Cody Kim may have started a quarterback controversy for Pac-Five.
Kim finished 13-for-22 for 203 yards and three touchdowns to help Pac-Five defeat Waipahu 26-13 in the first game of the Father Bray Classic at Aloha Stadium on Saturday night.
Pac-Five won its 10th consecutive season opener with Kim playing in place of starter Reece Alvarado.
Defensive back Nicholas Kwon, who had a 62-yard interception return for a touchdown, credited Kim for the win.
"The thing I’m stoked about is our starting quarterback," Kwon said "He stepped in for our starting quarterback and did a great job. Props go to him."
Kim was quick to deflect the praise off of him to his teammates.
"Nah, it was a team effort," Kim said. "Our defense was holding it down and my receivers were catching the ball and the offensive line was helping protect me."
Keoni Tom-Millare had four catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns to help the Wolfpack beat the Marauders, who advanced to the Division II state final last season.
Pac-Five had two touchdowns taken off the board in the first 14 minutes due to penalties.
Vance Fuchigami appeared to score on a 98-yard return off a blocked field goal that was called back due to a personal foul.
On Waipahu’s first drive of the second quarter, Kwon intercepted a pass by Kai Mercado-Aiona and returned it for a score, but that was called back due to a roughing-the-passer penalty.
Pac-Five finally had a touchdown count when Tom-Millare caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Kim.
Kwon doubled Pac-Five’s lead to 12-0 in the final minute of the half when his 62-yard interception return for a score held up after a taunting penalty was called after the play.
"I was trying to make as many (touchdowns) as I could get," Kwon said.
Mercado-Aiona, a sophomore, started at quarterback for Waipahu and completed just one of his first seven passes. The Marauders were held to 77 total yards in the first half.
Pac-Five defensive end Titus Failauga was a big reason why, recording a sack and two tackles for loss.
Waipahu climbed back into the game with a touchdown by backup quarterback Kaimi Paredes, a transfer from Pearl City.
Paredes carried the ball eight times on a 13-play drive, scoring from 18 yards out to cut the Pac-Five lead to 19-6 with 10:42 remaining.
The Wolfpack iced the game with a 13-play drive to answer. After a personal foul on fourth down extended the drive, Kim hooked up with Tom-Millare for the second time in the game to push Pac-Five’s lead back up to 20.
"That was a bad drive for me because I thought I made a lot of mental errors," Kim said. "But on (the touchdown) I tried to tell myself it’s just another play and again, it was a team effort."
Waipahu closed out the scoring with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Paredes to Mataio Fualema, who finished with four catches for 94 yards.
At Aloha Stadium
| Waipahu (0-1) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
— |
13 |
| Pac-Five (1-0) |
0 |
12 |
7 |
7 |
— |
26 |
Pac–Keoni Tom-Millare 9 pass from Cody Kim (kick failed)
Pac–Nicholas Kwon 62 interception return (kick failed)
Pac–Roycen Routt 14 pass from Kim (Gabriel Shimizu kick)
Waip–Kaimi Paredes 18 run (kick failed)
Pac–Tom-Millare 8 pass from Kim (Shimizu kick)
Waip–Mataio Fualema 42 pass from Paredes (Jayson Gonsalves kick)
RUSHING–Waipahu: Paredes 10-54, Matapua Tulafale 9-48, Isiah Alama 4-17, Kai Mercado-Aiona 12-11, Christian Villanueva 1-1, Dean Domingo 1-(minus 1).
Pac-Five: Tom-Millare 6-37, Justin Layco 4-36, Kekoa Iseri 2-36, Vance Fuchigami 6-5, Routt 4-3, Kim 5-0, team 1-(minus 1), Kaupana McKee 1-(minus 2).
PASSING–Waipahu: Paredes 2-6-0-63, Mercado-Aiona 2-9-1-31. Pac-Five: Kim 13-22-0-203, Kekoa Blaisdell 1-1-0-11.
RECEIVING–Waipahu: Fualema 4-94. Pac-Five: Routt 4-80, Tom-Millare 4-45, Jordan Wong 2-11, Kauila Chock 1-42, McKee 1-19, Ian Schumaker 1-12, Iseri 1-5.
