Once again, the McKinley Tigers played defense with grit.
But Moanalua, like other leaders in the OIA Red East, wore down the Tigers and ran away with a victory. Micah Kaneshiro tossed a career-high five touchdown passes, including three to Donald Lambert, as Moanalua defeated McKinley 42-13 on Saturday night at Na Menehune’s field.
Moanalua’s defense kept coming against a dangerous Tigers offense. Scott Pagano led a unit that limited McKinley to 144 total yards, playing through the loss of a close relative.
“My aunt died a couple of days ago, so this game and this season is for her,” he said of his aunt, Heather DeLooze. “I got to see her for a little bit recently. I told her I love her and this season is for her, my whole career in football is for her.”
Moanalua improved to 4-1 in league play (4-3 overall). McKinley slipped to 1-3 in the OIA Red East (2-4 overall).
Kaneshiro was hot and cold, especially throwing into a stiff wind coming through from Moanalua Valley.
“It’s learning in the fire,” Na Menehune coach Arnold Martinez said, comparing his junior signal-caller to a certain quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. “What I love about him, he’s my Russell Wilson. He’s this little dude, he’s so composed, doesn’t pout. So honest, he’s like, ‘Coach, that’s my fault.’ He’s just an awesome kid. You can’t get mad at him.”
Along with the five scoring strikes, he was picked off four times by an opportunistic band of Tigers ironmen.
Gerime Bradley, Kona Bagood-Makanui, Tyrell Tuiasosopo and Josh Lam picked off Kaneshiro, and linebacker Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta led a front seven that limited Moanalua’s top rusher, Ishmil Scott, to 18 yards on 13 carries.
“We’ve got to work on basic, simple stuff,” Tuitele-Iafeta said. “They always had fresh guys in the huddle, and we had a lot of guys going both ways and playing with their hearts.”
But penalties derailed the Tigers, who had 90 penalty yards by halftime. A few breaks didn’t help, either.
Tuiasosopo, a heady playmaker, had a miscue on the opening kickoff, playing the bouncing ball near the sideline as if it were a punt. Instead of picking the ball up, he let Moanalua recover at the McKinley 7-yard line, and three plays later Kaneshiro hit Jon-Michael Sharsh with a 12-yard touchdown pass.
Bradley returned the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, using a couple of incredible moves to shake loose and tie the game. The score was 7-all just 58 seconds into the contest.
At Moanalua
McKinley (1-3, 1-4) 7 0 6 0 — 13
Moanalua (4-1, 4-3) 14 14 14 0 — 42
Moan—Jon-Michael Sharsh 12 pass from Micah Kaneshiro (Landon Ogawa kick)
McK—Gerime Bradley 86 kick return (Liva Logoi kick)
Moan—Kaleo Yanai 46 run (Ogawa kick)
Moan—Donald Lambert 12 pass from Kaneshiro (Ogawa kick)
Moan—Sheldon Pagba 32 pass from Kaneshiro (Ogawa kick)
Moan—Lambert 78 pass from Kaneshiro (Ogawa kick)
McK—Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta 1 run (kick blocked)
Moan—Lambert 28 pass from Kaneshiro (Ogawa kick)
RUSHING—McKinley: Bradley 4-0, Kalahiki-Gasper 12-(-17), Tuitele-Iafeta 5-13, Anthony Torres 3-36, Jasper Miyagi 1-2, Bronson Ganotise-Solomon 1-9. Moanalua: Ishmil Scott 13-18, Richard Parham 3-(-3), Yanai 3-53, Kaneshiro 1-(-1), Sharsh 1-23, Jerek Pavao 5-8, Scott Pagano 1-4, Wylan Lucero 2-5, team 1-(-4), D.J. Leatimua 2-(-3).
PASSING—McKinley: Kalahiki-Gasper 13-24-1-101, Tuitele-Iafeta 0-1-0-0. Moanalua: Kaneshiro 12-25-4-229.
RECEIVING—McKinley: Kui Williams 1-13, Tyrell Tuiasosopo 4-25, Brandon Walker 4-24, Bradley 2-24, Tuitele-Iafeta 2-15. Moanalua: Sharsh 2-11, Lambert 7-145, Pagba 2-69, Parham 1-4.
Junior varsity—Moanalua 19, McKinley 13.
Kailua 24, Castle 6
The Surfriders held onto a 24-point halftime lead to defeat the Knights.
Kailua quarterback Kahaku Iaea threw for three touchdowns, while Fred Welch rushed for a team-high 78 yards.
Kyle Urasaki scored the Knights’ only touchdown on a 46-yard pass from Bryson Shea.
At Kailua
Castle (0-3, 0-5) 0 0 0 6 — 6
Kailua (2-2, 2-4) 15 9 0 0 — 24
Kail—Micah Kaimana 3 pass from Kahaku Iaea (kick failed)
Kail—Safety (Kirk Ronolo tackled Brandon Makekau in end zone)
Kail—Kaimana 12 pass from Iaea (Lily Berry-Liftee kick)
Kail—FG Naia Graham 30
Kail—Noah Auld 4 pass from Iaea (kick failed)
Cast—Kyle Urasaki 46 pass from Bryson Shea (kick failed)
RUSHING—Castle: Don Kaio 5-3, Shea 9-0, Makekau 3-(-3). Kailua: Fred Welch 15-78, Kekoa Ford 10-58, Thomas Duntenbah-Leong 6-21, Ronolo 3-17, William Kailimai 2-5, Iaea 2-(-1).
PASSING—Castle: Shea 9-26-0-108, Makekau 0-5-1-0, Isaiah Ukauka 0-3-1-0. Kailua: Iaea 10-17-1-53.
RECEIVING—Castle: Kaio 3-22, Urasaki 2-49, Ukauka 1-16, Ikaika Kekoanui 1-12, Makana Bee 1-7, Joseph Lilio 1-2. Kailua: Kaimana 3-23, Auld 3-17, Welch 2-4, Duntenbah-Leong 1-7, Cason Kalei 1-2.
