Lahainaluna defense locks up win

Lahainaluna has figured out a pretty good formula to winning ballgames.

Don’t give up any points.

The Lunas (9-1) recorded their seventh shutout in 10 games and scored both second-half touchdowns on defense to beat Nanakuli 28-0 in the first Division II semifinal of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships on Saturday night at Aloha Stadium.

Tytus Lucas intercepted Nanakuli quarterback Chazz Troutman twice — returning one 34 yards for a touchdown — and junior Hercules Mataafa forced two fumbles — including one recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Nanakuli finished with only eight first downs and negative-7 yards rushing.

"I don’t think we ever think about doing stuff like that," Lahainaluna co-head coach Garret Tihada said about Nanakuli’s final offensive numbers. "We want to do our best and come out with a win."

After losing three times in the last four years in the semis, the second-seeded Lunas, winners of the MIL Division II championship, will face top-seeded ‘Iolani in a rematch of the 2007 title game won by the Raiders, 28-21.

Sophomore Makoa Filikitonga Lukela Jr., a recent call-up from the junior varsity team, made his first start of the season and was an efficient 6-for-10 for 126 yards.

His 68-yard touchdown pass to Scott-Isaac Medeiros-Tangatailoa in the second quarter was one of only a handful of offensive highlights in a game dominated on the other side of the ball.

"We’re a top defense and I cannot explain how much they helped us," Filikitonga Lukela said. "That touchdown pass … I made that fake very good so he could sit and I just seen him open and I just passed it to him."

Four turnovers that led to 21 Lahainaluna points doomed the Golden Hawks (7-5) to end Nanakuli’s first appearance in the state tournament.

Troutman finished 11-for-20 for 139 yards, helping Nanakuli win more games this season than in the previous five years combined.

"Our underclassmen have got to get tough and continue on next year," Nanakuli coach Skip Lopes said. "(Lahainaluna’s) defense was tough."

Four different Lahainaluna players were credited with at least nine rushing attempts as the Lunas tried to spread it around on offense.

Sophomore Jared Rocha-Islas was the one player to have success, finishing with a game-high 76 yards on just nine carries.

Outside of two big runs by Lucas — including a 21-yard scamper on a fake punt in the fourth quarter — it was a defensive battle throughout.

Mataafa had three of his four tackles go for a loss and forced fumbles leading to two touchdowns.

Nanakuli forced a turnover on downs to end Lahainaluna’s first drive, but Mataafa jarred the ball loose from Khade Paris on the next play.

Bronson Kaina recovered it on the Nanakuli 20 and Mark Alamon scored five plays later from a yard out to give Lahainaluna a 7-0 lead.

Medeiros-Tangatailoa hauled in the long touchdown catch early in the second quarter and from then on, the Lunas’ defense took charge.

"Offensive we didn’t do too much — especially in the second half," Tihada said. "When the defense plays like that, we have a chance to win every game."

Tihada started Filikitonga Lukela at quarterback partly to allow his previous starter, Kiko Kohler-Fonohema, to play more on both sides of the ball.

Filikitonga Lukela said it was his first trip to Oahu, but he plans for the next one to be even better.

"The next trip coming back to Oahu — we got this game," he said. "We’re going to go all out again."