Troutman, Nanakuli fend off Kalani for third victory

That strange feeling in Nanakuli on Saturday night?

Winning.

Quarterback Chazz Troutman ran for 247 yards and scored three touchdowns as Nanakuli beat Kalani 42-30 in an OIA White football game at the Golden Hawks’ home field.

It is the first time Nanakuli is 3-1 since 2003, and it hadn’t had three wins in an entire season since 2007.

"Feeling pretty good about it," Troutman said. "Normally Nanakuli, we never do get three wins. We are normally winless the whole season. We are coming together and playing as a team more."

Kalani (2-2), which has a losing history of its own, made the Golden Hawks sweat it out, though, pulling within 35-30 with 2:33 left and coming up with a fumble one play after Nanakuli covered an onside kick. The Falcons moved the ball down to the 24-yard line and faced a fourth and 11, but failed when quarterback Noah Brum dropped back, lost his footing in the swamp that was the middle of the field, found his feet and missed on a pass to Jeff Reynolds.

"I’m proud of our kids. They played hard and finished," Kalani coach Greg Taguchi said.

"We knew coming in that Troutman was a good runner, and we keyed on him, but we didn’t do it well enough. Still, the kids battled. Great game."

Nanakuli was in position to kill the clock from there, but Troutman took off for a 75-yard touchdown to seal it with 1:02 left in the game.

Troutman’s 247 yards are the third-most in the state championship era for Nanakuli.

Troutman threw interceptions on his first three attempts and was picked four times in the game. But after the first three, he didn’t throw it much. He didn’t have to.

"He is a playmaker. He makes things happen for us," Nanakuli coach Skip Lopes said.

"I didn’t tell him to stop throwing, he shouldn’t have been throwing in the first place since he was throwing to the other team."

Kalani struck first, needing only five plays before Gavin Kim broke past several Nanakuli defenders to score from 40 yards out. After a punt, the Falcons scored again on a 28-yard field goal by Leo Klink to take a 10-0 lead.

Troutman ran for 130 yards on 13 carries before the break, scoring once on a 45-yard keeper to put Nanakuli on the board and alternating with Khade Paris on a march down the field to take the lead when Paris plunged in from a yard out.

Later in the second quarter, Troutman scored from a yard out to give Nanakuli a 21-10 lead.

Each team had three turnovers in the first half, and there were seven turnovers in the game.

Nanakuli tries to keep its winning tradition going on Friday when it hosts Kaiser, while Kalani plays Roosevelt the same day. The Golden Hawks can probably expect a full house since everybody loves a winner.

"It’s all the kids," Lopes said. "When we win, it’s the kids. When we lose, it’s the coach. So I must have a pretty good team, all of the coaches are the same."

Radford 21, Kalaheo 6

Cody Lui-Yuen threw three touchdown passes as the Rams beat the Mustangs.

Jameson Pasigan, Chris Jackson and Mason Manuma each caught touchdown passes for Radford.

FRIDAY’S LATE SUMMARY

Pearl City 54, Roosevelt 7