Defense indeed won this championship.
Some 61 years removed from its last league title, Roosevelt captured its first as a member of the Oahu Interscholastic Association with a 28-18 win over Kaimuki in the Division II championship game on Friday at Aloha Stadium.
With Roosevelt’s offense stuck in neutral after halftime, the defense produced the decisive scores in Roosevelt’s fourth-quarter comeback. Isaac Kaleikau returned a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown to give the Rough Riders the lead, and Marcus Hee, who forced the fumble, sealed the title with a 75-yard interception return for a score in the final minute.
“Honestly, I was tearing up because we just made history for the second time in a row,” Kaleikau said.
A week after clinching a berth in the Division II state tournament, Roosevelt (11-1 after St. Francis forfeited its season) captured the program’s first title since winning its fifth and final ILH championship in 1957. The Rough Riders went 11-0 that year and their current win total is the highest since.
“It’s huge for us for the program, for the kids and for the community,” said third-year Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala, who spent close to three decades as an assistant. “This journey we started in February, just a lot of sacrifice these kids made.”
The journey will continue in the six-team D-II state tournament, which opens with quarterfinal games on Nov. 10.
Kaimuki (9-2) has also qualified for the state tournament in coach David Tautofi’s fourth season.
“The good thing is we got a shot at states now,” Tautofi said. “The question is: ‘What are we going to do from this now? What can we learn from this?’ Everything is a learning lesson for us, wins or losses. It’s a great opportunity for our boys to grow up a little bit. We had our chances, but they took advantage of our mistakes.”
Kaimuki spent much of the game tightly packed in a double-tight-end alignment with three backfield blockers leading the way for wildcat backs Jonah Stephens and Naomas Asuega-Fualaau, who rushed for 122 and 112 yards.
Asuega-Fualaau scored on two short runs in the first half, and his 32-yard burst with 3:35 left in the third quarter gave Kaimuki its first lead at 18-13.
Roosevelt’s offense, which took the lead on first-half touchdown runs by Mitchell Camacho (6 yards) and Aalona Monteilh (1 yard), produced just one first down in six second-half possessions.
Kaimuki appeared poised to grind out a win before Hee punched the ball out of Asuega-Fualaau’s grasp near midfield. Kaleikau scooped up the loose ball and raced to the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:14 left.
“Coach always emphasized stepping up when the time is right, and that was the extra push to punch that ball out and get the touchdown for my brother,” Hee said. “I knew the ball was wet and he was running kind of wild, so I saw my chance and punched it.”
Kaleikau later came up with an interception when the Bulldogs attempted a double pass and Hee erased any lingering doubt with his weaving interception return with 23 seconds left.
“I was thinking ‘go down’ because I saw some huge guys coming after me,” Hee said. “But I had that thing in the back of my mind just knowing I had to ice the game.”
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GAME SUMMARY
Roosevelt 28, Kaimuki 18
At Aloha Stadium
>> Roosevelt (11-1) 7 6 0 15 — 28
>> Kaimuki (9-2) 6 6 6 0 — 18
Roosevelt — Mitchell Camacho 3 run (Mason Morishige kick)
Kaimuki — Naomas Asuega-Fualaau 5 run (run failed)
Roosevelt — Aalona Monteilh 1 run (kick blocked)
Kaimuki — Asuega-Fualaau 3 run (run failed)
Kaimuki — Asuega-Fualaau 32 run (pass failed)
Roosevelt — Isaac Kaleikau 58 fumble return (Keneke Gusman run)
Roosevelt — Marcus Hee 75 interception return (Morishige kick)
RUSHING — Roosevelt: Myka Kukahiwa 1-12, Camacho 10-22, Sky Ogata 5-(-4), Caine Fitiausi-Fung 1-9, Keneke Gusman 4-4, Monteilh 2-2, Brandon Teixiera 1-(-6). Kaimuki: Jonah Stephens 12-122, Asuega-Fualaau 26-112, Jonah Fa’asoa 4-(-17), Elijah Lemalu 4-13, Harry Lloyd 1-(19).
PASSING — Roosevelt: Ogata 12-19-0-96. Kaimuki: Fa’asoa 13-19-1-141, Alex Lemalu 0-1-1-0.
RECIEVING — Roosevelt: Nicholas Ogata 3-19, Kukahiwa 2-16, Scott Chung 4-44, Isaac Kaleikau 1-3, Fitiausi-Fung 1-16, Monteilh 1-(-2). Kaimuki: E. Lemalu 3-24, A. Lemalu 4-40, Blade Pfeiffer-Kekoa 3-26, Kaulana Kaluna Jr. 1-15, Kobe Moananu 2-36.
