High schools
Kahuku, 'Aiea advance in OIA football playoffs

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kahuku defensive end Jonathan Mapu, turned receiver last night, hauling in a 19-yard pass from quarterback Inoke Funaki in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinal game at Aloha Stadium. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Kahuku won the playoff game at Aloha Stadium 42-18, improving to 10-0 on the season and advancing to the O'ahu Interscholastic Association final four for the fifth straight year. The victory also secured a berth in the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association tournament for the Red Raiders, who won the state championship last year and are ranked No. 15 in the nation by the Dick Butkus Football Network.

Roosevelt's season ends at 6-4.

"They just out-manned us and overpowered us," Rough Riders coach Les Parrilla said. "They're a real good team."

Running back Mulivai Pula rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries to lead Kahuku, the OIA Red Conference champion.

Roosevelt, which finished third in the OIA's White Conference, entered the game as huge underdogs. But the Rough Riders made it interesting for more than three quarters, trailing only 34-18 with 11:07 remaining after a rare double-forward pass touchdown play. The play, which is legal under high school rules, started with quarterback Chris Mols throwing a swing pass to Bryson Borges in the right flat. Borges then threw the ball back to Mols in the left flat, and Mols, still behind the line of scrimmage, passed 15 yards to Ryan Keomaka in the end zone.

Roosevelt also ran plays out of the "muddle-huddle" formation, tried a pass after faking a "knee-down" and got 50 yards on a pass off a fake punt.

"Physically, they're way bigger than us, so we had to try that stuff," Parrilla said. "We have to do all kinds of stuff to offset their size."

Kahuku quarterback Inoke Funaki scored on a 25-yard touchdown run to help give Kahuku a 42-18 lead with 8:51 left, then Red Raiders defensive back Sola Soliai intercepted a Mols' pass on Roosevelt's next possession. Kahuku was able to run out the clock from there.

"I like to have a good game like this," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "With this kind of game, we will get better. If it was 42-0 at halftime, we wouldn't really know what kind of things we were doing wrong and we wouldn't improve."

ROOSEVELT (6-4)  6 6 6 0 — 18


KAHUKU   (10-0) 20 6 8 8 — 42

Kah — Mulivai Pula 44 run (kick failed)

Kah — James Kammerer 8 pass from Inoke Funaki (Pula run)

Kah — Earvin Atuaia 1 run (kick blocked)

Roos — Jerry Perreira 53 pass from Chris Mols (kick failed)

Roos — Brandon Loo 37 fumble return (pass failed)

Kah — Pula 42 run (run failed)

Kah — Pula 39 run (Atuaia run)

Roos — Ryan Keomaka 15 pass from Mols (kick failed)

Kah — Funaki 25 run (Jonathan Mapu pass from Funaki)

RUSHING — Roosevelt: Mols 1-(minus 1), Jansen Keomaka 2-(minus 2). Kahuku: Pula 15-220, Kimo Leung-Chio 8-54, Funaki 10-27, Atuaia 5-19, Ferron Fonoimoana 2-14, Travis Kaka 1-4, Robert Tu'ifua 2-2, Tyler Oto 1-1, Hans Fonoimoana 1-0.

PASSING — Roosevelt: Mols 22-45-2—183, Corey Higa 1-1-0—50, Anthony Holyfield 1-1-0—14. Kahuku: Funaki 15-26-1—162, F. Fonoimoana 1-1-0—12.

RECEIVING — Roosevelt: Perreira 3-75, Bryson Borges 1-50, R. Keomaka 3-27, Shwon Francis 1-21, Matthew Terukina 4-23, Daniel Siracusa 3-18, Higa 4-16, Sean Tamayoshi 3-15, Holyfield 2-2. Kahuku: Kammerer 5-48, Mapu 1-31, Benjamin Chase 2-21, F. Fonoimoana 1-20, Moana Hafoka 3-16, Brandon Barton 1-13, Kaka 1-12, Pula 1-10, Atuaia 1-3.