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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 23, 2009

Hosts in OIA have history on their sides


BY Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

History, at least in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red, is doing a pretty good job of repeating itself.

And that might not bode well for visiting teams in this weekend's tournament quarterfinals.

Three of the four quarterfinals are rematches from a year ago. Kahuku beat Mililani, Wai'anae beat Castle and Farrington beat Kapolei. The winners were all home teams.

In the other quarterfinal, host Leilehua beat Kaimukí. This time, the Mules are hosting Kailua.

The losers pack their equipment after this weekend. The winners advance to the semifinals next Friday at Aloha Stadium.

Three quarterfinals are being held tonight. Farrington will play Kapolei, 5 p.m. tomorrow at Roosevelt. Each team has had a sort of quirky season.

The Hurricanes got off to an inauspicious start in the regular season at 1-2. Since their 14-10 loss to the Mules, the Hurricanes have won three in a row, including a 41-24 stunner against Mililani, which went from being a potential top seed in the West to a fourth seed in a matter of two weekends.

"I hope so," said Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez, when asked if his team was on a roll.

Kapolei has been in postseason in each season, except its inaugural year in 2002.

"This is not an unusual place for us to be," Hernandez said.

The Governors have not been consistent offensively in games. They have gone scoreless in the second half in five games. In two others, they were limited to one score each: a touchdown in one game, a safety in the other.

"When we get a lead, we seem to get complacent," Farrington coach Randall Okimoto said. "We need to realize that. We have to play consistently for four quarters."

Despite the inconsistent offense, the Governors only lost one of those games in part because of a defense that allows 116.4 yards per game.

Here are capsules of each game.

RED QUARTERFINALS

TODAY

At Hugh Yoshida Stadium, Leilehua

Farrington vs. Leilehua (JV), 5 p.m.

Kailua vs. Leilehua (varsity), 25 minutes after end of JV game

Series: Kailua leads 25-20-2

Kailua (4-5), East fifth seed

Offense: Averages 222.6 yards per game. RB Clinton Aina leads with 767 yards rushing (9.2 yards per carry). UH-bound WR Corey Lau leads with 431 receiving yards and four TDs.

Defense: Allows 214.4 yards per game.

Leilehua (6-2), West first seed

Offense: Averages 351.1 yards per game. QB Andrew Manley enters his third postseason with 2,050 yards passing and 17 TDs. WR Kamana Akagi leads team with 736 receiving yards and 8 TDs. RB Carlos Marshall has been getting the lion's share of carries with 43 for 287 yards.

Defense: Allows 253.9 yards per game.

At Carelton Weimer Field, Kahuku

Kapolei vs. Kahuku (JV), 4:30 p.m.

Mililani vs. Kahuku (varsity), 7:30 p.m.

TV: OC 16

Series: Kahuku leads 8-0

Mililani (7-2), West fourth seed

Offense: Averages 357.0 yards per game. QB Trent McKinney is threat on the run (352 yards rushing) and through the air (1,527 yards passing). He has accounted for 23 TDs (18 passing, 5 rushing). R/RB Taz Stevenson is the jack-of-all-trades and leads the team with 8 TDs.

Defense: Allows 239.4 yards per game. The Trojans have given up 142 points in their last three games.

Kahuku (8-0), East first seed

Offense: Averages 286 yards per game. RBs Viliami Pasi (422 yards, 5 TDs) and Tyrone Brown (365 yards, 3 TDs) lead six different rushers with more than 100 yards each on the team. QB Evan Moe averages a respectable 7.6 yards per pass attempt. But Kahuku's deep threat might be its field-goal kicking with Florida transfer Cameron Mercado (6 FGs).

Defense: Allows 140.9 yards per game. The Red Raiders have three shutouts and have not allowed more than two TDs in a game this season.

At Raymond Torii Field, Wai'anae

Kailua vs. Wai'anae (JV), 5 p.m.

Castle vs. Wai'anae (varsity), 25 minutes after end of JV game

Series: Wai'anae leads 22-5, including 5-0 in playoffs

Castle (5-3, East third seed)

Offense: Averages 281.2 yards per game. QB Jaymason Lee (1,607 yards, 21 TDs) has thrown at least one TD pass in each game this season. WR Shaydon Kehano (760 yards, 14 TDs) hardly comes off the field. RB Garrett Paredes has 607 yards in total offense.

Defense: Allows 246.9 yards per game.

Wai'anae (5-3, West second seed)

Offense: If versatile RB Keoni Napierala-Rose (546 rushings yards, 7 TDs and 391 receiving yards, 5 TDs) doesn't beat you, the brothers Wilson — QB Puletua, RB James and FB/DL Eleu — will do the job. Puletua is a double threat, accounting for 20 TDs (13 passing, 7 rushing).

Defense: Allows a staggering 315.1 yards per game.

TOMORROW

At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium, Roosevelt

Kapolei vs. Roosevelt (varsity only), 5 p.m.

Series: Farrington leads 2-0

Kapolei (5-3), West third seed

Offense: Noah Pascua (924 yards passing, 8 TDs) will share time with Shaydon Akuna at QB. Akuna has eased his way back into the mix after an early season injury kept him out the first half of the season. Akuna is considered the top recruit of this year's class.

Defense: Allows 246.8 yards per game.

Farrington (7-1), East second seed

Offense: RBs Harry Tuimaseve (872 yards), Siaosi Feleunga (383 yards) and Scotland Smith (224 yards) make up the bulk of the Governors' ground game. But Farrington has been somewhat of a mystique. Five times it has gone scoreless in the second half, but only lost one of those games (to Kahuku) because ...

Defense: Allows a ridiculously stingy 116.4 yards per game.

At Castle

Campbell vs. Castle (JV only), 2 p.m.

WHITE SEMIFINALS

TODAY

At Moanalua

Radford vs. Moanalua (JV), 5 p.m.

Kaläheo vs. Moanalua (varsity), 25 minutes after end of JV game

Series: Kaläheo leads 15-8-1; Moanalua won regular season meeting, 26-22.

Kaläheo (6-3), fourth seed

Offense: Averages 323.9 yards per game. RB Jesse Carney (1,352 yards, 16 TDs) leads the way.

Defense: Allows 266.8 yards per game.

Moanalua (8-1), top seed

Offense: Averages 297.9 yards per game. RB Tahje Canyon (1,255 yards, 15 TD) complements QB Adam Francisco (240 rushing yards, 5 TDs) in Moanalua's offensive schemes.

Defense: Allows 205.1 yards per game.

At 'Aiea

Radford vs. 'Aiea (varsity only), 7 p.m.

Series: Radford leads 25-17; 'Aiea won regular season meeting, 25-13.

Radford (6-3), third seed

Offense: Averages 272.2 yards per game. RB Phil Hogan leads team with 847 yards, 12 TDs behind a rotation of QBs in Chris Parmer, J.B. Fontenot and Doug Brown..

Defense: Allows 189.2 yards per game.

'Aiea (7-2), second seed

Offense: Averages 279.1 yards per game. QB Freddy Taliulu (769 yards passing, 8 TDs) has been back the last four games since an injury in the season opener. RB Otto-Titan Salausa (455 yards, 6 TDs) is stable on the ground as WR Kekoa Thompson (625 yards, 9 TD receiving) is the leader among receivers.

Defense: Allows 216.6 yards per game.

TOMORROW

At Kaiser

Pearl City vs. Kaiser (JV only), 4 p.m.

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