Kahuku pounds, then grounds Kaiser

It was pretty straightforward. No. 4 Kahuku likes to run and so does Kaiser. The Red Raiders, however, had much more success in that department at Carleton Weimer Field on the North Shore on Friday night, dumping the visiting Cougars 34-3.

The biggest blow to Kaiser’s chances came a week ago, when star running back Jensen McDaniel suffered a sprained ankle in a loss to Aiea. His absence was devastating to a team that had averaged more than 400 yards rushing in two games. In this one, Kahuku held the Cougars to just 65 yards on the ground.

"Glad to see we (had success) with the ground and pound," Red Raiders coach Vavae Tata said. "Hats off to our coaching staff for getting us ready in all three phases of the game. We were expecting to face 24 (McDaniel), but we ended up having to deal with 13 (quarterback Nic Tom). Cut the head off the snake and the body dies."

The victory was payback in a sense. A year ago, the Red Raiders (3-0, 2-0 OIA Red) fell victim in a 20-19 upset early in the season in Hawaii Kai.

Without McDaniel in the lineup, Kaiser (0-3, 0-2 OIA Red) had to rely on Tom running out of the shotgun. The speedster eluded the rush a bunch and scrambled, but netted just 29 yards on the ground. He had big gains of 40 and 17 yards, but he was also sacked five times.

"We played assignment football," Kahuku defensive back Hirkley Latu said. "We found out in the first half how super fast Nic Tom was and the coaches adjusted and we contained him better in the second half. It was a great overall team win."

Meanwhile, the Kahuku running machine went to town. Sefa Ameperosa rushed for 120 yards with two touchdowns. Two other Red Raiders running backs — Ted Kenese and LeRod Tongi — found the end zone, as did quarterback Kesi Ah-Hoy.

Ah-Hoy was effective, completing five of his six passes for 51 yards. The Red Raiders didn’t need more through the air.

Kahuku went up 7-0 when Tongi went up the middle for a 7-yard score midway through the first quarter.

Kaiser’s Andrew Kaufusi put his team’s only points on the board early in the second with a 31-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

It was all Kahuku after that. Ameperosa scored on runs of 40 and 7 yards and nearly scored on a 60-yard gallop, but it was called back due to a penalty.

"It was unfortunate we didn’t have Jensen in the lineup," Cougars coach Cameron Higgins said.

"Our linebackers (Parker Higgins and Emmett Garcia) had to go both ways and play running back, too. That takes its toll. But I’m proud of my guys. We were banged up, but fought until the end. Kahuku did what they do (pound it on the ground)."

Tongi had three sacks for the Red Raiders, with one each from Manaia Atuaia and Sio Naupoto, while Latu was a menace with blitzes from his defensive back position.