It was just another night of target practice for Leilehua slinger Kenan Sadanaga.
The senior picked the East defense apart for 354 yards and five touchdowns as the West rolled to a 46-14 win Friday night in the HUB Goodwill Senior Bowl at John Velasco Field.
"It was the last football game of my life," said Sadanaga, who will play baseball at UH-Hilo next year. "I feel great."
He fired three of his scoring passes to Mililani wide receiver Kaimi Wilson, who was named the West’s most valuable player.
"He’s a beast. So much speed," Sadanaga said.
Wilson had a big smile after the game.
"He got the ball there. It was easy," he said. "We only had five routes."
A crowd of about 1,200 saw the state’s top passer put his arsenal of talent to full use. The West, with a former record-setting quarterback in Fred Salanoa as its head coach, came out firing and Sadanaga (33-for-45) did what he does best, pinpointing open receivers against a soft zone defense.
The no-blitz rule in the exhibition game made things that much easier for Sadanaga. The southpaw tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Deshawn Duncan-Benson on a fade route for the first score, then another 2-yard touchdown strike to Wilson. By halftime, the West led 19-0 after a 25-yard interception return by Aiea’s Douglas Tautua.
Sadanaga had good chemistry with Wilson, a former cornerback who converted to the offensive side of the ball this year.
Wilson hauled in touchdown passes of 17 and 12 yards in the second half, and Sadanaga then found Leilehua teammates Allen Racette (7 yards) and Jeremiah Andrade (47 yards) as the West opened a 46-7 lead.
The West fleet of receivers was deep: Wilson (four catches, 39 yards), Duncan-Benson (six receptions, 49 yards), Malik Johnson of Punahou (five, 44), Keoni Bush-Loo (two, 32), as well as Andrade and Racette. Pearl City’s Kelsen Laboy (three, 33) and Adrian Fonoimoana-Hall (three, 44) also had fun taking spirals from Sadanaga.
In all, 11 players caught passes from Sadanaga, who wasn’t absolutely perfect. He was picked off once.
The West defense was stellar, led by Josh Simmons, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound lineman who had two sacks. Nanakuli’s Derrick Mane also had a sack.
The East had two sacks by Kaiser’s Lopeti Fonokalafi, who also punted and returned one kickoff 16 yards.