High schools
No. 1 Kahuku completes undefeated regular season
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
Even monsoon weather and a proud effort by Wai'anae could not stop the Kahuku High School football team last night at Aloha Stadium.
The Red Raiders, ranked No. 1 in a statewide Advertiser poll and No. 18 in the nation by Student Sports Inc., fought off the wet, blustery conditions to defeat the Seariders, 21-6. The victory boosted Kahuku's record to 9-0 overall and 8-0 in the regular season of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Red Conference. The Red Raiders will face Roosevelt (6-2 OIA White, 6-3 overall) at 5:05 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the league playoffs.
Ninth-ranked Wai'anae (6-2, 6-3) will play No. 7 Aiea (8-0 White, 9-0) 25 minutes after the Kahuku-Roosevelt game.
Kahuku went through the regular season without much of a threat, but last night presented a different kind of challenge. Steady, driving rain was a near-constant factor from the opening kickoff until the final whistle.
"On a night like this, we don't want to do too many things," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "We do things that are not too risky."
Running back Mulivai Pula led the Red Raiders' ground game through the puddles, gaining 111 yards on nine carries and scoring a touchdown in each of the first three quarters on runs of 11, 10 and 80 yards, respectively. His 80-yard scamper down the right sideline was the first play of the second half and helped give Kahuku a 21-0 lead.
But Wai'anae held the Red Raiders to that total, their lowest OIA output of the season. The Seariders finally mounted a scoring drive of their own late in the third quarter, going 64 yards in 15 plays. Quarterback Kekoa Reyes capped it with a 4-yard touchdown run, but the extra point attempt failed.
Wai'anae's defense held firm in the final quarter, but two fumbles thwarted the Seariders' offense. Kahuku also fumbled twice in the fourth quarter.
"The ball was like soap," Reyes said. "We knew that with the weather, they would make mistakes. They did make mistakes, but we couldn't take advantage."
Still, Livai praised the Seariders, who encountered doubters after early 20-point losses to Castle and Kailua.
"We'll always have respect for Wai'anae," Livai said. "They're always going to come back. If they were to play those teams again, I think it would be a different story. This is a different Wai'anae team. They're a contender."
• • •
WAI'ANAE (5-3, 6-3) 0 0 0 6 — 6
KAHUKU (8-0, 9-0) 7 7 7 0 — 21
Kahuku — Mulivai Pula 11 run (Solomon Lee kick)
Kahuku — Pula 10 run (Lee kick)
Kahuku — Pula 80 run (Lee kick)
Wai'anae — Kekoa Reyes 4 run (run failed)
RUSHING — Wai'anae: Reyes 15-84, Kawena Rosario 10-19, Chad Rodrigues 9-35, Sautia Lave 2-7, Caleb Paakaula 2-(minus 2); Kahuku: Pula 9-111, Ferron Fonoimoana 3-37, Travis Kaka 5-25, Inoke Funaki 7-22, Earvin Atuaia 2-16, Robert Tu'ifua 2-6, Moana Hafoka 1-4, Magic Atuaia 1-3, Hans Fonoimoana 1-3, Kimo Liung-Chio 1-1.
PASSING — Wai'anae: Reyes 4-12-0—32, Paakaula 2-9-1—19; Kahuku: Funaki 5-13-1—69, Fonoimoana 0-2-0—0.
RECEIVING — Wai'anae: Teacel Hines 2-27, Rodrigues 2-18, Kalani Viernes 1-5, Nathaniel Russell 1-1; Kahuku: James Kammerer 3-58, Fonoimoana 2-11.
JV score: Wai'anae 23, Kahuku 6
• • •
MORE OIA
• KAILUA 28, KAIMUKI 8: Brenton Harbottle rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and Taleki Mailau threw two TD passes to lead the Surfriders to a victory over the Bulldogs at Kaiser field
Kailua (6-2, 7-2) 0 14 7 7—28
Kaimuki (1-6-1, 1-7-1) 0 0 0 8— 8
Kail—Brenton Harbottle 1 run (John Heu kick)
Kail—Brad Ching 8 pass from Taleki Mailau (Heu kick)
Kail—Levi Manutai 8 pass Mailau (Heu kick)
Kail—Harbottle 2 run (Heu kick)
Kaim—Safety, Daniel Tautofi tackled Geroge Kalaau in endzone
Kaim—Chanceton Mirafuentes 25 pass from Jordon Caires (kick failed)
RUSHING—Kailua: Mailau 8-(minus 2), Ranson Kepa 1-3, Nathan Leaver 3-2, Harbottle 21-144, Kalaau 4-(minus 1). Kaimuki: Mirafuentes 9-26, Leland Ohelo 2-6, Wallace Simanu 2-2, Soloni Taumalolo 6-25, Kaulana Kaluna 1-0, Tino Caires 2-(minus 3), Jerome Ifenuk 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Kailua: Mailau 10-15-0—84. Kaimuki: Simanu 4-10-1—31, J. Caires 5-12-0—88.
RECEIVING—Kailua: David Kaihenui 5-47, Kalahiki 1-8, Kepa 2-13, Ching 1-8, Manutai 1-8. Kaimuki: Tautofi 3-22, David Belin 4-34, Steven Matsunaga 1-38, Mirafuentes 1-25.
JV—Kailua 34, Kaimuki 28
Reported by: Ronald Oyama
• • •
• Moanalua 61, Kalani 0: Ric Fukushima completed 17 of 23 passes for 439 yards and six touchdowns, and Jimmy Strombach set an OIA single-season record for touchdown receptions as the Menehune routed the Falcons Friday night.
Strombach caught four touchdown passes (52, 25, 22 and 14) from Fukushima to increase his season total to 14.
Fukushima also threw 72-, and 11-yard touchdown passes to Brian Bertulfo.
Kalani (0-8, 0-9) 0 0 0 0— 0
Moanalua (2-6, 2-7) 40 14 7 0—61
Moan—Brian Bertulfo 72 pass from Ric Fukushima (kick failed)
Moan—Jimmy Strombach 52 pass from Fukushima (Demetrius Hawkins run)
Moan—Strombach 25 pass from Fukushima (kick failed)
Moan—Bertulfo 11 pass from Fukushima (Fukushima kick)
Moan—Hawkins 1 run (kick failed)
Moan—Strombach 22 pass from Fukushima (Fukushima kick)
Moan—Strombach 14 pass from Fukushima (Fukushima kick)
Moan—Adamm Bird 25 run (Fukushima kick)
Moan—Fukushima 2 run (Fukushima kick)
RUSHING—Kalani: Travis Canonizado 16-35, Reid Pamatigan 6-6, Stephen Travis 2-(minus 10), Jon Kuba 2-10, Keaka Lee 3-19. Moanalua: Hawkins 5-35, Fukushima 5-15, Bird 2-24, Joel Bareng 1-20, Noah Palmerton 1-3.
PASSING—Kalani: Chris Putt 3-14-4—24, Travis 1-6-0—5, Canonizado 0-1-0—0. Moanalua: Fukushima 17-23-0—439.
RECEIVING—Kalani: Canonizado 2-13, Yorke Ashiba 1-11, Kuba 1-5. Moanalua: Strombach 8-197, Bertulfo 2-83, Thomas Foster 2-33, Shalomar Silva 1-41, Chuong Tran 1-17, Bird 2-43, James Westbrook 1-25.
JV—Moanalua 7, Kalani 6
• • •
ILH
• PUNAHOU 34, PAC-FIVE 4: Drew Monahan scored on 7- and 25-yard runs, and Matt Culver and Alex Fergus scored touchdowns on interception returns as Punahou defeated Pac-Five in Interscholastic League of Honolulu play.
Culver's 53-yard TD and Fergus' 95-yarder both came in the fourth quarter.
Pac-Five scored on two safeties.
pac-five (1-5, 2-7) 0 2 2 0— 4
punahou (2-4, 4-4) 14 6 0 14—34
Pun—Drew Monahan 7 run (Wade Nakagawa kick)
Pun—Michael Tanuvasa 1 run (Nakagawa kick)
Pun—Monahan 25 run (kick failed)
Pac—Safety
Pac—Safety
Pun—Matt Culver 53 interception return (Nakagawa kick)
Pun—Alex Fergus 95 interception return (Nakagawa kick)
RUSHING—Pac-Five: Chad Rayno 5-5, Shane Lawrence 4-8, Jordan Tani 1-(minus 3), Ryan Leong 2-(minus 3), Cheyne Abbey-Chong 2-(minus 2). Punahou: Tamatoa Hackney 11-81, Sean Fitzsimmons 1-0, Jason Sakata 7-22, Monahan 10-73, Tanuvasa 8-24.
PASSING—Pac-Five: Tani 11-30-3—78, Leong 6-12-1—51. Punahou: Fitzsimmons 8-16-2—59, Monahan 3-5-0—57.
RECEIVING—Pac-Five: Kurt Uwaine 1-4, Leong 1-1, Abbey-Chong 2-35, Ryan Urabe 4-15, Travis Tyler 5-57, Matthew Friedman 4-17. Punahou: Sakata 1-(minus 3), Monahan 1-9, Peter Lee 4-25, Robert Miller 1-15, Jamie Fujimoto 1-13, Mark Veneri 1-22, David Dowsett 2-35.
• • •
Weekend results
O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red
Friday
Castle 41, Leilehua 0
Campbell 14, McKinley 6
Yesterday
Kailua 28, Kaimuki 8
Kahuku 21, Wai'anae 6
Bye--Farrington, Mililani
O'ahu Interscholastic Association White
Thursday
'Aiea 37, Roosevelt 14
Friday
Moanalua 61, Kalani 0
Nanakuli 40, Waialua 13
Kaiser 7, Pearl City 6
Kalaheo 26, Radford 7
Bye--Waipahu
Interscholastic League of Honolulu
Friday
St. Louis 69, Damien 0
Kamehameha 28, Iolani 14
Yesterday
Punahou 34, Pac-Five 4
Big Island Interscholastic Federation
Friday
Waiakea 20, Kealakehe 17
Honoka'a 42, Kea'au 0
Yesterday
Konawaena 28, Hawai'i Prep 21
Kohala 21, Pahoa 6
Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation
Friday
Waimea 21, Kaua'i 0
Maui Interscholastic League
Friday
Lahainaluna 50, St. Anthony 13
Yesterday
Baldwin 13, Maui 9
• • •
CORRECTION
• Josh Curtis kicked the extra point that lifted Kaiser over Pearl City, 7-6, Friday night in OIA White conference play. Another player was given credit in statistics reported to The Advertiser.
