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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 9:27 p.m., Friday, November 21, 2008

Leilehua beats Baldwin to advance to state football DI semifinal

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

WAILUKU — Andrew Manley passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another to lift No. 5 Leilehua over No. 6 Baldwin, 34-15, Friday night in an opening-round game of the First Hawaiian Bank State Football Tournament at War Memorial Stadium.

Manley completed 24 of 32 passes for 225 yards. He also scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring.

The Mules (10-2) will play No. 2 Kahuku (10-1) in one semifinal Friday at Aloha Stadium. The Bears (8-2) are done for the season.

The defending state champion Mules improved to 9-1 in postseason spanning two seasons.

The Mules scored on four of their first five possessions in taking a command 28-7 lead at the half with Manley completing 18 of 22 for 196 yards and four touchdowns with an interception.

Manley escaped two near sacks for his first two TDs of the game. Manley shook off Tevita Malafu and tossed a 21-yard TD pass to Rico Newman on the Mules' first series of the game after taking the opening kickoff. After a 5-yard shanked punt gave the Mules great field position at the Bears' 17, Manley avoided another sack and hit Kamana Akagi on a 17-yard TD pass on first down to make it 14-0 with 8:08 left in the first quarter.

After the Bears punted again, the Mules scored for the third consecutive series with Manley hitting Newman out of the backfield on a 14-yard TD pass on third-and-1 to make it 21-0 with 3:53 in the first quarter.

The Bears nearly got on the board just before the end of the first quarter, when CeeJay Santos hit an apparent 34-yard field goal. But a false start penalty nullified it and hit attempt from 39 yards missed.

Baldwin's defense finally came up with a stop to end the first quarter and the Bears opened the second quarter with their first score, a 7-yard TD pass from Ikaika Wilhelm-Ioane to Ro Wilson with 9:19 left in the half to make it 21-7.

But the Mules answered that with Manley's 20-yard TD pass to Edieson Dumlao to make it 28-7 with 5:57 left in the half.

The Bears failed to capitalize on an interception by Wyatt Burns off Manley just before the end of the half, but Santos missed a 37-yard field goal as time ran out, keeping the score 28-7 at the half.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.