Kahuku tops Wai'anae in opener, 25-14
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Kahuku High School football team, Hawai'i's most dominant program the past two years, looked every bit like a squad that lost 16 starters to graduation in its debut last night.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
But the new, inexperienced version was still good enough to run past longtime rival Wai'anae, 25-14, in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association opener at Aloha Stadium.
Kahuku quarterback Spencer Hafoka, right, stiff arms Wai'anae's Ronald Jimenez.
Kyle Juliano scored on an 88-yard kickoff return and the Red Raiders converted three Seariders turnovers into touchdowns to run off 25 unanswered points. All of the game's points were scored after halftime.
Kahuku, which will play nationally ranked Long Beach (Calif.) Poly on Sept. 21, did not play a preseason game as Wai'anae (1-1 overall, 0-1 OIA) did last week. The first-game jitters definitely showed, in the form of five fumbles (one lost) and 11 penalties for 100 yards.
The Red Raiders' offense, with sophomore quarterback Spencer Hafoka at the helm, also appeared sluggish for much of the game. Kahuku used 14 runners to rush for 170 yards on 49 carries, and completed all three of its passes for 12 yards.
"I'm glad this is over," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "Wai'anae was tough. Our defense came through again — it looked like they just picked up where they left off last year. And our special teams came up big. Our offense messed up some, but we finally got to look at a lot of kids in a game. We made a lot of mistakes; we've got a lot of work to do."
Wai'anae took a 7-0 lead with 4:55 remaining in the third quarter after Chris Lave caught a 38-yard play-action touchdown pass from Uilau Faliuga. Kahuku struck right back on Juliano's 88-yard return, in which he raced up the middle and then bounced outside and down the left sideline.
The Seariders had a punt blocked on their next possession, and the Red Raiders scored four plays later on Seth Cravens' 7-yard run. The extra-point attempt failed.
Wai'anae fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Kahuku recovered on the Seariders' 36. Paeia Vaimoui scored on an 18-yard run seven plays later to give the Red Raiders a 19-7 lead with 10:36 left in the game.
Wai'anae fumbled again on its next play from scrimmage, and Ola Kubota returned it 35 yards for a TD to make it 25-7.
The Seariders scored with 19 seconds remaining on Faliuga's 10-yard touchdown pass to Jared La'a.
It wasn't pretty, but Kahuku will take the victory, its 24th straight since 2000.
KAHUKU (1-0, 1-0) 0 0 13 12—25
WAI'ANAE (1-1, 0-1) 0 0 7 7—14
Waian—Chris Lave 38 pass from Uilau Faliuga (Kalani Ho'opi'i kick)
Kahuk—Kyle Juliano 88 kickoff return (Malo Keama kick)
Kahuk—Seth Cravens 7 run (run failed)
Kahuk—Paeia Vaimoui 18 run (run failed)
Kahuk—Ola Kubota 35 fumble return (pass failed)
Waian—Jared La'a 10 pass from Faliuga (Ho'opi'i kick)
RUSHING—Kahuk: Spencer Hafoka 6-3, Brandon Bartron 8-13, Michael Garcia 8-54, Sione Fotu 4-19, Robert Tuifua 2-13, Cy Naki 2-4, Frank Bracewell 1-12, James Haiola 1-(minus 4), Cravens 2-9, Manu Ngatikaura 1-2, Vaimoui 10-61, Bronson Ponciano 1-(minus 6), Waika Carvalho 2-(minus 12), Paina Mikaele 1-2. Waian: Sautia Lave 13-44, Faliuga 5-(minus 11), Chad Rodrigues 2-(minus 11), Roman I 1-0.
PASSING—Kahuk: Spencer Hafoka 2-2-0—9, Carvalho 1-1-0—3. Waian: Faliuga 14-30-3—164.
RECEIVING—Kahuk: Naki 2-9, Hafoka 1-3. Waian: S. Lave 2-16, I 3-15, C. Lave 3-50, Rodrigues 2-17, Justin Lafua 2-33, Nathaniel Russell 1-23, Jared La'a 1-10.
JV—Wai'anae 21, Kahuku 0.
