Kapolei takes 3 OTs to defeat No. 10 Aiea

Brandon Begonia won an audition to claim Kapolei’s field-goal kicking duties this week in practice.

The slotback’s leg ended up winning Friday night’s game against Aiea.

The Hurricanes rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final minutes of regulation and Begonia’s 30-yard field goal in the third overtime gave visiting Kapolei a 17-14 win over 10th-ranked Aiea.

"His first two attempts at making a field goal in high school, so I have to give him all the credit in the world," Kapolei head coach Darren Hernandez said of Begonia, who had a kick blocked in the second overtime.

Kapolei (2-2, 1-1), trailing 14-6 with 2:30 left in the game, drove for a touchdown and converted the 2-point conversion to send the OIA Red West contest into overtime.

The teams combined to have two field goals blocked and missed another before Begonia hit the go-ahead kick to start the third overtime.

Na Alii’s ensuing possession moved to the Kapolei 2 and they opted to attempt to extend the game. But the field-goal attempt went wide left to end the contest.

Kapolei backup quarterback Brandon Cambra stepped in for injured Trey Kamachi-Allen in the second half and led the Hurricanes to the tying score while the defense held on long enough to give Kapolei a hard-earned win.

"The defense was excellent — they really stepped up when they had to," Hernandez said.

An Aiea special teams miscue set up the game’s first score. On fourth down, the Aiea punter put his knee down while fielding a low snap, giving Kapolei possession at the Na Alii 31. Kapolei fullback Darrius Lopez burst up the middle for a touchdown on the next play.

Na Alii (1-2, 0-1) turned the first of Kapolei’s three second-half fumbles into the tying score. Douglas Tautua’s 1-yard run capped a six-play drive and Ezra White’s PAT gave Aiea the lead at the 6:41 mark of the third quarter.

Aiea stretched the lead to 14-6 when Faasau Maeva scooped up another Kapolei fumble and bolted 34 yards for a touchdown with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter.

But Kapolei, aided by personal foul and pass interference penalties, drove deep into Aiea territory and a 24-yard completion from Brandon Cambra to Preston Wallace-Williams gave the Hurricanes first and goal at the 1. Lopez’s plunge then brought Kapolei within two.

After a timeout, Cambra rolled right and fired into the end zone, and Wallace-Williams stretched out to make the catch in the back of the end zone to tie the game with 1:10 left.

Aiea’s ensuing drive stalled at the Kapolei 42, forcing overtime.

The Aiea defense stopped the Hurricanes on fourth and 3 to start the first extra period. Kapolei then extended the game by blocking a 30-yard field-goal attempt.