The large early lead was familiar. The way Kahuku posted it wasn’t.
The top-ranked Red Raiders showcased an effective passing game and never looked back after rocketing to a huge first-quarter lead in a 23-7 defeat of host Kailua on Friday night.
Red Raiders junior quarterback Lasi Livai looked comfortable both in the pocket and rolling out for bullet passes. He notched 175 yards — 151 before halftime — and two touchdowns in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East opener for both teams.
Kahuku (3-0, 1-0 OIA) played without five starters due to injury and still led 20-0 after the first period. The defense took over the rest of the way.
Are these a new brand of Red Raiders? According to interim coach Walter Santiago, no.
“It wasn’t really the plan. Our plan is always to establish the run,” Santiago said. “Try to get the ball in the end zone (on the ground) and open up the rest of the play action. … No (on the pass), we need to run the football.”
The Surfriders realized that would be the plan after halftime, and largely contained the damage from there — but it was inflicted nonetheless.
“(The air attack) wasn’t surprising — we had seen that — but unfortunately we didn’t play it very well,” Kailua coach Gary Rosolowich said. “Give them credit. They do everything they do very well, a little bit faster than the guys are used to seeing in practice. It took (us) a little bit to adjust.”
Kailua signal-caller Kahaku Iaea was pressured out of his comfort zone, and the Surfriders’ spread attack never got untracked. When Kailua went up the middle, Kahuku was usually ready to repel the attack emphatically. Iaea finished with 140 yards on 19-for-35 passing with two picks.
The only real blemishes for Kahuku were four turnovers, the third of which — a fumble at the Raiders’ 7 — allowed Kailua’ s Jarrin Young to run around the tackles for a 4-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. It was the first TD Kahuku allowed this season.
Kahuku converted on fourth and short at midfield on its opening drive and marched 80 yards for the game’s first score, a 30-yard play-action pass from Livai to senior receiver Mikeli Fiso.
The Red Raiders made the Surfriders pay on the first of their four turnovers. After lineman Toiva Tufaga recovered a bad snap in Kailua territory, the Red Raiders needed only five plays to punch through with a Mahonilai Fakatou 1-yard score to make it 13-0.
Kailua fumbled on its second offensive play on the next series, lineman Mark Sauvao recovered, and
Livai made Kailua pay again with a 26-yard strike to Spencer Nagy on the very next play.
“We wanted to come in fast and strong and we did,” said Livai, who was 13-for-23 with no interceptions. “After that it kind of went down … that’s the most we ever passed in the first quarter.”
Will they do it again?
“I hope so,” Livai said with a smile.
The Raiders’ passing game set up a 24-yard field goal by Kekahu Aluli late in the second quarter for a 23-0 halftime lead.
Kahuku played its third straight game without suspended head coach Reggie Torres. No word was given by Santiago on when Torres might return.
At Kailua
Kahuku (3-0, 1-0) 20 3 0 0 — 23
Kailua (0-3, 0-1) 0 0 0 7 — 7
Kah—Mikeli Fiso 30 pass from Lasi Livai (Kekahu Aluli kick)
Kah—Mahonilai Fakatou 1 run (kick failed)
Kah—Spencer Nagy 26 pass from Livai (Aluli kick)
Kah—Bronson Beatty 18 pass from Viliami Livai (kick blocked)
Kah—FG Aluli 24
Kail—Jarrin Young 4 run (Sierra Kadooka kick)
RUSHING—Kahuku: Fakatou 21-95, Sterling Moe 8-59, James Kahele 2-5, Bronson Beatty 1-5, Kawe Johnson 1-0, Livai 6-(-4), Team 2-(-18). Kailua: Young 8-10, Kila Zuttermeister 6-0, Kahaku Iaea 1-(-13).
PASSING—Kahuku: Livai 13-23-0-175. Kailua: Iaea 19-35-2-140.
RECEIVING—Kahuku: Nagy 6-71, Fiso 4-82, Fakatou 1-13, Norman Solomon-Unga 1-6, Beatty 1-3. Kailua: Ryson Lee-Kealoha 8-84, Kaipo Oamilda-Scholtz 5-36, Cason Kalei 1-8, Kaliko Kaimana 1-6, Micah Shigeta 1-6, Shane Kalai 1-5, Zuttermeister 1-2, Young 1-(-7).
Junior Varsity—Kahuku 32, Kailua 8.
interleague
No. 5 Leilehua 38, Damien 0
Kenan Sadanaga connected with Allen Racette on a 72-yard pass to open a shutout victory over the Monarchs.
Sadanaga completed 11 passes, throwing two touchdowns, and finished with 170 yards for Leilehua.
At Hugh Yoshida Stadium
Damien (0-2) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Leilehua (2-0-1, 1-0) 25 3 0 10 — 38
Lei—Allen Racette 72 pass from Kenan Sadanaga (Timothy Momiyama Jr. kick)
Lei—FG Momiyama 37
Lei—Cole DeCorte 1 pass from Sadanaga (Momiyama kick)
Lei—Racette 7 run (Reece Acohido pass from Mikal Peyton)
Lei—FG Momiyama 33
Lei—FG Momiyama 29
Lei—Keanu Ferreira-Kahele 7 pass from Joshua Jenks (Momiyama kick)
RUSHING—Damien: Rusty Kauahikaua 7-21, Syles Choy 8-16, Christopher Gonsalves-Chang 2-15, Kolton Pugay 4-5, Kealii Kaanapu 1-2, Trevor Caspillo 1-(-2). Leilehua: Keannu Kamakaiwi 3-33, Racette 2-20, DeCorte 4-16, Jenks 5-13, Chris Bell 4-11, Dalten Diggs 1-6, Larry Paas 2-(-3).
PASSING—Damien: Choy 14-29-0-62, Gonsalves-Chang 0-1-1-0. Leilehua: Sadanaga 11-15-0-170, Jenks 6-13-1-49.
RECEIVING—Damien: Dylan Flores 4-27, Kaanapu 3-31, Caspillo 3-(-5), Lyel Alloy-Glover 1-10, Bryson Dalmacio 1-1, Kauahikaua 1-(-1), Pugay 1-(-1). Leilehua: Peyton 4-51, Diggs 4-35, DeCorte 4-30, Racette 2-72, Nick Rodriguez 1-17, Ezra Manaea 1-7, Ferreira-Kahele 1-7.
Junior Varsity—Leilehua 34, Aiea 0
OIA red east
Moanalua 38, Castle 7
Dillon Turk threw one touchdown and ran for two as Na Menehune dominated the Knights.
Brett Harrington had one passing TD and finished for 194 yards in the air for Castle.
At Castle
Moanalua (2-1, 1-0) 2 14 14 8 — 38
Castle (0-3, 0-1) 0 0 0 7 — 7
Moan—Safety, ball snapped out of end zone
Moan—Jay Laudato 68 kick return (Lee Arakawa kick)
Moan—Marciano Tauvela 11 pass from Dillon Turk (Arakawa kick)
Moan—Turk 4 run (Arakawa kick)
Moan—Turk 20 run (Arakawa kick)
Moan—Anthony Bowen 52 pass from Joshua Shake (Bryce Au run)
Cast—Avery Carvalho 10 pass from Brett Harrington (Adam Aquino kick)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Laudato 9-55, Christian Akana 3-13, Turk 8-10, Kaleo Yanai 1-10, Jacob Cadaoas 1-4, Jon-Michael Sharsh 1-3, Chad Aragon 1-(-2). Castle: Aquino 3-23, Kainoa Kipapa 5-14, Sabu Kekoanui 2-9, Ulii McFadden 6-(-3), Kela Shea 1-(-5), Harrington 2-(-17), TEAM 1-(-12).
PASSING—Moanalua: Turk 11-21-0-102, Shake 1-1-0-52, Maxwell Fiatoa 0-2-0-0. Castle: Harrington 17-32-1-194, Kekoanui 11-17-1-34.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Akana 4-46, Sharsh 2-16, Bowen 1-52, Sheldon Pagba 1-17, Tauvela 1-11, Aragon 1-9, Yanai 1-3. Castle: Kamalei Kam-Aweau 6-61, Teawe Olds 6-38, Shea 4-10, Cullen Shiroma-Fernandez 3-43, Bulla Clayton 3-38, Aquino 1-8, Kekoanui 1-7, Kipapa 1-(-2), McFadden 1-(-3), TEAM 2-(-28).
Junior Varsity—Moanalua 27, Castle 8
Also
Edison (Calif.) 48, Baldwin 10
Konawaena 20, Hilo 6
Waipahu 34, McKinley 27
