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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, August 29, 2009

Moanalua beats Radford in 2 OT


By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Tahje Canyon scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second overtime and Matt Blakeley kicked the winning extra point last night to lift Moanalua to a thrilling 34-33 victory over Radford at the Rams' John Velasco Stadium Stadium.

Na Menehune improved to 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's White Conference.

Radford, the defending Division II state runner-up, fell to 1-2, 1-1.

After both teams failed to score in the first overtime period, the Rams took a 33-27 lead on Phil Hogan's 5-yard TD run, but the PAT attempt went wide right.

Canyon then rushed twice from the 10 to give Moanalua third-and-goal from the 4, before taking a pitch to the left side and outracing a couple of Radford defenders to the pylon.

After an encroachment penalty on the Rams, Blakeley split the uprights for the winning margin.

The kick set off a celebration on Na Menehune's sideline and ended an exhausting, back-and-forth, three-hour, 10-minute marathon.

Moanalua led 27-13 early in the fourth quarter after Xavier Peterson's 99-yard interception return for a touchdown. But the Rams answered with a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Doug Brown's 11-yard TD pass to TJ Reid, and after Kamu Taulelei recovered a fumble on the ensuing series, Brown connected with Ikaika Kamaka on a 30-yard touchdown pass and Cody Spraker's extra point tied it at 27-27 with 7:47 remaining.

Radford took a 7-0 lead barely four minutes into the game after capitalizing on a bad Moanalua punt snap that gave the Rams first-and-goal on the 1. J.B. Fontenot punched it in two plays later on a quarterback sneak, followed by Spraker's extra point.

Na Menehune tied it at 7-7 with 17 seconds remaining in the first quarter, after Keenan Ragragola's 26-yard touchdown run up the middle on a third-and-4 inside handoff. Blakeley's PAT knotted the score.

Na Menehune opened the second half with a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive capped by Adam Francisco's 24-yard TD pass to Michael Egami, but the extra point attempt was blocked.

Radford answered immediately with Hogan's dazzling 78-yard kickoff return for a score.

The PAT attempt hit the crossbar, however, knotting the score at 13-13.

Canyon then helped put Moanalua up, 20-13, on a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:06 left in the third quarter.

MOANALUA (2-0, 2-0) 7 0 13 7 0 7—34

RADFORD (1-2, 1-1) 7 0 6 14 0 6—33

RADFORD — J.B. Fontenot 1 run (Cody Spraker kick).

MOANALUA — Keenan Ragragola 26 run (Matt Blakeley kick).

MOANALUA — Michael Egami 24 pass from Adam Francisco (kick block).

RADFORD — Phil Hogan 78 kickoff return (kick failed).

MOANALUA — Tahje Canyon 3 run (Blakeley kick).

MOANALUA — Xavier Peterson 99 interception return (Blakely kick).

RADFORD — TJ Reid 11 pass from Doug Brown (Spraker kick).

RADFORD — Ikaika Kamaka 30 pass from Brown (Spraker kick).

RADFORD — Hogan 5 run (kick failed).

MOANALUA — Canyon 4 run (Blakely kick).

RUSHING — Moanalua: Egami 5-32, Canyon 29-110, Francisco 8-12, Ragragola 2-31, Tayler Tanka 1-1, Essaye Villaver 1-0, Lowen Oliveros 1-2, Chasen Hamasaki 1-2, Team 2-(minus 42). Radford: Hogan 23-65, Brown 7-37, Fontenot 3-(minus 8), Reid 2-(minus 3), Kamaka 1-4.

PASSING — Moanalua: Francisco 6-19-1-78. Radford: Fontenot 5-21-0-29, Brown 8-15-1-98.

RECEIVING — Moanalua: Rich Villasenor 1-10, Ragragola 1-16, Egami 2-27, Canyon 1-14, Peterson 1-11. Radford: Noah Rehs 2-13, Reid 4-37, Dustin Phelps 1-2, Zach Lagier 3-36, Bobby Wolshlager 1-3, Kamaka 2-36.

JV SCORE — RADFORD 28, MOANALUA 21

Reported by David Lane

Read Wes' blog on high school sports at http://preptalk.honadblogs.com.