In the end, the numbers game caught up to undermanned McKinley.

No. 6 Kahuku scored 23 unanswered third-quarter points to turn a tight game into a rout, wearing down the Tigers, 30-6, last night in O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red East football at Roosevelt's Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

The Tigers (1-4 overall, 1-2 OIA) suited 26 players, most of whom had to play two ways and on special teams. The second interception of the game by Aulola Tonga set up the Red Raiders' first TD of the second half en route to the 23-point third quarter. The Tigers' defense had been on the field too long and the Red Raiders were able to control the line of scrimmage. Two safeties also resulted in free kicks that gave the Red Raiders two more possessions.

"It did take its toll," McKinley coach Bobby Grey said. "It's a numbers game. I am proud of the way our kids played. They played their hearts out. When it got down to the fourth quarter, they were playing on empty. But they played with a lot of passion and a lot of heart."

They started the game with two captains out in Will Starks-Togiai and Crayton Tafai. Then a third captain, Jonathan Nepo, got hurt last night.

They have been without their kicker Marcus Amorin since a win at Kailua Sept. 5. So Kylie Sato joined the team and contributed the Tigers' only scores last night: Field goals of 32 and 22 yards.

"She really didn't want to (come out for the team)," Grey said of Sato, whose older sister Chelsea once kicked for the Tigers. "We were really blessed for her to come out."

Both field goals were made with room to spare.

Kahuku coach Reggie Torres was impressed with the Tigers fight.

"A lot are guys playing two ways," Torres said. "My hat's off to McKinley. They did a great job the first half ... But they have guys playing two ways. That helped us. They looked like they were getting fatigued."

Early in the game, while still fresh, the Tigers' defense came up with plays to stay close. An interception by Solomon Dixon inside McKinley territory stalled Kahuku's first series of the game.

On the Red Raiders' second series, a heavy pass rush by Tavita Woodward on fourth-and-19 at the McKinley 28 forced an incomplete pass by Sage Kaka.

The Tigers drove down and took the lead on Sato's 32-yard field goal with 3:57 left in the first quarter.

Tonga's first interception of the night set up Kahuku's first TD in the second quarter, an 18-yard option keeper by quarterback Allan Kubota, who didn't get the start because he had been sick and missed a practice earlier in the week, Torres said. St. John Lessary's PAT put Kahuku ahead, 7-3.

Later in the quarter, the Tigers recovered a Kahuku fumble at the McKinley 26. The Tigers used a flea flicker for a 55-yard completion from Theodore Spensor to Justin Bassle to set up Sato's 22-yard field goal to pull the Tigers to 7-6 at the half.

The Tigers received the kickoff to start the second half, but Tonga's interception got the Red Raiders rolling.

Kubota followed with TD passes of 9 and 3 yards to Jackson Kaka and Mikulu Keli'ikuli to put the Red Raiders ahead 20-6.

Then in a span of 2:33, the Red Raiders scored on two safeties that sandwiched a one-yard TD run by Derek Aiwohi.

"The interception gave us momentum," Torres said.

KAHUKU (4-1, 3-0) 0 7 23 0—30

MCKINLEY (1-4, 1-2) 3 3 0 0— 6

McK — FG Kylie Sato 32

Kah — Allan Kubota 18 run (St. John Lessary III kick)

McK — FG Sato 22

Kah — Jackson Kaka 9 pass from A. Kubota (pass failed)

Kah — Mikulu Keli'ikuli 3 pass from A. Kubota (Lessary kick)

Kah — Safety, runner tackled in end zone

Kah — Derek Aiwohi 1 run (kick blocked)

Kah — Safety, runner tackled in end zone

RUSHING — Kahuku: Alapeti Magalei 10-62, Lessary 8-77, A. Kubota 6-57, Viliami Pasi 5-47, Aiwohi 4-22, Blaze Kubota 3-27, Siatima Tapusoa 3-11, Mike Green 5-17. McKinley: Theodore Spensor 8-(minus 12), Kainoa Kahalewai 6-12, Leo Maiava 1-(minus 4), Solomon Dixon 3-5, Justin Bassle 1-9, Ionatana Woodward 1-(minus 3), Sio Fiso 2-(minus 9), Michael Terry 1-(minus 5).

PASSING — Kahuku: Sage Kaka 0-3-1—0, A. Kubota 3-6-0—19, Tapusoa 0-1-0—0. McKinley: Spensor 10-22-2—107.

RECEIVING — Kahuku: J. Kaka 1-9, Keli'ikuli 1-3, Christian Feagai 1-7. McKinley: Maiava 1-6, I. Woodward 3-32, Kahalewai 3-13, Alvin Ponce 1-5, Bassle 1-55, Dixon 1-(minus 4).

JV score — Kahuku 35, McKinley 0