For the third time in three tries this season, the Lunas jumped out to a big lead, this time cruising to a 42-14 win over Kamehameha Maui in front of about 1,500 fans on yesterday night at War Memorial Stadium.

The Lunas beat a pair of preseason foes by a combined score of 78-7, and it was much of the same in their Maui Interscholastic League opener.

"It was good, hard-fought game and it was a good job by Kamehameha,'' Lahainaluna coach Bobby Watson said to The Maui News. "Both sides played hard and it was a good, clean game. We will get a better look when we see the films.''

The Lunas (3-0 overall, 1-0 MIL), who are receiving votes in The Advertiser's football poll, turned on the 35-point mercy-rule running clock when Kailas McGhee — a 6-foot, 220-pound fullback – rumbled 58 yards on the first play of Lahainaluna's second possession of the second half. Simione Vehikite's 2-point conversion run made the score 42-7 with 7:15 to go in the third quarter.

Kamehameha (1-2, 1-1) scored its final touchdown when Kupono Hong recovered a fumble by Lahainaluna backup quarterback Blaise Smith in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Warriors coach Leo Delatori walked away impressed with the Lunas.

"They are tough, you know they showed it tonight,'' Delatori said. "They are definitely the team to beat. We haven't seen everybody, but they are playing awfully well right now.''

The Warriors were their own worst enemy at times, as five dropped passes cost them a couple of scoring opportunities and set up another for the Lunas.

"We kept battling, but it came down to execution,'' Delatori said. "We had some good things happen tonight — we just have to finish plays.''

Lahainaluna led 34-7 at halftime.

The Lunas struck on the first play from scrimmage when quarterback Jake Manning hit Lake Casco over the middle and Casco finished the job on a 64-yard touchdown pass 18 seconds into the game. Casco was sprung around the corner by a devastating block delivered by wide receiver Matthew Lawless on Kamehameha's James Sakugawa.

Jacob McCarthy capped the next drive — which covered 75 yards in three plays — with an 8-yard touchdown run with 6:39 left in the first quarter. The first play of the drive was a rambling 28-yard run by Casco and the next was a 45-yard hookup between Manning and Chris Wanke.

Four offensive plays totaled 145 yards and a 14-0 lead for the Lunas.

The Lunas' next drive took a little longer — seven plays to go 54 yards – and was culminated by McGhee on a 13-yard touchdown run with 2:41 still on the first-quarter clock.

The Lunas' final touchdown of the first quarter took just two plays. McCarthy scored his second touchdown on a 27-yard run with 1:11 left in the first. That possession was set up by an interception by linebacker Cody Nahalea off of a Kamehameha receiver's hands.

The first quarter totals: 242 yards for the deep Lunas, 118 rushing by five different ball carriers, 124 passing for Manning, who spread his five completions to four to four different receivers. It added up to a 28-0 lead.

If it wasn't Casco going for 162 total yards from scrimmage – 57 on seven carries and 105 on two receptions — it was McCarthy (eight carries for 68 yards) or McGhee (82 rushing yards on three carries) or Manning (8-for-11 passing for 182 yards, all in the first half) doing most of the damage on offense.

On defense, the Lunas' front line of Vehikite, Bryson Williams, Marvin Agmata, Joseph Lai and Jonathan Perez kept the Warriors in check.

In the second quarter, the Lunas stretched the lead to 34-0 on a 24-yard run by Casco that finished a 10-play, 70-yard drive with 7:45 left before halftime.

Kamehameha got on the board when Evan Garces hauled in a 20-yard touchdown pass from Bryan Pali with 1:53 to go before intermission.

The Lunas reached the Kamehameha 4-yard line before giving the ball up on downs to end the first half. The big play of that drive was a 41-yard completion to Casco.

Lahainaluna racked up 352 yards of offense at halftime — 170 rushing and 182 passing. Kamehameha missed a chance to tie the game early when a Pali pass was dropped on the way to the end zone. The Warriors had 101 yards in the first half — 56 passing and 45 rushing.