Gage Asing matched an entire season’s worth of work in one night at Aloha Stadium.
The Aiea senior intercepted four passes — matching the four he had for Na Alii last year — and returned one 74 yards for a touchdown to lead Hawaii East to an 18-7 win over Hawaii West in the second game of the Junior Prep Sports Paradise Football Classic on Thursday night.
Hawaii East’s defense feasted on the opposition with six total interceptions to earn a date opposite Northern California in the championship game of the second-annual JPS event on Saturday night at 7.
Asing broke a scoreless tie when he intercepted the first pass thrown by Kamehameha’s Justice Young and brought it back all the way to the end zone, showing off his 4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash.
He ended the West’s final drive of the first half with an interception and then closed out the game with his fourth pick on a fade route in the back of the end zone to allow his teammates to run out the clock.
“We’ve only had two or three weeks together, so to come together and put on this defensive performance is exciting,” Asing said. “For me, I feel like this group of guys is here for a reason. We’re the best of the best, but I feel like the defense was able to take advantage of it.”
The defense clearly had the upper hand as the two teams combined for 243 total yards in four nine-minute quarters.
Asing’s pick-six was the only score in the first half. Hawaii West took its only lead on the second play of the third quarter when Kahuku defensive back Stokes Nihipali-Botelho intercepted Kapolei’s Taulia Tagovailoa and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown.
Nihipali-Botelho represented state runner-up Kahuku, which scored 14 defensive touchdowns last season.
“It would have been nice to come out with a win, but it’s the game of football and everybody loses,” Nihipali-Botelho said. “I had to get one (pick-six). I didn’t like to see the fat zero, so I had to get some points on the scoreboard.”
Kaiser defensive back Keoni Pangan set up the East team to take the lead when he intercepted a pass thrown by Kalaheo’s Mark Lehrner and returned it to the 6-yard line.
Tagovailoa walked in untouched on a 1-yard TD run to go back in front 12-7.
Tagovailoa’s cousin and Kapolei teammate Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa had two sacks on three plays in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble on the second one.
That led to a 3-yard touchdown run by Kailua’s Mark Lagazo for the final score.
The game was also an opportunity for teammates to play against each other after a long season together.
On the final play of the first quarter, Waianae defensive end Kanai Mauga of the East recorded a third-down sack of West quarterback Jaren Ulu, his Seariders teammate.
Mauga made sure to hold Ulu up instead of driving him to the turf.
After scoring on the pick-six, Nihipali-Botelho jumped up and celebrated with Waianae’s Jaylen Gonzales after the two spent the last two years going head-to-head four times as part of the storied Kahuku-Waianae rivalry.
“It’s good to have everybody intertwined,” Nihipali-Botelho said. “We’ve been able to create a lot of friendships and it’s been good like that.”
Northern California 28, American Samoa 6
Ronnie Rivers, a Fresno State commit, rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown and Montez Thompson accounted for 103 total yards and two scores to lead Northern California to the final.
Thompson scored on a 12-yard touchdown run and added a 16-yard TD reception as Northern California shut out American Samoa 21-0 in the second half.
Defensive lineman Alapeti Seiui had two sacks for American Samoa.
At Aloha Stadium
Hawaii West 0 0 7 0 — 7
Hawaii East 0 6 6 6 — 18
HE—Gage Asing 74 interception return (kick failed)
HW—Stokes Nihipali-Botelho 25 interception return (Nihipali-Botelho kick)
HE—Taulia Tagovailoa 1 run (kick failed)
HE—Mark Lagazo 3 run (pass failed)
RUSHING—Hawaii West: Elvis Vakapuna 10-44, Foki Kailea 2-15, Steven Lombard 4-14, Dylan Silva 5-10, Jaymin Sarono 2-6, Tevesi Toia 1-5, Mosi Afe 1-4, Jaren Ulu 5-(-minus 18). Hawaii East: Rico Rosario 4-11, Lagazo 2-5, Javen Towne 6-3, Tagovailoa 1-1, Alakai Yuen 3-0, De’Aundrae Cruz 3-(minus 1), team 1-(minus 3).
PASSING—Hawaii West: Justice Young 2-4-2-16, Mark Lehrner 1-3-2-12, Jaren Ulu 3-9–1-11, Sarono 0-1-0-0, Toia 1-3-1-(minus 1). Hawaii East: Tagovailoa 6-20–2-58, Yuen 3-7-1-51.
RECEIVING—Hawaii West: Afe 2-22, Grey Ihu 2-6, Sarono 2-4, Kingston Moses-Sanchez 1-6. Hawaii East: Chayce Akaka 2-25, Andrew Valladares 2-9, Jeremy McGoldrick 1-33, Chris Ah Mook-Sang 1-13, Towne 1-11, Lagazo 1-10, Isaiah Freeney 1-8.
At Aloha Stadium
No. California 0 7 7 14 — 28
Am. Samoa 0 6 0 0 — 6
NC—Ronnie Rivers 4 run (Mitchell Campos kick)
AS—Raemos Fano 1 run (run failed)
NC—Montaz Thompson 12 run (Campos kick)
NC—Jordon Brookshire 1 run (Campos kick)
NC—Thompson 16 pass from Phillip Tran (Campos kick)
RUSHING—Northern California: Rivers 12-102, Thompson 11-87, Brookshire 6-23, Trejon Hawkins 1-4, team 2-(minus 8), Tran 2-(minus 10). American Samoa: Maurice Lotovale 3-14, Luteru Ah-Loe 4-2, Fano 4-0, Andrew Toilolo 3-(minus 4), Talaileva Sufia 1-(minus 7).
PASSING—Northern California: Tran 5-11–0-53, Brookshire 2-7–0-34. American Samoa: Fano 7-15-0-77, Sufia 3-11-1-17.
RECEIVING—Northern California: Kalei Aukai 2-45, Thompson 1-16, Rivers 1-13, Brandon Abon 1-11, Eric Bendyk 1-3, Hawkins 1-(minus 1). American Samoa: Ralpha Taufa’asau 2-46, Moeimaotaaealaitala Falealii 2-27, John Muliaga 2-11, Josiah Ta’ani 2-6, Ah-Loe 1-4, Toilolo 1-1.
