Kahuku turned a longtime nemesis — its own kicking game — into a game-winning asset last night, as Cameron Mercado's 28-yard field goal lifted the Red Raiders to a thrilling 9-6 overtime victory over Farrington in the First Hawaiian Bank/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association state semifinals.

Kahuku, the O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion, improved to 12-0 and will face Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion Kamehameha (11-1) in Friday's title game at Aloha Stadium.

Farrington ends its season at 9-3.

Kahuku's scoring came on Mercado's field goals of 49, 37 and 28 yards.

"This came out perfect, I couldn't have asked for anything better," said Mercado, a 6-foot, 170-pound senior who transferred from Boca Raton (Fla.) High in January.

Mercado's 49-yard field goal on the final play of the first half cut the Governors' lead to 6-3, and his 37-yarder with 4:32 left in the game tied it.

The Red Raiders won the overtime coin toss and elected to play defense first, with Farrington starting at the Kahuku 20-yard line.

After tailback Harry Tuimaseve gained 4 yards on first down, quarterback Jared Hakuole rolled out to his left on a pass play but was sacked by outside linebacker Keoni Tafuna, who came from the blind side and stripped the ball loose.

Defensive end Hauoli Jamora recovered the fumble, giving the Red Raiders their turn on offense.

"The plan was for me to blitz from the outside," said Tafuna, a 5-10, 190-pound junior. "(Jamora) took his guy in, and the pulling guard was a little late, so I just rushed in and executed."

Kahuku got 8 yards on two running plays, but fullback Viliami Pasi was stopped short of the first down on 3-and-2.

Mercado then came in and — after the Govs called timeout —promptly split the uprights.

"What a weapon," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said of Mercado.

The Governors, by contrast, were hurt by their own kicking game.

Tuimaseve gave Farrington a 6-0 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run two minutes into the second quarter, but the extra-point attempt was blocked after a slow-moving snap.

Later in the half, the Govs missed a 35-yard field goal try on fourth-and-4 from the 18.

And with 54 seconds left in regulation, they had a 38-yard field-goal attempt blocked by Jamora.

"Those were tough pressure situations, but we just didn't play well in that area," Okimoto said.

Farrington got the ball back at the Red Raiders' 40 after Vaughn Tomas' 25-yard punt return with 10 seconds left, but two pass attempts fell incomplete, setting up overtime.

Throughout the 1990s and earlier this decade, Kahuku had been plagued by an inconsistent and unreliable kicking game, but Red Raiders coach Reggie Torres said he liked his team's chances last night with Mercado ready and waiting on the sideline.

"Before the game, he was kicking 60-yarders," Torres said. "He came up to me and said he was feeling good, he was confident."

FARRINGTON (9-3) 0 6 0 0 0—6

KAHUKU (12-0) 0 3 0 3 3—9

FARR — Harry Tuimaseve 1 run (Moses Kaina kick)

KAHU — FG Cameron Mercado 49

KAHU — FG Mercado 37

KAHU — FG Mercado 28

RUSHING — Farrington: Tuimaseve 29-185, Siaosi Feleunga 11-42, Jared Hakuole 4-(minus 12). Kahuku: Viliami Pasi 17-68, Fonoivasa Mataafa 9-29, Tyrone Brown 4-21, Evan Moe 6-16, Pololu Silva 1-12.

PASSING — Farrington: Hakuole 2-12-0—30. Kahuku: Moe 12-27-0—104.

RECEIVING — Farrington: Alvin Faamausili 1-17, Ranold Williams 1-13. Kahuku: Punga Vea 7-64, Sage Kaka 2-37, Kaipo Pearl 2-6, Mataafa 1-(minus 3).

Reported by HHSAA

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