The stars, and clouds, finally aligned for the Kapaa football team.
The Warriors are bringing home the first state title to the Garden Isle after blasting Kamehameha-Maui 61-7 in the Division II final of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships on a rainy Thursday night.
Kapaa completed a perfect 8-0 season by breaking through in the final for the first time in five tries. Junior Solomone Malafu ran for a state-record 98-yard touchdown on Kapaa’s first offensive play from scrimmage and the Warriors kept it rolling the entire time to complete a physically overwhelming two-game stretch in the tournament.
Kapaa outscored its two opponents 112-7 to win it all after seeing its season end in a loss in the state final in four of the previous five seasons.
“I’m not surprised about our young men and how hard they worked and how committed they were,” first-year Kapaa coach Mike Tresler said. “They did what they wanted to do which is to play for each other.”
The Warriors didn’t attempt a pass until the final three minutes of the first half in rainy conditions at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium, reminiscent of most of the Warriors’ games on Kauai this season that made them feel right at home.
“We practice in this weather all the time,” said starting guard Koa Kanakaole, a freshman who is 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds. “We were prepared for it. It’s been raining so we’ve been expecting what to do when the ball is wet and our running game is just strong.”
Kanakaole is part of an offensive line that averaged 282 pounds to pound away at the defense of Kamehameha-Maui (5-3).
He was helped out by guard Lono Aki, who is 6-foot-5, 420 pounds, and tackle Kawika Rogers, who is 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds and holds Division I offers, who were too much for a Kamehameha-Maui defense averaging 230 pounds on its line.
Kapaa’s 477 rushing yards are a state record at any division, breaking the mark of 450 set by Waianae in a 2007 Division I game against Kealakehe.
“We put in all the work with (the offensive line) and we make them run a lot to help and execute plays,” Malafu said.
Malafu, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior, scored touchdowns all four times he rushed the ball, closing the game with a 43-yard run with 2:25 to go to make it 61-7.
“First time playing them and we just practiced how we play,” said Malafu, who also had three tackles for loss and an interception. “Winning this means a lot to our team, our school, especially our community because they were there for us and always support us.”
The 61 points are the most scored in a regulation game in Division II. Lahainaluna beat Konawaena 75-69 in the 2017 state final that went seven overtimes.
Kamehameha-Maui reached its first state final after rolling over undefeated OIA champion Kaiser last week.
The wet conditions didn’t help quarterback Makana Kamaka-Brayce, who was held to 96 yards passing after throwing for 369 yards and accounting for five touchdowns against the Cougars.
He was injured late in the third quarter and replaced by Pookela Aiu, who threw a 20-yard touchdown to Keegan Gantala on the next play for the Warriors’ only score.
Kapaa led 30-0 late in the second quarter when Connor Payomo rushed for 2 yards on a fake punt on fourth down to just barely get a first down.
Quarterback Kapono Na-o completed his first pass attempt on the next play, hitting Poki Tafea for 11 yards before finding Jericho Castro for 40 yards down to the 1.
An automatic replay overruled the initial call of a touchdown and put it down at the 1, allowing Malafu to run it on the next play for his third touchdown of the half.
Na-o finished with 99 rushing yards on 14 carries and a touchdown and threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nakoa Kimi in the third quarter.
“I just like the way we finished,” Tresler said. “They stayed in it. Although we were ahead, we didn’t want to come out and have it a story of a tale of two halves. Proud of our boys committed to their conditioning.”
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At Skippa Diaz Stadium
KS-Maui (5-3) 0 0 7 0 — 7
Kapaa (8-0) 14 24 16 7 — 61
KAP—Solomone Malafu 98 run (kick failed)
KAP—Kapono Na-o 6 run (Malafu run)
KAP—Malafu 10 run (Malafu run)
KAP—Kaikea Tandal 11 run (Malafu run)
KAP—Malafu 1 run (Malafu run)
KAP—Nakoa Kimi 17 pass from Na-o (Malafu run)
KSM—Keegan Gantala 20 pass from
Po’okela Aiu (Trenton Kiesel kick)
KAP—Poki Tafea 16 run (Malafu run)
KAP—Malafu 43 run (Gonsalves kick)
RUSHING—Kamehameha-Maui: McKay Pali 10-24, Makana Kamaka-Brayce 9-21, Xavier Shiffler 2-6, Joshua Kerr 1-(minus 1), Duke Brown 1-(minus 3), TEAM 2-(minus 17). Kapaa: Malafu 4-152, Na-o 14-99, Tandal 9-87, Tafea 3-40, Kian Rapozo 9-37, Jericho Castro 4-30, Jaysten Pimental 3-19, Connor Payomo 2-15, TEAM 2-(minus 2).
PASSING—Kamehameha-Maui: Kamaka-Brayce 7-26-2—96, Aiu 2-2-0—38. Kapaa: Na-o 3-4-0—76.
RECEIVING—Kamehameha-Maui: Kahoa Abreu 4-78, Kainoa Carpenter 2-1, Gantala 1-20, Kainoa Monkres 1-18, Aiu 1-17. Kapaa: Castro 1-40, Tafea 1-19, Kimi 1-17.
