Baldwin surprises Kailua, 20-13
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
WAILUKU — The roar heard around the state last night came from the Bears of Baldwin.
Behind its stellar defense, seventh-ranked Baldwin stunned No. 3 Kailua, 20-13, last night in a quarterfinal of the First Hawaiian Bank Division I State Football Championships before about 2,000 at War Memorial Stadium.
The Bears (10-1) will face defending state champion Saint Louis (8-1) in one semifinal Friday at Aloha Stadium. It was Baldwin's second win of the season against an O'ahu team; in preseason, it beat Farrington, 3-0, at Aloha Stadium.
"We're going up against another O'ahu team, one with a storied history," Baldwin all-purpose player J.J. Eno said about Saint Louis. "But we have a storied history, too."
The Bears contained Kailua's vaunted running attack to 155 yards. Damien Torres, who scored both of Kailua's touchdowns on runs of 18 and 34 yards, had 98 yards, while his running mate, Kekoa Sua, had 57 yards.
Middle linebacker Kaluka Maiava had three tackles for losses, including a crucial one on Kailua's second-to-last series of the game, when he stopped Torres for a 3-yard loss on first down. The Surfriders eventually punted with less than two minutes left in the game.
"Kaluka had a heck of a game," Baldwin coach Chad Kauhaahaa said. "He opened a lot of eyes. This guy can play."
Maiava showed his versatility when he scored on a 16-yard run, breaking a tackle at the line of scrimmage, to put the Bears up 20-6 early in the fourth quarter.
Baldwin's ground game, behind the offensive line of center Willy Salitban, guards Sione Sunia and Gavin Hapakuka and tackles Barrett Maioho and Chris Balangitao, opened holes for running back Waylin Costa's 143-yard effort.
Kauhaahaa said he challenged Costa to have a good game because he had played in the shadow of Maui's top two rushers in Maui High's Andrew Nakihei and King Kekaulike's Kona Quinabo.
"I gave Waylin some flak," Kauhaahaa said. "There are two good backs here and they're getting all the pub (publicity). I told him what you gotta do is step it up and get recognized."
But the Bears went airborne to get on the scoreboard first. Wide receiver Shevis Shima, who has been timed in the 60-yard dash in 6.6 seconds, ran a streak down the left sideline, beating his defender for a 58-yard pass from Roy Antolin to put Baldwin ahead 7-0.
The flustered Surfriders fumbled on their first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, giving Baldwin possession at the Kailua 18, setting up Eno's 28-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
But Imaikalani Mattos' kickoff return of 57 yards to the Baldwin 40 eventually led to Torres' 18-yard TD run to pull Kailua to 10-6. Trenson Himalaya blocked Michael Sakaba's PAT.
Eno added a 17-yard field goal with 27 seconds left in the half to give the Bears a 13-6 lead.
After a scoreless third period, the Bears padded their lead with Maiava's TD run. It took Kailua two series to score on Torres' 34-yard run to pull Kailua to 20-13 with 6:02 left.
"It just wasn't one player," Shima said. "It was everybody."
As for the Surfriders (8-3-1), they continue to struggle with state quarterfinals. In four appearances, they have lost three quarterfinals, twice on Kaua'i to Waimea and on Maui last night. Their only win was against Waiakea on the Big Island.
"It just wasn't our best performance," Kailua coach Darren Johnson said.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
