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In a football season in which nothing was guaranteed, Aiea took advantage of a rare second chance.
Seven weeks after losing its first football game played in more than two years, Na Alii returned to the same field and avenged a season-opening loss to Moanalua with a 17-14 victory over Na Menehune to win the OIA Division I championship on Saturday night.
Quarterback Eziekiel Olie ran for a touchdown and threw for another and senior Windsor Asing had two fourth-quarter interceptions to help Aiea (4-2) win its second OIA title in school history and first at the Division I level.
“That was our mindset the whole season, coming back and making history,” Olie said. “After that first game it was ‘see you again.’ ”
Coach Wendell Say, who led Na Alii to the Division II state championship in 2003, will get to lead his team into the state tournament again to cap his 29th season in charge of the program.
“I told the kids, normally you don’t get a second chance, but we’re lucky we got our second chance and you have to make the most of it,” Say said. “These guys are good and you can’t take them lightly just like everybody else. Second time is always harder because they know what you like to do and you’ve got to execute.”
Aiea broke a nine-game losing streak against Moanalua (5-2) dating back to 2008.
Four different players attempted a pass for Moanalua, which suffered a huge blow in the second quarter when starting quarterback Taylor Malloe was knocked out of the game after a hard hit to his upper leg by Aiea defensive back Bishop Foumui.
Malloe was 7-for-14 for 71 yards at the time. Moanalua managed to complete just four passes for the rest of the game.
“Aiea is a good team. They capitalized on our injury and our defense was on the field a little too long in the second half,” Moanalua coach Vince Nihipali said. “Anybody loses their starting quarterback, that is tough. That game could have gone real bad, real quick, but the boys battled hard and gave us a chance at the end.”
Moanalua forced an Aiea punt with less than two minutes to go and senior Andy Canencia returned it 69 yards to the Na Alii 1-yard line, setting up a Cameron Johnson touchdown run.
Moanalua tried an onside kick, but it was recovered by Aiea, which took three knees to end the game.
“It feels great. We made it here my sophomore year (in junior varsity) and came up short, but this year we did it,” Asing said. “I don’t know what to say. So many emotions right now.”
Moanalua got on the scoreboard first with an 84-yard drive in seven plays, capped by Malloe’s 17-yard touchdown pass to freshman Jayce Bareng, who made a leaping catch in the end zone.
Aiea was denied near the end zone early in the second quarter when senior Keenan McCaddy intercepted an overthrow by Olie.
Aiea’s defense forced a three-and-out to quickly get the ball back and Na Alii finally got sophomore receiver Jayden Chanel going.
Chanel, who leads Aiea in touchdown catches and averaged more than 18 yards a catch entering the game, caught three straight passes, including a 33-yarder to put the ball on the Moanalua 3.
“One-on-one, that’s all I’m going to say,” Olie said of his receiver.
Two plays later, Ollie plowed in for a 1-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
Malloe was injured on the next drive and Moanalua was forced to run the ball with different looks in the backfield.
Johnson, a running back, took direct snaps to run the ball and quarterback Ethan Gomez also took snaps but didn’t throw a pass before halftime.
Emmett Kelly saw action in the second half and was 2-for-7 for 37 yards. Johnson completed one pass for 32 yards and Gomez was 1-for-5 for 7 yards with an interception.
Malloe got back in the game in the fourth quarter but dropped a snap, was sacked and then was intercepted by Asing.
“I thought he was out, and then talking to the trainers, they cleared him, so he went back in there,” Nihipali said. “I was surprised, but at that point he was limping and a little immobile.”
No. 5 Campbell 33, No. 9 Waianae 14
Sabers quarterback Tana Tofagau-Tavui looked awfully comfortable for a guy who had thrown only 20 passes coming into the game.
Tofagau-Tavui rushed for two scores and had a pair of touchdown passes as Campbell beat Waianae in the OIA Open Division third-place game at Waipahu.
Campbell joins OIA champion Kahuku and runner-up Mililani in the state tournament, which starts on Dec. 18. Saint Louis will represent the ILH.
“We needed to win this game,” said Campbell coach Darren Johnson, whose team had lost its previous three games by an average of 32 points. “This was big for us because we were on that losing streak and we had to get off it. We have another week of football. We’re not turning in our pads.”
Tofagau-Tavui threw scoring passes to Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawalauole and Rowen-Ray Bucao, and rushed for 1- and 3-yard touchdowns.
“The two (rushing) touchdowns I got to thank the linemen because they helped me and I have to thank Kama and Rowen for catching the ball when I threw it,” Tofagau-Tavui said. “Those four touchdowns I had, if it wasn’t for the team I wouldn’t have done them.”
The Sabers (5-3) set the tone early with two time-consuming scoring drives.
Campbell’s opening drive lasted 19 plays, covered 78 yards and took 8:47 off the clock. It culminated with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tofagau-Tavui to Kopa-Kaawalauole with 3:13 left. The PAT kick was blocked.
Waianae’s first possession also was a long one, with the Seariders driving 65 yards on 12 plays. Alvin Quisquirin-Sabagala scored on a 2-yard run with 9:11 left before halftime. Zyren Villanueva’s PAT kick put the Seariders ahead 7-6.
The Sabers’ next series lasted 11 plays and ate up six minutes, with Tofagau-Tavui hitting Bucao on a 21-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal with 3:12 left before halftime. Tofagau-Tavui hit T’nias Tavale on a jump pass for the 2-point conversion and a 14-7 Campbell lead.
“We just couldn’t stop them,” Waianae coach Matt Murakawa said. “No excuses. We just have to stop them. They just out-executed us. They’re a super good team, super talented. They ran the ball real well. That’s always tough whenever they run the ball on you.”
On Waianae’s next possession, Kela Moore intercepted a pass from Seariders backup quarterback Kilohana Thomas at the Sabers’ 22 with 1:15 remaining. Campbell backup quarterback Chayne Kuboyama-Hayashi completed a 28-yard pass to Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawalauole with a roughing-the-passer penalty added on and hit Bucao on a 34-yarder to put the ball at the 1. Tofagau-Tavui scored on a 1-yard keeper to put Campbell ahead 20-7 with 38 seconds left. The PAT kick was blocked.
Tofagau-Tavui scored on a 3-yard run and Kuboyama-Hayashi threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Kopa-Kaawalauole in the second half.
Quisquirin-Sabagala capped the scoring with a 4-yard run for Waianae late in the game. He finished with 17 rushes for 70 yards. The Seariders completed their season at 3-5.
Tofagau-Tavui finished 9-for-13 for 104 yards, while Kuboyama-Hayashi was 4-for-7 for 79 yards. Kuboyama-Hayashi had completed 87 passes going into the game, while Tofagau-Tavui had 12 completions.
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Kyle Sakamoto, Star-Advertiser
Kaimuki 28, Waialua 14
The clash of the two Bulldogs squads went to Kaimuki on the final day of the OIA Division II regular season. Kaimuki rode a dominant run game that racked up 233 total yards en route to the win.
The victorious Bulldogs were led by a pair of 100-yard rushers. Avin Tanioka finished with 107 yards on 10 carries along with a score. Not far behind was Ofa Vehikite with 105 yards on 15 carries. Vehikite also added a touchdown run. Meanwhile, quarterback Sione Taufa did his job in the passing game, completing a quiet eight of 13 for 72 yards and a score.
Waialua didn’t have nearly as much success in the run game. Instead, the team placed its hopes on the arm of quarterback Tyson Apau, who responded with 186 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss. Gino Coyle (72 yards) and James Zara (52 yards) were his top targets.
Waialua started strong, as Apau hit Zara with a 12-yard touchdown toss to cap the first drive of the game, which lasted 14 plays.
Kaimuki finally answered just before halftime. After a booming 65-yard punt that was headed for more from punter Kurt Kawamoto, Kaimuki’s defense forced a quick Waialua punt. With a shorter field, Kaimuki quickly made up the 60 yards between it and the end zone. Tanioka’s 10-yard carry at the end of the five-play drive knotted it up at 7-7 heading into the half.
Kaimuki opened the second half with JJ Leota Jr.’s 10-yard scoring run and followed with two more touchdowns — Vehikite’s 11-yard run after an 11-play drive and Taufa’s lone passing touchdown, a 19-yard toss to Kenny Eaton. By the time Waialua’s Apau found Coyle for a 72-yard catch-and-run score late in the fourth quarter, it was too little too late.
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Jonathan Chen, Star-Advertiser
Aiea 17, Moanalua 14
At Moanalua H.S. field
Aiea (4-2) 0 7 10 0 — 17
Moanalua (5-2) 7 0 0 7 — 14
Moan – Jayce Bareng 17 pass from Taylor Malloe (Alex Heim kick)
Aiea — Eziekiel Olie 1 run (Bryson Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea — FG Quiton 35
Aiea — Jayden Chanel 12 pass from Olie (Quiton kick)
Moan — Cameron Johnson 1 run (Heim kick)
RUSHING—Aiea: Kaimana Lale-Saole 17-94, Olie 7-27, Kane Lorenzana 6-5, Geronimo Ulgaran 2-(minus 1), team 3-(minus 3). Moanalua: Johnson 12-24, Ryson Lum 5-14, Malloe 4-8, Gabe Wells 2-8, Kindred Malakai Park 2-5, Ethan Gomez 3-1.
PASSING—Aiea: Olie 13-24-2-120. Moanalua: Malloe 7-15-1-71, Emmett Kelly 2-7-0-37, Johnson 1-2-0-32, Gomez 1-5-1-7.
RECEIVING—Aiea: Chanel 4-57, Jheremie Cacpal 3-30, Ulgaran 3-21, Rico Figueroa 2-4, Trey’vn Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 1-8. Moanalua: Dominic Tisalona 1-36, Bareng 2-34, Andy Canencia 2-44, Keenan McCaddy 2-21, Wells 2-9, Lum 1-5, Isaac Ishikawa 1-(minus 2).
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Campbell 33, Waianae 14
At Waipahu
Waianae (3-4, 3-5) 0 7 0 7 — 14
Campbell (5-2, 5-3) 6 14 6 7 — 33
Camp—Kamaehu Kopa-Kaawalauole 6 pass from Tana Tofagau-Tavui (kick blocked), 3:13
Wain—Alvin Quisquirin-Sabagala 2 run (Zyren Villanueva kick)
Camp—Rowen-Ray Bucao 21 pass from Tofagau-Tavui (T’nias Tavale from Tofagau-Tavu)
Camp—Tofagau-Tavui 1 run (kick blocked)
Camp—Tofagau-Tavui 3 run (pass failed)
Camp—Kopa-Kaawalauole 10 pass from Chayne Kuboyama-Hayashi (Sehuthia Maka-Maile kick)
Wain—Quisquirin-Sabagala 4 run (Zyren Villanueva kick)
RUSHING—Waianae: Quisquirin-Sabagala 17-70, Akoni Halemano 10-24, Tevin Wilbur 1-4, Joeziah Clifton 1-(minus 2), Chayce Gomes 1-(minus 3). Campbell: Tofagau-Tavui 14-56, #32 6-25, Bucao 4-18, Chauncee Lopez 9-17, Kuboyama-Hayashi 3-13, Dallas John Fonseca-Juan 2-10, Teva Feliciano 1-8, Team 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Waianae: Halemano 9-19-0-85, Kilohana Thomas 1-2-1-1. Campbell: Tofagau-Tavui 9-13-1-104, Kuboyama-Hayashi 4-7-0-79, Bailey Lopez 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Gomes 4-41, Joshua Santiago 2-31, Malachi Tapaoan 1-11, Quisquirin-Sabagala 1-4, Wilbur 2-(minus 1). Campbell: Bucao 3-69, Kopa-Kaawalauole 3-44, Fonseca-Juan 2-38, Jourdain Berinobis-Pyne 3-26, Diego Betancourt 2-6.
JV Division I championship—Castle 7, Waipahu 6
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Kaimuki 28, Waialua 14
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Waialua (2-6) 7 0 0 7 — 14
Kaimuki (3-5) 0 7 7 14 — 28
WAIL—James Zara 12 pass from Tyson Apau (Lasse Stolten kick)
KAIM—Avin Tanioka 10 run (Kurt Kawamoto kick)
KAIM—JJ Leota Jr. 10 run (Kawamoto kick)
KAIM—Ofa Vehikite 11 run (Kawamoto kick)
KAIM—Kenny Eaton 19 pass from Sione Taufa (Kawamoto kick)
WAIL—Gino Coyle 72 pass from Apau (Stolten kick)
RUSHING—Waialua: Apau 11-80, Taylor Calaro 8-16. Kaimuki: Tanioka 10-107, Vehikite 15-105, Leota Jr. 4-18, Zach Kuratsu 2-5, Taufa 1-2, TEAM 1-(minus 4).
PASSING—Waialua: Apau 16-28-2-186. Kaimuki: Taufa 8-13-1-72.
RECEIVING—Waialua: Coyle 1-72, Zara 7-52, Elisha Sheridan 4-27, Jayvie Arellano 2-23, Seth Stanek 2-12. Kaimuki: Vehikite 3-28, Jeremiah White 4-25, Eaton 1-19.
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