 5 pass from Togafau (L. Barner kick)
RUSHING—Radford: Schulz 11-49, Togafau 17-30, Collin Murphy 8-18, Jacob Sullivan 1-6, Robinson 1-3. Leilehua: Cameron Keeve 6-55, Rivera-Galbraith 9-51, Strobel 10-17.
PASSING—Radford: Togafau 22-38-2-262. Leilehua: Strobel 12-22-2-149.
RECEIVING—Radford: Robinson 5-140, Murphy 3-41, Sullivan 6-33, Jacob Barner 3-22, Schulz 4-18, Brad Yoakley 1-8. Leilehua: Tarpley 4-79, Trustin Gomes 5-38, Rivera-Galbraith 1-19, Brennan Kepaa 1-7, Keeve 1-6.
Also:
Moanalua 17, Aiea 13
OIA DIVISION II
ROOSEVELT 50, KALANI 0
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
Kalani (2-6, 2-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Roosevelt (6-2, 5-1) 29 14 7 0 — 50
ROOS—Safety
ROOS—Shaeden Sexton 3 run (Journey DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Keawe Davis 19 pass from Ioane Kamanao (DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Jerry Wu 36 pass from Kamanao (kick failed)
ROOS—Bobby Souza 13 run (DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Taimane Souza-Fautanu 80 punt return (DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Dayton Tilton 54 punt return (DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Tilton 60 punt return (DePeralta kick)
RUSHING— Kalani: Kotaro Aizawa 13-36, Zedekiah Kia-Kama 4-9, Elau Hoopai-Waikoloa 3-0, Bradin Tollefson 3-0, Brennan Takara 1-(minus 4), Takeo Eckart 4-(minus 8), Nicholas Segawa 5-(minus 10). Roosevelt: Cameron Jackson 4-17, Sexton 6-13, Souza 1-13, Drayzen Kaneshiro-Domingo 2-11, Casen Murakami-Awaya 1-6, Kamanao 5-3, Kaeo Bush 1-(minus 3).
PASSING—Kalani: Tollefson 1-3-1-10. Roosevelt: Kamanao 10-15-2-176, Bush 6-7-0-43.
RECEIVING—Kalani: Takara 1-10. Roosevelt: Davis 5-84, Jahsiah Souza-Armstead 5-69, Wu 2-42, Wiliama Aarona 2-14, Victor Silva 2-10.
KAISER 42, WAIALUA 21
At Kaiser Stadium
Waialua (4-4, 3-3) 0 0 21 0 — 21
Kaiser (6-1, 5-1) 14 7 14 7 — 42
KAIS—Aiden Leong 27 run (Morgan White
kick)
KAIS—Caleb Hamasaki 6 pass from Jesse Shinagawa (White kick)
KAIS—Shinagawa 13 run (White kick)
WAIL—Hayze Ramos 87 pass from Emery Abilla (Kaies Demello kick)
KAIS—Dillon Reis 71 run (White kick)
WAIL—Ramos 29 pass from Konan Riddleberger (Demello kick)
KAIS—Hamasaki 50 pass from BJ Rezentes (White kick)
WAIL—Nuutea Van Bastolaer 2 run (Demello kick)
KAIS—Brady Kim 3 run (White kick)
RUSHING—Waialua: Abilla 22-126, Van Bastolaer 13-50, Sky Hirota 1-0. Kaiser: Reis 14-126, Kim 12-89, Leong 7-77, Shinagawa 1-13, Team 4-(minus 14).
PASSING—Waialua: Abilla 9-27-1-152, Riddleberger 2-2-0-28. Kaiser: Rezentes 3-11-1-80, Shinagawa 4-6-0-55.
RECEIVING—Waialua: Ramos 4-138, Hirota 3-14, Kaleb Rice 2-13, Kade Celebre 1-10, Germaine Bagasol 1-5. Kaiser: Hamasaki 3-64, Reis 2-61, Zayden Ling 1-7 Mathias Mafi 1-3.
