St. Francis shows off passing game in win against McKinley

After relying almost entirely on running back Jonan Aina-Chaves in its season opener, St. Francis opened up the offense to begin Division II play.

Quarterback Jonah Aina-Chaves threw three touchdown passes and Shepherd Kekahuna returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half to lead the Saints to a 42-6 victory over McKinley on Saturday at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

Kekahuna added a 16-yard touchdown reception from Jonah Aina-Chaves, who finished 8-for-21 for 151 yards.

“With the offense we got, I think we can just run it all day,” Jonah Aina-Chaves said. “We’re really known as a run team. We’re not expected to pass.”

The Saints (2-0, 1-0 ILH D-II) opened their season last week with a 28-21 win over Division I Radford. Jonan Aina-Chaves, who set the school’s single-game rushing record, accounted for 272 of the team’s 345 total yards of offense.

He finished the game against the Tigers (1-1, 0-0 OIA D-II) with 124 rushing yards as the Saints spread the ball around.

Six different receivers caught passes and Kain Lyman scored on a 1-yard touchdown run.

Jonan Aina-Chaves finished with 168 of the team’s 404 total yards.

“We want to try to stay as balanced as we can,” St. Francis coach Kip Akana said. “The word is out and guys are going to key on No. 4 (Jonan Aina-Chaves). We know that and we’ve got to give him some help and spread it around.”

Senior Bubba Akana came off the bench to quarterback the second half and was 6-for-9 for 105 yards.

Kekahuna scored on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jonah Aina-Chaves to open the scoring in the first half and closed it with a pick-6.

McKinley trailed 28-0 with the ball on the Saints’ 23-yard line and three seconds remaining.

Quarterback Alexandria Buchanan tried a pass over the middle about 10 yards short of the end zone, but Kekahuna stepped in front and went the other way clean for a 35-0 lead at the break.

“He’s an important two-way player,” Kip Akana said.

McKinley forced three turnovers in the second half. Iulio Atonio and Travis Tanuvasa-Filipo recovered fumbles and Leon Montgomery added an interception.

Migguel Camacho, the Tigers’ leading rusher, scored on a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter for McKinley’s only points.

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GAME SUMMARY

St. Francis 42, McKinley 6
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium

>> McKinley (1-1, 0-0) 0 0 0 6 — 6
>> St. Francis (2-0, 1-0) 14 21 0 7 — 42

St. Francis — Shepherd Kekahuna 16 pass from Jonah Aina-Chaves (Jonan Aina-Chaves run)

St. Francis — Kain Lyman 1 run (run failed)

St. Francis — Jonan Aina-Chaves 15 pass from Jonah Aina-Chaves (run failed)

St. Francis — Dayton Leong 10 pass from Jonah Aina-Chaves (Jonan Aina-Chaves run)

St. Francis — Kekahuna 87 interception return (Makana Poole kick)

McKinley — Migguel Camacho 16 run (pass failed)

St. Francis — Jonan Aina-Chaves 1 run (Poole kick)

RUSHING — McKinley: Camacho 12-66, Collin Guttenbeil 5-16, Emilio Paul 2-(minus 4), Jordon Kanakanui 2-(minus 11). St. Francis: Jonan Aina-Chaves 18-124, Leong 3-16, Lyman 4-7, Alden Rosa 1-2, Jonah Aina-Chaves 6-1, Bubba Akana 1-(minus 2).

PASSING — McKinley: Kanakanui 2-4-1-21, Alexandria Buchanan 4-13–2-15. St. Francis: Jonah Aina-Chaves 8-12–0-151, B. Akana 6-9–1-105.

RECEIVING — McKinley: Paul 2-4, Leon Montgomery 1-19, Jayden Victorino-Jay 1-9, Sly Gascon 1-2, Malachi Kaapa-Iaea 1-2. St. Francis: Leong 4-63, Kekahuna 3-77, Jonan Aina-Chaves 3-44, Zion Paro Amina 2-21, Jett Tanuvasa 1-35, Chase Akana 1-16.