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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Saturday, November 1, 2003

Surfriders hand Mililani first loss of season

 •  Kahuku, Kailua advance to OIA Division I championship game
 •  6 Warrior players suspended for game
 •  Damien tops Iolani for ILH D-II crown
 •  Photo gallery: OIA football

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Two teams that shared the 2001 O'ahu Interscholastic Association football championship will play each other for this year's crown.

Kailua earned its ticket to Friday's title game by holding off previously unbeaten Mililani, 20-12, last night at Aloha Stadium. The Surfriders (8-1-1) will play Kahuku, a 42-18 winner over Farrington, for the OIA Red Division I championship.

Two years ago, the OIA playoffs were shortened by a week after the Sept. 11 attacks and Kahuku and Kailua were declared co-champions after their semifinal victories.

Last night, Kailua gritted out a victory over Mililani

(9-1) before a crowd of 3,248. The Surfriders took a 20-6 lead late in the third quarter on sophomore Lauton Atisanoe's 52-yard interception return for a touchdown and recovered an onside kick with 2:11 remaining after the Trojans closed it to 20-12 on Darren Smith's 6-yard TD reception from quarterback Maka Kahoano.

Kailua, ranked No. 4 in the Advertiser's statewide poll of coaches and media, won despite three lost fumbles. Mililani, ranked No. 5, held the Surfriders' vaunted running attack to 147 yards on 35 carries. Kailua running backs Kekoa Sua (14 carries, 48 yards) and Damien Torres (14-98) each were held to under 100 yards. The pair had combined for more than 1,600 yards entering the game.

The Trojans took a 6-0 lead in the first quarter on sophomore Jordan Apduhan's 1-yard plunge, but the Surfriders answered in the second quarter with Kelroy Kohatsu's 1-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown and Kohatsu's 33-yard scoring pass to Dylan Linkner.

Kohatsu finished with eight completions in 15 attempts for 113 yards. Kahoano completed 15 of 33 passes for 231 yards, but he was intercepted three times.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.

• • •

  • Kailua (8-1-1) 0 14 6 0—20
  • Mililani (9-1) 6 0 0 6—12

Mili—Jordan Apduhan 1 run (kick blocked)
Kail—Kelroy Kohatsu 1 run (Mike Sakaba kick)
Kail—Dylan Linkner 33 pass from Kohatsu (Sakaba kick)
Kail—Lauton Atisanoe 52 interception return (kick failed)
Mili—Darren Smith 6 pass from Maka Kahoano (kick failed)

RUSHING—Kailua: Kekoa Sua 14-48, Kohatsu 4-7, Damien Torres 14-98, Team 2-(minus 4). Mililani: Apduhan 11-33, Carlo Raneses 4-16, Peter Raneses 6-14, Chase Nakachi 1-1, Kahoano 9-(minus 23), Jay Greene 2-17.

PASSING—Kailua: Kohatsu 8-15-0—113. Mililani: Kahoano 15-33-3—231, Bisho 1-1-0—18.

RECEIVING—Kailua: Jeremy Wicker 2-13, Linkner 4-68, Sua 1-30, Albert Kaleo 1-2. Mililani: Jon Santos 6-155, Andrew Tokumi 1-7, Smith 3-19, Apduhan 2-23, Aran Bisho 4-45.