Kahuku hammers Wai'anae, 41-8
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
KAHUKU — The Wai'anae High School football team's first trip to Kahuku since the mid-1960s turned into a quick exit out of the O'ahu Interscholastic Association playoffs, as the Red Raiders stomped on the Seariders, 41-8, last night at Carleton E. Weimer Athletic Complex.
Kahuku, ranked No. 2 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media, improved to 9-0 with the victory and will face No. 7 Farrington (5-3-1) in Friday's semifinals at Aloha Stadium. Wai'anae's season ends at an uncharacteristic 3-6.
The Red Raiders played Farrington in last year's playoffs, losing 21-20 in the quarterfinals. That defeat prevented two-time defending state champion Kahuku from qualifying for the state tournament, something the Red Raiders fixed last night.
"That was goal No. 1, to get past the quarterfinals this time," said linebacker Walker Vave, who led a Kahuku defense that limited the Seariders to 78 total yards. "We worked hard in the offseason and during the summer, and it paid off."
The Red Raiders marched 66 yards in nine plays on the game's opening drive, which culminated in Cy Naki's 5-yard touchdown run. Wai'anae answered with an impressive 11-play drive to the Kahuku 23, but missed a field-goal attempt.
The Red Raiders then struck through the air, scoring on Waika Carvalho's 66-yard inside screen pass to Spencer Hafoka with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter. Carvalho connected with tight end Tevita Finau on the two-point conversion to make it 14-0.
The Seariders fumbled on the ensuing possession, and Kahuku scored again on the very next play on Carvalho's 39-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Savelio.
After Wai'anae went three-and-out, the Red Raiders assembled an 11-play, 79-yard scoring drive ending in Hyrum Moors' 15-yard run up the middle.
Kahuku then forced the Seariders into another three-and-out, and the offense responded with a 51-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Bronson Ponciano-Ahue to Ikaika Woolsey for a 35-0 lead with 18 seconds left before halftime.
"Wai'anae came out to play and showed us something different, but we just had to stop their momentum and play more as a team," Vave said.
Kahuku played like a squad ready to take over the state's No. 1 spot.
"We played a great team tonight," Seariders coach Danny Matsumoto said. "They out-hustled us and out-played us in every aspect of the game."
Wai'anae (3-6) 0 0 0 8— 8
Kahuku (9-0) 14 21 0 6—41
- Kah—Cy Naki 5 run (kick failed)
- Kah—Spencer Hafoka 66 pass from Waika Carvalho (Tevita Finau pass from Carvalho)
- Kah—Dennis Savelio 39 pass from Carvalho (Simote Vea kick)
- Kah—Hyrum Moors 15 run (Vea kick)
- Kah—Ikaika Woolsey 51 pass from Bronson Ponciano-Ahue (Vea kick)
- Kah—Walker Vave recovered blocked punt in end zone (kick failed)
- Wai—Chris Lave 1 run (Uilau Faliuga run)
RUSHING—Wai'anae: Lave 12-35, Maka Tanele 3-14, Kala Honda 4-5, Sonny Dudoit 2-(minus-2), James Robinson 2-8, Faliuga 4-7. Kahuku: Moors 5-65, Naki 5-27, Paea Vaimoui 5-15, Darren Magalolo 1-12, Carvalho 1-11, Vea 2-9, Michael Garcia 2-4, Dayna Magalolo 1-4, Manu Ngatikaura 1-3, Jonathan Rickertson 1-2, Ponciano-Ahue 5-(minus-2), Hafoka 1-(minus-2).
PASSING—Wai'anae: Honda 0-3-0—0, Lave 1-2-0—(minus-4), Dudoit 0-2-0—0, Faliuga 2-5-0—15. Kahuku: Carvalho 4-4-0—139, Ponciano-Ahue 3-4-0—63.
RECEIVING—Wai'anae: Justin Lafua 2-15, Honda 1-(minus-4). Kahuku: Hafoka 1-66, Woolsey 1-51, Savelio 1-39, Dustin Huddy 1-24, Frank Bracewell 1-10, Finau 1-8, Stanley Kava 1-4.
JV—Farrington 17, Nanakuli 14, OT.
Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2456.
