LIHUE >> A little less than 12 months after having its march halted on Kauai, the Damien football team took the next step in Saturday’s return to Vidinha Stadium.
On the same field where their state title hopes were crushed by a loss to Kapaa 348 days prior, the Monarchs rallied from a halftime deficit, then relied on their defense to hold off host Kauai in a 13-10 victory in the Division I semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football Championships.
Senior quarterback Marcus Faufata-Pedrina ran for the Monarchs’ first score, and his 31-yard touchdown pass to Logan Lauti early in the third quarter proved to be the difference.
“After we lost against Kapaa all I could think about was getting back to work and working to get that koa trophy,” Faufata-Pedrina said. “Now that it’s in front of us, we have to just make the most of it.”
After winning a third straight ILH D-II title, Damien (10-3) will play in its first final since falling to Aiea in the inaugural Division II title game in 2003 in the middle game of the HHSAA’s championship tripleheader at Aloha Stadium on Nov. 18.
“This has been our goal since we started seven years ago,” Damien coach Eddie Klaneski said. “We slowly made the climb the last three years. … Now we have a chance to make history with these guys and we’re excited about it.”
Faufata-Pedrina passed for 120 yards and ran for a game-high 75, repeatedly escaping pressure to pick up positive yardage.
But the Red Raiders forced five turnovers, including two fumble recoveries on special teams and red-zone interceptions by Noah Ho’opi’i and Kyle Bissara to thwart Damien scoring threats in the second half.
The Damien defense countered with two fumble recoveries in the third quarter while holding Kauai to 152 total yards and a fourth-down stop near midfield with 1:12 left sealed the victory.
“It seems like our defense is always in that mode,” Damien defensive back Akila Arecchi said of the late-game stop. “But we like it like that. We want to be on the field. We want to win the game for our team. Our defense is pretty confident.”
Kauai came up with the game’s first takeaway on the opening kickoff, and the Red Raiders converted the fumble recovery into a 45-yard field goal by Logan Noice.
On Damien’s first play from scrimmage, freshman running back Aperamo Sulu suffered a dislocated ankle on a 6-yard run and was taken from the field in an ambulance.
“It’s tough, but our guys used it as a little bit of motivation at that moment,” Klaneski said. “It’s in the back of everybody’s mind, thinking about him throughout the game. … It’s emotional, but we know he’s going to be OK.”
Faufata-Pedrina finished the 12-play drive with a 14-yard dash to the left corner of the end zone on fourth-and-8 to give Damien a 6-3 lead.
Kauai’s Hoku Parbo turned the momentum with the first of the Red Raiders’ three interceptions and quarterback Christian Manera led a 9-play drive capped by Jaykob Naka’ahiki-Young’s 2-yard plunge to give Kauai a 10-6 lead going into halftime.
But Damien’s Matthew Faufata-Pedrina recovered a fumble on the fifth play of the second half and Lauti’s touchdown catch pushed the Monarchs ahead for good.
“It was going to be which way the ball bounces today, and it was bouncing all over the place at one point,” Kauai coach Derek Borrero said after the KIF champion Red Raiders closed the season at 5-4. “But we just couldn’t finish.”
HHSAA STATE FOOTBALL DIVISION I SEMIFINALS
At Vidinha Stadium
Damien (10-3) 6 0 7 0 — 13
Kauai (5-4) 3 7 0 0 — 10
Kau—FG Logan Noice 45
Dam—Marcus Faufata-Pedrina 14 run (kick failed)
Kau—Jaykob Naka’ahiki-Young 2 run (Noice kick)
Dam—Logan Lauti 31 pass from Faufata-Pedrina (Shiloh Kaeo kick)
RUSHING—Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 14-75, Keoua Kauhi 14-42, Aperamo Sulu 1-6, Lauti 6-18, Akila Arecchi 1-3, Team 1-(-2). Kauai: Christian Manera, 15-39, Naka’ahiki-Young 9-35, Aukai Albao 5-13, Hoku Parbo 1-7, Pomai Akau, 1-0.
PASSING—Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 10-25-3-120. Kauai: Manera 5-18-0-58.
RECEIVING—Damien: Lindon Sevilleja 4-47, Lauti 2-34, Kauhi 2-17, Arecchi 1-11, Jarvis Natividad 1-11. Kauai: Naka’ahiki-Young 3-36, Parbo 1-14, Noah Ruiz 1-8.
HILO 26, MAUI 7
at Wong Stadium
Maui (5-6) 0 7 0 0 — 7
Hilo (9-1) 0 7 7 12 — 26
Hilo—Guyson Ogata 14 pass from Kaleo Apao (Kahaku Tolentino-Perry kick)
Maui—Naia Nakamoto 67 run (Kalia Kapisi kick)
Hilo—Kaleo Ramos 8 run (Tolentino-Perry kick)
Hilo—FG Keanu Keolanui 18
Hilo—Kahale Huddleston 5 run (Tolentino-Perry kick)
Hilo—Safety, punt snapped out of end zone
RUSHING—Maui: Nakamoto 24-127, Solomone Tongi 7-33, Kainalu Tancayo 4-(minus 9), team 1-(minus 24). Hilo: Apao 17-125, Huddleston 13-62, Ramos 7-22, Logan Respicio 1-(minus 2), team 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Maui: Nakamoto 1-2-0-33, Tancayo 2-6-2-10. Hilo: Apao 7-17-2-57.
RECEIVING—Maui: Sylvester Sonognini 1-33, Trent Takara 1-6, Mitchell Hirose 1-4. Hilo: Kainalu Tioganco 3-29, Kalae Akui 2-18, Ogata 1-14, Huddleston 1-(minus 4).
RECORD BOOK
Most rushing yards, state tournament game
1. Alfred Failauga, Waipahu vs. Konawaena, 2017
2. Michael Kopra, Hawaii Prep vs. Lahainaluna, 2003
3. Algene Kelekolio, Konawaena vs. Damien, 2015
4. Malosi Teo, Kahuku vs. Punahou, 2005
5. Wayne Taulapapa, Punahou vs. Mililani, 2014
6. Vavae Malepeai, Mililani vs. Saint Louis, 2015
7. Harry Tuimaseve, Farrington vs. Honokaa, 2009
8. Chester Sua, Kaimuki vs. Lahainaluna, 2010
9. Mike Hirokawa, ‘Iolani vs. Radford, 2005
10. Kahele Huddleston, Hilo vs. Leilehua, 2016
Most passing yards, state tournament game
1. Kenan Sadanaga, Leilehua vs. Baldwin, 2010
2. Larry Tuileta, Punahou vs. Farrington, 2013
3. McKenzie Milton, Mililani vs. Punahou, 2014
4. Kenan Sadanaga, Leilehua vs. StL, 2010
5. Larry Tuileta, Punahou vs. Mililani, 2012
6. Cayman Shutter, Punahou vs. Farrington, 2008
7. Cayman Shutter, Punahou vs. Leilehua, 2008
8. Dillon Gabriel, Mililani vs. Baldwin, 2016
9. Austin Ewing, Kona vs. Waipahu, 2017
10. Tua Tagovailoa, Saint Louis vs. Mililani, 2015
