Max Nichols threw for 245 yards and four touchdowns and the Leilehua defense forced six turnovers as the Mules ruined Aiea’s homecoming with a 40-21 win.
After a fairly quiet first quarter that saw the Mules take a 7-0 lead off a 15-yard pass from Nichols to running back James McGary, Leilehua broke through for 16 points in the second quarter, staking a 23-0 lead over the home team.
But Aiea showed its resilience as quarterback Kayson Castillo tossed a 48-yard bomb to Babu Capanang to get Na Alii on the board. Then Castillo worked a 15-play, 85-yard drive in the final 2:15 in the half, capped by a 15-yard pass to Austin Mogote for a touchdown with 2.1 seconds left before halftime.
Coming out of halftime, Na Alii were fired up by their fans and thought they had pulled within five of Leilehua after what looked like an 86-yard touchdown pass from Castillo to Capanang. But a holding penalty wiped it off the board.
Later in the half, trailing 26-14, Castillo fired up the fans again, finding Zacharia Kalahiki-Basque with a perfect over-the-shoulder toss for a 27-yard touchdown, pulling Aiea within 26-21. But on the very next play, McGary ran the kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown, silencing the Aiea crowd. Aiea would never recover as Castillo threw three of his five interceptions in the final quarter.
The loss ruined an otherwise impressive showing for the Aiea offense. Castillo threw for 380 yards and three scores, while Kalahiki-Basque had 12 catches for 131 yards, and Bautista added 10 for 101.
Leilehua 40, Aiea 21
>> Leilehua (5-2, 4-1) 7 16 0 17 – 40
>> Aiea (2-3-1, 2-3) 0 14 0 7 – 21
Leilehua — James McGary 15 pass from Max Nichols (Akoni Tom-Makue kick)
Leilehua — FG Tom-Makue 21
Leilehua — Dorian Furtado 19 pass from Nichols (pass failed)
Leilehua — Jayzon Ramos 10 pass from Nichols (Tom-Makue kick)
Aiea — Babu Capanang 48 pass from Kayson Castillo (Thomas Hulett kick)
Aiea — Austin Mogote 15 pass from Castillo (Hulett kick)
Leilehua — FG Tom-Makue 35
Aiea — Zacharia Kalahiki-Basque 27 pass from Castillo (Hulett kick)
Leilehua — McGary 90 kickoff return (Tom-Makue kick)
Leilehua — Jeremy Evans 49 pass from Nichols (Tom-Makue kick)
RUSHING — Leilehua: McGary 15-58, Cody Akagi 4-10, Nichols 4-1. Aiea: LJ Vongsy 1-3, Castillo 2-0, Keoni Young-Tavai 5-0.
PASSING — Leilehua: Nichols 23-35-0-245. Aiea: Castillo 35-68-5-380.
RECEIVING — Leilehua: Evans 6-95, McGary 3-60, Furtado 3-43, Masen Reis 3-(minus-6), Ramos 2-20, Konapiliahi Raymond 2-19, Kalei Akagi 2-4, Chad Dilay 1-10, Rayden Rulloda-Kim 1-0. Aiea: Kalahiki-Basque 12-131, Fabian Bautista 10-101, Capanang 5-85, Mogote 3-26, Dylan Soberano 3-21, Vongsy 2-16.
Waipahu 36, Nanakuli 0
Cody Marques threw for a career-high 312 yards and a touchdown and Deacon Kapea rushed for two scores and returned an interception for another to help keep the Marauders (5-2, 4-0) undefeated in OIA Division I play.
Matthew Fiesta caught a 33-yard touchdown pass and finished with 150 receiving yards on six catches for Waipahu, which tied Moanalua in the league standings.
The Golden Hawks (0-7, 0-5) were shut out for the third time this season.
>> Nanakuli (0-7, 0-5) 0 0 0 0 — 0
>> Waipahu (5-2, 4-0) 7 14 15 0 — 36
Waipahu — Deacon Kapea 17 interception return (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Kapea 12 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Matthew Fiesta 33 pass from Cody Marques (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Kapea 10 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Branson Jay Reyes 75 punt return (Jeff Badua pass from Tarynce Antolin)
RUSHING — Nanakuli: Kaeo Aipia-Flood 11-27, Aleka 16-19, Holbin Cash-Meyers 4-9, Kunukau 5-(minus 5). Waipahu: Kapea 10-37, Antolin 1-9, Jayven Reyes 2-0, Marques 11-(minus 11).
PASSING — Nanakuli: Aalona Aleka 3-14-2-35, Lexsen Kunukau 3-5-0-14. Waipahu: Marques 20-25-1-312.
RECEIVING — Nanakuli: Aipia-Flood 2-15, Sai Crawford 1-14, Gavin Vea-Flint 1-10, Cash-Meyers 1-7, Charles Hauhio 1-3. Waipahu: Fiesta 6-150, Reyes 5-58, Solofa Setu 2-43, Saxon Tote 2-31, Jovan Gooman 2-17, Jeff Badua 2-8, Kapea 1-5.
Roosevelt 42, Kalaheo 6
Jason Hur and Tamaki Iijima returned interceptions for touchdowns and the Rough Riders (6-1, 4-1 OIA D-II) won their sixth game in a season for the first time since 2007.
Mitchell Camacho rushed for a game-high 75 yards and a touchdown.
The Rough Riders intercepted six passes.
>> Kalaheo (2-5, 2-3) 0 0 6 0 — 6
>> Roosevelt (6-1, 4-1) 0 21 7 14 — 42
Roosevelt — Keneke Gusman 1 run (Mason Morishige kick)
Roosevelt — Jason Hur 72 interception return (Morishige kick)
Roosevelt — Tamaki Iijima 27 interception return (Morishige kick)
Kalaheo — Bryson Johnson 67 punt return (kick failed)
Roosevelt — Aalona Monteilh 1 run (Morishige kick)
Roosevelt — Mitchell Camacho 37 run (Morishige kick)
Roosevelt — Myka Kukahiwa 24 run (Morishige kick)
RUSHING — Kalaheo: Jaden Amasiu 4-17, Carl Addy 4-8, Jedaiah Borge 2-5, Kekoa Alana 1-0, Noa Lapera 6-(minus 26). Roosevelt: Camacho 10-75, Kukahiwa 11-55, Monteilh 6-35, Brandon Teixeira 1-8, Gusman 2-8, Marcus Hee 1-(minus 9), Sky Ogata 7-(minus 47).
PASSING — Kalaheo: Lapera 5-10-4-50, Isaiah Akiu 0-5-2-0. Roosevelt: Ogata 8-14-0-31, Teixeira 0-1-1-0.
RECEIVING — Kalaheo: Jordan Neufeldt 2-26, Addy 1-15, Isaiah Tigilau 1-5, Alana 1-4. Roosevelt: Scott Chung 6-28, Camacho 1-7, Teixeira 1-(minus 4).
Pearl City 35, Kalani 0
Junior Makana Canyon threw three touchdown passes and the Chargers (5-2, 5-0 OIA D-II) took a half-game lead in OIA Division II over idle Kaimuki, which plays St. Francis tonight in a game that won’t count toward the Bulldogs’ league record.
Thomas King caught a touchdown pass for the fifth straight game, a 41-yarder from Canyon in the fourth quarter, and led all receivers with 64 yards.
Pearl City scored all 35 points in the second half.
>> Kalani (1-6, 1-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0
>> Pearl City (5-2, 5-0) 0 0 21 14 — 35
Pearl City — Shayden McMoore 10 run (Kyle Hyun kick)
Pearl City — Tex Kang 11 pass from Makana Canyon (Hyun kick)
Pearl City — Herbert Hallers 17 pass from Canyon (Hyun kick)
Pearl City — Thomas King 41 pass from Canyon (Hyun kick)
Pearl City — Mikey Ortiz-Ma’ae 15 run (Hyun kick)
RUSHING — Kalani: Sakamoto 10-18, Nathaniel Balangitao 3-5, Javan Montiho 1-2. Pearl City: Kang 12-68, Po’okela Moses-Espanto 12-67, Ortiz-Ma’ae 4-36, Hallers 4-21, McMoore 1-10, Puchert 2-8, Tielu 3-3.
PASSING — Kalani: Nicholas 15-34-1-112. Pearl City: Canyon 6-14-0-89, Christian Tielu 5-11-0-43, Adam Puchert 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING — Kalani: Jerick Robinson 5-60, Noah Ah Sam 5-35, No. 83, 2-7, Montiho 2-4, Jonathan Cai 1-6. Pearl City: King 4-69, Micah Quillopo-Jamile 3-30, Hallers 1-17, Kang 1-11, Stanton Hong 1-3, Dallas Ching 1-2.
ALSO
>> Kaiser 46, Waialua 16
>> MIL: Maui 41, King Kekaulike 13
>> BIIF: Kamehameha-Hawaii 42, Honokaa 7
>> BIIF: Hilo 45, Kealakehe 23
>> KIF: Kauai 13, Waimea 6