Three points was all Farrington needed to push coach Randall Okimoto to a milestone win.
The seventh-ranked Governors managed just a second-quarter field goal in a penalty-filled struggle with No. 6 Kailua on Friday. But their defense protected the lead to send them out of Alex Kane Stadium with a 3-0 win.
The victory raised Okimoto’s record to 114-64-3 in 16 years leading the program, breaking a tie with Al Espinda (113-52-5) for No. 1 in school history.
“It’s awesome, but it’s a testament to our coaches and players and the love of Al Espinda and Skippa Diaz,” Okimoto said of the record.
“Skippa Diaz was my coach and Al Espinda was my teacher. I love those guys. It’s just awesome for my name to be spoken in the same sentence with those two guys. I look up to them.”
The Governors (3-2, 3-1 OIA Red) won their third straight, surrendering just seven points in that span.
Farrington’s offense generated 199 total yards, with sophomore running back Bobby Alualu-Alo accounting for 159 on the ground.
The defense was the difference in holding Kailua to 190 yards while coming up with two interceptions. The Governors sacked elusive Kailua quarterback Aaron Mejia five times in their second shutout in their past three games.
“We wanted to definitely contain the QB because we knew he was a threat,” said senior defensive back Chasen Castilliano, who had both interceptions for Farrington. “We had a game plan to spy (Mejia) and that’s how it worked out.”
Neither offense could gain traction, with the teams combining for 31 penalties. Farrington was flagged 13 times for 112 yards, while Kailua committed 18 penalties for 131 yards in losses.
Kailua’s first promising possession was derailed by four false starts and a delay of game and ended in a punt that rolled dead at the Farrington 5.
Alualu-Alo then found a crease and burst into the secondary for an 86-yard sprint before being dragged down at the Kailua 8.
But the Govs stalled there and Blessing Umaga drilled a 32-yard field goal that held up for the remainder of the game.
Kailua put together a final threat, driving to the Farrington 36 with 1:40 left. But Mejia was pressured into an incomplete pass on fourth and 10 and the Governors ran out the clock.
“We depend on them a lot,” Okimoto said of the Governors defense. “We expect them to play at a high level and they came through.”