One team returned a kickoff and an interception for touchdowns.

The other attempted 36 passes, throwing for 300 yards and two scores as the teams combined for 54 points.

And those were just the first-half highlights provided by Kailua and Roosevelt.

The pace mellowed considerably after the break, and host Kailua earned its first OIA Red East win by holding off the Rough Riders 41-30.

Kailua quarterback Kahaku Iaea went 21-for-36 for 300 yards and two touchdowns in the first half to power the Surfriders (2-2, 1-1) to a 31-23 lead. Kailua attempted just seven passes in the second half, relying instead on a ground game led by Jarrin Young, who finished with 101 rushing yards, to maintain control.

Still, the Surfriders’ advantage remained tenuous until Kila Zuttermeister intercepted a pass at the Kailua 10 and raced 90 yards for a touchdown to give Kailua a 15-point cushion in the fourth quarter.

"It was a battle. It felt like two football games tonight," Kailua coach Gary Rosolowich said.

The wild evening on the Windward side began with Roosevelt’s Agaese Tago fielding the opening kickoff at his 3 and weaving through the Kailua coverage team for a 97-yard return for a touchdown.

After a Kailua field goal, Tago’s 57-yard reception set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Kaipo Pale to Michael Kulia-Moe.

"We just shook it off and just battled back, and that was a very good sign," Rosolowich said of the early 14-3 deficit.

Kailua pushed ahead on Young’s 25-yard touchdown run and a 33-yard catch-and-run by Bubba Sato.

A muffed punt early in the second quarter gave Kailua possession at the Roosevelt 6 and Sato scored his second touchdown to give Kailua a 24-14 lead.

The Rough Riders (0-3, 0-1) stuck around when Ashton McKay intercepted a pass from Iaea and returned it 40 yards for a score.

Roosevelt forced Kailua to punt, and a high snap gave the Rough Riders a first and goal at the Kailua 4. But they settled for a 20-yard field goal by Benjamin Menashe to close to 24-23.

But Iaea led Kailua on a 10-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 10-yard touchdown pass to Eric Lum with 23 seconds left in the half.

After a scoreless third quarter, Roosevelt drove to the Kailua 20, only to see a shot at a potential tying score turn into the decisive interception return for a touchdown by Zuttermeister.

Roosevelt answered with a six-play scoring drive highlighted by a 34-yard reception by Donnevon Ito and capped by William Kaina.

But Kailua kept the ball on the ground on its next eight plays to set up Lum’s clinching 29-yard field goal with 1:30 left in the game.

At Kailua H.S. field

Roos–Agaese 97 kickoff return (Benjamin Menashe kick)
Kai–FG Eric Lum 29
Roos–Michael Kulia-Moe 18 pass from Kaipo Pale (Menashe kick)
Kai–Jarrin Young 25 run (Lum kick)
Kai–Bubba Sato 33 pass from Kahaku Iaea (Lum kick)
Kai–Sato 6 run (Lum kick)
Roos–Ashton McKay 40 interception return (run failed)
Roos–FG Menashe 20
Kai–Lum 10 pass from Iaea (Lum kick)
Kai–Kila Zuttermeister 90 interception return (Lum kick)
Roos–William Kaina 1 run (Menashe kick)
Kai–FG Lum 29

RUSHING–Roos: Toa Fola 6-22, Tago 1-3, Pale 1-(-11), Matthew Lono-Holani 11-45, Kaina 3-9. Kalu: Young 18-101, Sato 6-54, Lum 1-(-8), Iaea 2-(-20), Team 2-(-47).

PASSING–Roos: Pale 7-20-1-96, Lono-Holani 2-7-0-39. Kalu: Iaea 22-41-2-306, Chevy Mikaele 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING–Roos: Lono-Holani 3-1, Donnevon Ito 2-46, Fola 2-13,Tago 1-57, Kulia-Moe 1-18, . Kalu: Dustin Kalai 7-108, Lum 6-82, Young 4-57, Sato 3-54, Chancen Schutter 1-6, Zuttermeister 1-(-1).

JV–Kailua 21, Roosevelt 6