Kahuku beats St. Louis, 21-14, for state football title

Advertiser Staff

Kahuku defeated St. Louis, 21-14, tonight to win its second consecutive state high school football championship.

Kahuku (14-0) completed an undefeated season. St. Louis finished 10-1-1 in its final season under longtime coach Cal Lee.

The game was played at Aloha Stadium. In last year's title game, Kahuku beat St. Louis, 26-20.

Quarterback Inoke Funaki scored on a 77-yard option run early in the third quarter to give the Red Raiders a 14-7 lead. Running back Mulivau Pula followed that with an 81-yard TD run with 3:11 left in the third quarter.

St. Louis' Jonah Lakatani recovered a Kahuku fumble at the Red Raider 1-yard line. Several plays later, Bobby George found Jason Rivers in the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter. That closed the gap to 21-14.

Following another Kahuku fumble, St. Louis drove to the Kahuku 22. But the Crusaders lost the ball on downs with about four minutes to play.

The game was tied 7-7 at halftime.

Kahuku, the defending state champion, scored first on a 3-yard run by Pula with 9:21 to play in the second quarter. Solomon Lee kicked the extra point.

St. Louis tied the game on a 34-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Chris Sokugawa to Rivers at 1:29 before halftime. Michael Houar kicked the PAT.

George left the game in the second quarter with an injury. George reportedly suffered a possible concussion. He started the third quarter.