With two quick touchdowns to start Saturday night’s game, No. 9 Leilehua looked unshakable. And while things didn’t unravel, the going got much tougher and the Mules were hard pressed to stay ahead and lock up a 14-0 victory over Kailua at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.
Normally super precise on offense, Leilehua found itself in uphill mode the rest of the way.
According to Mules coach Mark Kurisu, Kailua did something the Wahiawa boys hadn’t seen.
“It’s called a mush rush,” he said. “It’s where the D-linemen aren’t necessarily penetrating. By doing that, they were able to get coverage on us. They locked in on the defensive side.”
For sure, it slowed Leilehua’s roll. The Mules’ offense was nowhere nearly as effective as it was in a season-opening, 35-0 win over Farrington one week earlier.
Unfortunately for Kailua (0-2, 0-1 OIA Division I), Leilehua’s defense was in wrecking-ball mode. The Mules pressured quarterback Cameron Friel (74 yards passing) and held running back Lahaina Kane (46 yards rushing) in check. All told, the Surfriders were held to 94 yards of total offense.
That defensive menacing was led by Leilehua’s Jashawn Wakefield, who finished with two sacks, three other tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. Kiaka Pio, a big horse on defense for Leilehua (2-0, 1-0) against Farrington, was at it again, with two of his team’s eight sacks.
“It was a good win,” Wakefield said. “We worked hard for this, just like against Farrington. We came out super hard and did our job. The conditioning every week helps. We were in shape for this and none of us looked tired. Every day, we get yelled at if we’re not working hard enough. But when we do work hard, this is what happens. We win.”
Both of the Mules’ touchdowns came in the first quarter and they happened soon after apparent quick-strike touchdowns by both teams were nullified by penalties.
The sun was still above the Waianae mountains when Leilehua quarterback Kalei Akagi connected with Jonathan Vasquez on a 33-yard touchdown pass. Later, with 2:39 to go in the opening quarter, Akagi made it 14-0 by sneaking in for a TD from 1 yard out to cap a 66-yard drive that Jayzon Ramos made possible with receptions of 15 and 20 yards.
“They are a good offense,” said Kailua coach Joe Wong, who used Kane’s 16 carries to keep the ball out of the Mules’ hands. “But like any other team, if you make them play the distance of the field, that makes all the difference in the world. They scored (the first TD) on a short field.”
At that point, nobody knew the Surfriders were going to buckle down on defense. But they did, with Renzo Adobas coming up with a sack and Blazen Lono-Wong delivering a tackle for loss.
“Our defense is bad, man,” Kailua’s Friel said, using “bad” as a positive adjective. “Leilehua’s pass rush was all right. On offense, it just goes to prove we gotta work more, execute, with everyone taking care of their responsibilities.”
Added coach Wong, “The route running (was a little off) and there were some protection breakdowns. But we’ll get it.”
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No. 9 Leilehua 14, Kailua 0
At Leilehua
>> Kailua (0-2, 0-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
>> Leilehua (2-0, 1-0) 14 0 0 0 — 14
Leilehua — Jonathan Vasquez 33 pass from Kalei Akagi (Konapiliahi Raymond kick)
Leilehua — Kalei Akagi 1 run (Raymond kick)
RUSHING — Kailua: Lahaina Kane 16-46, Cameron Friel 13-(minus-20). Leilehua: Damarion Smith 3-22, Cody Akagi 7-14. Kalei Akagi 6-7, Kawela Kaluhiokalani 2-5, TEAM 3-(minus-12).
PASSING — Kailua: Friel 11-25-0-74. Leilehua: Kalei Akagi 12-32-0-136.
RECEIVING — Kailua: Samson Rasay 4-44, Raynen Ho Mook 4-19, Kamryn Kahoonei 2-15, Kane 1-(minus-4). Leilehua: Jayzon Ramos 4-48, Vasquez 2-47, Benjamin Lockman 2-13, Landyn Jumawan 2-3, Kaluhiokalani 1-18, Cody Akagi 1-7.
*Junior varsity — Leilehua 60, Kailua 12
