Sunshine Anuenue scored the go-ahead touchdown in overtime as Nanakuli rallied for a 41-34 win over host Pearl City in an OIA Division II game on Friday.
Anuenue punched in the winning score from 4 yards out and Clifford Cunningham kicked the PAT for Nanakuli (6-1, 6-0). On Pearl City’s third play of overtime, Alexico Meyers intercepted Kekainalu Simon’s pass to end the game.
"At the end when it really counted, we leaned on our guys to hold up the world," Nanakuli coach Keala Watson said. "The guys came through for us and we came up with a nice victory."
Cunningham kicked a 22-yard field goal for Nanakuli with 3.5 seconds remaining that tied it at 34 and forced overtime. The Golden Hawks responded quickly after Patrick Nunez’s 8-yard pass up the middle from Simon that gave Pearl City a 34-31 lead with 49.7 seconds.
Nanakuli started the drive on the 50 after a Pearl City penalty. Then Nainoa Banks connected with Keanu Momoa on a 45-yard pass up the middle with 21.7 seconds left to move the Golden Hawks to Pearl City’s 5.
"I just threw it up for him and he came down with it," Banks said.
But Matthew Keopuhiwa sacked Banks, and after an incomplete pass and penalty, Nanakuli settled for the game-tying field goal.
"It was all about the time," Watson said. "There was only a few more seconds. I thought we had more. I called a timeout to set up the field goal and figured we try to get something going in overtime. It did."
Nanakuli erased a 20-10 halftime deficit and rallied for the lead in the third quarter on deep throws from Banks. Banks connected with Momoa for a 63-yard score with 8:35 remaining.
Later in the third, Banks broke a tackle, scrambled to his right and found Isaiah Wong-Lonzanida, who ran down the sideline for a 33-yard score. The 2-point conversion put Nanakuli ahead 25-20.
"There were a lot of mental breakdowns," Watson said. "There were no halftime adjustments. We were shooting ourselves in the foot with every play and every drive. Defense was on the field for way too long. Second half we emphasized taking care of your job."
Pearl City (2-4, 2-4) regained the lead on Joe Maneafaiga’s 10-yard pass from Simon and a 2-point conversion that made it 28-25 early in the fourth. Nanakuli went ahead 31-28 on Cunningham’s 33-yard touchdown pass from Banks with 3:50 left.
"We always play intense, go 110 percent all the time," Banks said.
The Chargers rallied for the lead late in the second quarter. Cayman Amorin caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Simon with 2:23 left to give the Chargers a 13-10 lead. Pearl City got the ball back with a minute left and Simon connected on a 31-yard pass to Kavosiee Mason with 52 seconds remaining. Zameer Khan’s PAT gave Pearl City a 20-10 halftime lead.
