Moanalua and Kamehameha couldn’t be separated, as Na Menehune and the Warriors battled to a 21-21 draw on Friday night at Kunuiakea Stadium.
“It was a tough, tough game,” Moanalua coach Vince Nihipali said. “Kamehameha looks so much better right now than they were a couple weeks ago. They play hard, and they gave us everything we could handle. I’m proud of my guys for fighting the way that they did. They could have folded, but they kept going and we had a chance there at the end to win the game.”
Freshman quarterback Tayden-Evan Kaawa was impressive leading the Moanalua offense. He completed 22 of 44 passes for a game-best 268 yards, three touchdowns and a pick.
“Tayden is cool under pressure,” Nihipali said. “But he’s young, he’s going to make those young mistakes. Me as a head coach, I just have to make sure I give him every opportunity to work through it. There was a part in the game where things got a bit hectic, but he started moving the ball the way he needed to. He’s a good player, and he’s only going to get better by the week.”
Kaawa’s top-target was Eric Stephens, who caught eight passes from Kaawa for 105 yards. Gabe Wells was next with 65 yards on five catches, along with two of Kaawa’s touchdown throws. The other touchdown catch went to Cameron Johnson.
On the other side, Keali Ah Yat led the Warriors with 238 yards on 20-for-34 passing and an interception. His best receiver was tight end Sheyden Iokia, who finished with 87 yards on five grabs. Close behind him was receiver Kaina Watson, who had 83 yards on seven catches.
Kamehameha’s Dreyton Stone was the game’s best rusher. He finished with 70 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. Ah Yat also displayed his ability on the ground, picking up a pair of rushing touchdowns.
After forcing a Moanalua punt on the opening drive of the game, Kamehameha embarked on a 14-play drive that drained nearly seven minutes off the game clock. Ah Yat and Stone combined for nine carries on the drive, with the ninth being Ah Yat’s 1-yard touchdown run. Ah Yat also showed off his arm on the drive. The Warriors reached the red zone in part thanks to Ah Yat’s 49-yard pass to Iokia.
Na Menehune couldn’t capitalize on a Kamehameha muffed punt, but forced a Warriors three-and-out to get the ball right back. Moanalua also went three-and-out, but another muffed punt set them up for their first scoring drive. Kaawa completed four of six passes on the seven-play drive, including a 7-yard touchdown toss to Johnson to tie the game.
“I thought special teams improved 100-fold today,” Nihipali said. “They got some turnovers, they made some plays, they’re running down on kickoff more aggressively harder on kickoff. We were hard on them this week. It was a rough week of practice.”
The two teams traded turnovers, as Ah Yat’s interception was followed by a Moanalua turnover on downs. Kamehameha bounced back to put together one last scoring drive before halftime. After a Stone carry to start the drive, Ah Yat completed passes on five of the next seven plays. The drive was capped by a 4-yard Stone carry that hit pay dirt.
The start to the second half was a reversal from the first. Moanalua forced a Kamehameha three-and-out, then went on to score on a prolonged drive. Kaawa’s passing ability was put on display, as he completed eight of nine passes for 76 yards on the drive. His eighth pass was a 50-yard touchdown strike to Wells.
The game came to a frenzied finish, with the score being settled in the final 10 minutes. Kamehameha scored on Ah Yat’s 1-yard touchdown run at 8:16, giving the Warriors a 21-14 lead. Minutes later, Kaawa led another scoring drive, culminating in a 20-yard touchdown toss to Wells to even the score at 21 apiece.
Ah Yat was sacked on fourth and 6 on the next drive, giving Moanalua the perfect chance to steal a win in the final minutes. Kaawa drove the Na Menehune down to the Warriors 9-yard line, including an impressive 35-yard pass to Keenan Ulu caught around the defender’s body. But Skylar Hayes’ field-goal attempt sailed wide right as the final seconds ticked away.
Kamehameha head coach Abu Ma’afala declined comment following the game.
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MOANALUA 21, KAMEHAMEHA 21
At Kunuiakea Stadium
Moanalua (1-1-1) 0 7 7 7 — 21
Kamehameha (0-1-1) 7 7 0 7 — 21
KS—Kealii Ah Yat 1 run (Kain Tubania kick)
Moa—Cameron Johnson 7 pass from
Tayden-Evan Kaawa (Skylor Hayes kick)
KS—Dreyton Stone 4 run (Tubania kick)
Moa—Gabe Wells 5 pass from Kaawa (Hayes kick)
KS—Ah Yat 1 yard run (Tubania kick)
Moa—Wells 21 pass from Kaawa (Hayes kick)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Johnson 5-17, Wells 1-(minus 1), Reshod Scott 2-(minus3), Kaawa 7-(minus 5). Kamehameha: Stone 18-70, Ah Yat 12-18.
PASSING—Moanalua: Kaawa 22-44-1-268, TEAM 0-2-0-0. Kamehameha: AhYat 20-34-1-238.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Eric Stephens 8-105, Wells 5-65, Keenan Ulu 3-50, Kyson Kealoha 1-20, Kingston Ishimine 3-16, Johnson 1-7, Lucas Filisi 1-5. Kamehameha: Kaina Watson 7-83, Sheyden Iokia 5-87, Ty Perkins 4-17, Kalai Bradley 1-29, Micah Akiu 1-11, Kaimana Bradley 1-9, Stone 1-2.
