Kapolei shuts out Kailua to secure OIA playoff berth

Kapolei bounced back from an emotionally draining loss and secured a playoff berth with a 20-0 homecoming night win over Kailua on Friday.

A week after seeing a lead slip away in the final minute in a 14-13 loss to Campbell, the Hurricanes posted their first shutout of the season to clinch a spot in the OIA Division I playoffs.

"It was big for us," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "We’re 2-4, but we lost two games by three points (total), so we could easily be 4-2. That’s the way we look at it.

"We’re trying to gear up for the playoffs and hopefully be a dangerous team come playoff time. We know we can play with some of the top teams. We’ve proven that."

Ronald Matautia ran for two touchdowns and the Hurricanes reserved their postseason spot with a bye coming up prior to their regular-season finale against Aiea on Oct. 4, with the playoffs to follow.

Kailua fell to 0-6 and concludes its regular-season schedule on Sept. 27 against Moanalua.

Kapolei held Kailua to 127 yards in total offense and recorded its first shutout since a 30-0 win over Castle on Oct. 12, 2012.

"The last three weeks our defense has been playing well," Hernandez said.

Kapolei punted the ball away on its first possession, but quarterback/punter Alton Julius’ wobbly kick bounced off a Kailua player and the Hurricanes recovered at the Kailua 19.

Julius extended the drive again when he connected with Naliko Kea on a 19-yard completion on third-and-14. Matautia gave the Hurricanes the lead one play later with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Kapolei’s next possession was aided by a Kailua penalty on fourth-and-3 and Julius hit Noah-Ty Williams on a back-shoulder throw for a 15-yard score with 1:51 left in the first quarter.

Kailua ran 28 plays over the remainder of the first half to Kapolei’s 10, but had two drives stall inside the Hurricanes 25.

Kaliua missed a 28-yard field goal with 10 seconds left but kept the ball on a roughing-the-kicker penalty. A sack kept the shutout intact going into halftime.

Paepaeiva Silifaiva-Kaeha represented the bulk of the Kailua offense with 73 yards on 28 carries.

Kapo–Ronald Matautia 4 run (kick failed)

Kapo–Ty-Noah Williams 15 pass from

Alton Julius (kick failed)

Kapo–Matautia 1 run (Kekua Marumoto pass from Julius)

RUSHING–Kailua: Paepaeiva Silifaiva-Kaeha 28-73, Kamu Scheer 1-0, Noah Auld 4-(minus 1), Kana Richardson 1-(minus 3), Team 1-(minus 7), Martin Tigilau 4-(minus 14). Kapolei: Trensten Spragling 6-18, Julius 8-16, Naliko Kea 1-12, Matautia 4-10, Kone Maluina 2-8, Isaac Makinney 3-5, Joseph Kaina 1-1, Ronald Young 1-0.

PASSING–Kailua: Auld 9-18-0-74, Tigilau 1-6-0-5. Kapolei: Julius 8-19-0-100.

RECEIVING–Kailua: Scheer 2-31, Tigilau 2-18, Koolau Gaspar 2-10, Silifaiva-Kaeha 2-2, Kaimana Lono 1-13, Keelan Kaleohi-Palama 1-5. Kapolei: Williams 3-49, Naliko Kea 3-47, Marumoto 1-10, Spragling 1-(minus 6).

Junior varsity–Kapolei 20, Kailua 0