Kahuku’s Aiden Manutai continued his trend of special performances against Mililani.
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders came up with the stop they needed on the Trojans’ potential game-tying 2-point conversion try in the final 30 seconds in a game that squeezed as much excitement as possible into a contest with only two scoring plays.
Manutai blocked a field goal and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown late in the first half as No. 1 Kahuku beat No. 4 and host Mililani 8-6 in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division Championships.
“To win a state championship you need all three phases,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said. “It’s not just about one player or one side of the ball. What you saw tonight was a great team effort.”
The Red Raiders (9-4) took an 8-0 lead with 1:57 left in the first half when Manutai blocked Pookela Tom Makue’s 38-yard field goal attempt and returned it for a score and then Chauncy Alo ran in the 2-point conversion.
“I give credit to the defense for making the opportunity possible,” Manutai said. “We just took advantage of the opportunity. We worked on it throughout the week at practice and many weeks before. It’s more of repetition and it just opened up and it just happened.”
In Kahuku’s 35-6 victory over Mililani on Nov. 1, Manutai caught a 34-yard touchdown pass and returned an interception 34 yards for another score.
In last year’s state final against Mililani, Manutai blocked a punt.
On Friday, the Trojans (9-3) took over at midfield after a punt with 2:14 to play.
Mililani had first-and-goal from the 4, but wound up with a fourth-and-goal from the 9.
It appeared Kahuku would take over possession after Kini McMillan’s pass was batted away by Manutai, but the officials granted the Red Raiders a timeout, which negated the play.
Following a Mililani timeout, McMillan hit Jonah Togafau-Tavui in the back of the end zone to get the Trojans within 8-6 with 24.9 seconds remaining.
On the 2-point conversion attempt, McMillan was pressured and attempted to scramble up the middle. He was hit as he threw the ball and it fell incomplete.
“Our defense has been stellar all year,” Carvalho said. “When the game is on the line, I would want my defense out there. What they did tonight was they closed the game. Offensively, we couldn’t, so defensively we had to shut the door.”
Kahuku’s Kaimana Carvalho recovered the onside kick.
Kahuku, the three-time defending state Open Division champion, will face Saint Louis on Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at UH’s T.C. Ching Complex.
“We’re excited. We know the standard and what it takes,” Manutai said.
The Trojans finished with 245 yards of total offense, while the Red Raiders gained only 149.
Kahuku had 10 quarterback hurries and five tackles for loss.
“All credit to the D-line this whole entire game,” Manutai said. “They made the DBs look good and the (line)backers look good.”
Mililani allowed only 23 rushing yards on 25 attempts and had nine tackles for loss.
The Red Raiders took the opening kickoff and ran 15 plays, gained 57 yards and took 9:55 off the clock, but the drive ended when Matai Fuiava’s pass went off the hands of his intended receiver and was intercepted by the Trojans’ Brandon Gaea near the goal line.
Fuiava was 5-for-5 for 52 yards prior to the pick.
There were two other big special teams plays in the second quarter.
Kahuku’s Carvalho extended a drive with a 16-yard run on a fake punt and Mililani’s Eleu Keawe recovered a muffed punt by Carvalho.
Carvalho extended another Red Raiders drive with a 23-yard rush on fourth down midway through the third quarter, and a personal-foul penalty against the Trojans on the play moved the ball to the 12. Manoa Kahalepuna wound up missing a 31-yard field goal.
Mililani started a drive late in the third quarter at its 1 after Carvalho’s 39-yard punt. The Trojans drove to the Red Raiders’ 25, but wound up turning the ball over on downs after a failed fake punt.
The Trojans drove to the Red Raiders’ 29 with 4:30 left in the game, but McMillan’s pass was intercepted by Kahuku linebacker Falealii Atuaia.
Fuiava finished 15-for-20 for 107 yards for Kahuku, while Mililani’s McMillan went 19-for-40 for 185 yards.
—
At John Kauinana Stadium
Mililani (9-3) 0 0 0 6 — 6
Kahuku (9-4) 0 8 0 0 — 8
KAH—Aiden Manutai 70 blocked FG return (Blake Alo run)
MIL—Jonah Togafau-Tavui 9 pass from Kini
McMillan (pass failed)
RUSHING—Mililani: Nakoa Kahana-Travis 12-41, McMillan 8-(minus 1). Kahuku: Kaimana Carvalho 2-39, Tamatoa Sam 8-21, B. Alo 6-14, Isaiah Joaquin 6-6, Malosi Fiatoa 3-3, Matai Fuiava 3-(minus 19), TEAM 3-(minus 22).
PASSING—Mililani: McMillan 19-40-1-185, Togafau-Tavui 1-1-0-20. Kahuku: Fuiava 15-20-1-107.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Togafau-Tavui 6-42, Brandon Gaea 5-70, Onosai Salanoa-Foumai 3-44, N. Kahana-Travis 3-26, Derek Tsuchiyama 2-17, Lehiwa Kahana-Travis 1-6. Kahuku: Carvalho 8-38, Noah Ah You 2-21, Manutai 2-13, Kea Lerner 1-33, Joaquin 1-3, B. Alo 1-(minus 1).
