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The Aiea Na Alii began their 2022 campaign with a bang, steamrolling reigning Hawaii Division II champions Kapaa 41-17 and spoiling the Warriors’ trip to Oahu.
“It’s real great to get an early win like this,” Aiea quarterback Noah Spencer said of Saturday’s victory at Radford’s John E. Velasco Stadium. “Just shows that all the hard work throughout the summer paid off. I’m excited for the season. We’ve got a lot of weapons. We just have to work hard and work as a unit.”
Aiea leaned on the quarterback duo of Spencer and Ezekiel Olie. Olie, the incumbent starter, was battling a sickness prior to the game, according to head coach Wendell Say. The door was opened for Spencer to make his mark. Spencer, who played for Kamehameha I-AA last year, started the first quarterback for his new team.
“It’s been great, the community,” Spencer said of his transfer. “All the love that’s spread throughout, through the school, through the shops around the area. Everybody’s so loving, and it’s been great getting out there and showing everybody what I’m all about.”
Spencer responded to the big opportunity, completing a perfect 5-for-5 passes for 56 yards. Three of his five passes wound up in the end zone. Olie, who rotated into the lineup with Spencer, completed 8-for-13 passes for 108 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.
“It was the plan,” Say said of the quarterback rotation. “Zeke was sick, and we wanted to bring him back slowly. And Noah has been playing great. I think the competition will make each of them better.”
Jayden Chanel led the Aiea receivers with 74 yards and a touchdown grab on five catches. Rico Figueroa tallied 38 yards on three receptions while also catching a touchdown toss. Geronimo Ulgaran tallied 29 yards on three grabs, including the first two scores of the game. He capped off a big first quarter with a punt return touchdown.
Running back Kaimana Lale-Saole was a workhorse in the Aiea ground game, toting the ball 12 times for 149 yards and a score. Spencer carried the ball four times for 59 yards, while Kane Lorenzana finished with 39 yards on three carries.
Kapaa quarterback Kapono Na-O completed 6-of-12 passes for 79 yards with a touchdown to Canaan Coleman and a pick. Kahiapo Kuhaulua-Leong scored on the ground from three yards out.
After forcing an early Kapaa turnover on downs, Aiea went into attack mode, scoring on just three passes. Spencer’s 6-yard pass to Ulgaran in the end zone at 8:25 capped off Na Ali’i’s first scoring drive. Just nine plays later, Spencer again connected with Ulgaran for a 27-yard touchdown strike at 4:23. Aiea wasn’t done scoring however. With zeroes on the clock, Ulgaran weaved his way through the Kapaa punt coverage for a 74-yard score to mercifully finish off a 20-0 first quarter.
A lengthy drive to open the second quarter yielded nothing for Kapaa, but it didn’t hamper Aiea’s momentum. With Olie now in the game, Aiea began looking to the air. Olie threw six passes during the drive, with his last one finding Figueroa for a 5-yard score. Kapaa finally broke through onto the scoreboard with the clock ticking down in the half. A 10-play Warriors drive led to Kuhaulua-Leong’s 3-yard score to cut the deficit to 27-7.
Kapaa got its chance to get back into the game right away in the second half. Aiea’s first drive ended with a fumble, and Kapaa responded with 12-play drive that ended with Na-O’s 21-yard touchdown throw to Coleman Canaan. The deficit was reduced to a manageable 27-14.
The narrowed gap didn’t last, as Aiea returned favor with a touchdown to open the final quarter. Following five straight run plays, Spencer stepped back to pass, finding Jayden Chanel for a 10-yard touchdown to push Aiea’s lead back up to 34-14. Kapaa would manage to add a field goal in the final frame, but Lale-Saole’s 71-yard touchdown run with 1:31 to go effectively ended the game.
Waianae 26, Castle 6
Tevin Wilbur rushed 16 times for 100 yards and four touchdowns as the visiting Seariders won in Thom Kaumeyer’s coaching debut.
Wilbur scored on 33-and 1-yard runs in the first quarter, a 4-yard rush in the second and a 5-yarder in the fourth.
Castle scored on Coby Tanioka’s 5-yard run with 9:16 remaining in the game.
Pearl City 33, Kauai 22
Junior quarterback Trey Dacoscos threw two early touchdown passes to put the Chargers in front and finished 26-for34 for 217 yards in a victory over the Red Raiders at Vidinha Stadium.
Dacoscos threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Lennon Elder and a 15- yard scoring strike to Koali’i Torres to help the Chargers build a 20-0 lead in the first quarter.
Damien 53, Kalaheo 0
Freshman quarterback AJ Tuifua led the Monarchs to their biggest margin of victory in school history with four touchdown passes in a win over the Mustangs.
Tuifua finished 22-for-37 for 264 yards and threw two of his four scoring passes to Sylas Alaimalo.
Pac-Five 36, Pahoa 0
Blade Kauluaau rushed for three touchdowns and Daymian Lapitan returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown to help the Wolfpack win their first season opener since 2017 by beating the Daggers.
Dawson Coover caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from Braden Sardinha to put the final touches on Pac-Five’s biggest margin of victory since opening the 2016 season beating McKinley 49-0.
Roosevelt 51, McKinley 7
Senior quarterback Kayman Lewis threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Rough Riders to a win over the Tigers.
Lewis rushed for a team-high 93 yards and Silas Kekahuna ran for 57 yards and two touchdowns to lead Roosevelt, which has won six straight in the series since being forced to forfeit a game to the Tigers in 2013.
McKinley, winless under second-year coach Kale Ane, got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Afi Togafau to Preston Note. Note caught two passes for 87 yards.
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AIEA 41, KAPAA 17
At John E. Velasco Stadium
Kapaa (0-1) 0 7 7 3 — 17
Aiea (1-0) 20 7 7 7 — 41
Aiea—Geronimo Ulgaren 6 pass from Noah Spencer (Bryson Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Ulgaran 27 pass from Spencer (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Ulgaran 74 punt return (kick failed)
Aiea—Christopher Rapozo 24 yard field.
Aiea—Rico Figueroa 5 pass from Ezekiel Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Kapa—Kahiapo Kuhaulua-Leong 3 run (Rapozo kick)
Kapa—Canaan Coleman 21 pass from Kapono Na-O (Rapozo kick)
Aiea—Jayden Chanel 10 pass from Spencer (Boyea Quiton kick)
Kapa—C. Pacheco FG 24
Aiea—Kaimana Lale-Saole 71 run
RUSHING—Kapaa: Kuhaulua-Leong 3-27, Nainoa Simmons-Kaohelaulii 10-26, Waikahekili Makepa 4-23, Keoki Ibaan 12- 17, Charles Lee 4-15, Solomone Malafu 4-6, Evan Daligdig 4-3, Na-O 8-(minus 6), TEAM 1-(minus 24). Aiea: Lale-Saole 12- 149, Spencer 4-59, Kane Lorenzana 3-39, Eziekiel Olie 2-10, Jheremie Cacpal 1-9.
PASSING—Kapaa: Na-O 6-12-1-79, Daligdig 2-6-0-25, Malafu 0-1-0-0. Aiea: Olie 8-13-1-108, Spencer 5-5-0-56, TEAM 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Kapaa: Lee 3-54, Coleman 3-34, Ibaan 1-10, Kanalu Kaneholani 1-6. Aiea: Jayden Chanel 5-74, Rico Figueroa 3-38, Ulgaran 3-29, Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 1-12, Cacpal 1-11.
DAMIEN 53, KALAHEO 0
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Kalaheo (0-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Damien (1-0) 6 14 26 7 — 53
DMS—AJ Tuifua 2 run (kick failed)
DMS—Sylas Alaimalo 12 pass from Tuifua (Jonah Ching kick)
DMS—Alaimalo 20 pass from Tuifua (Ching kick)
DMS—Bryse Hopeau-Lampitoc 52 pass from Tuifua (pass failed)
DMS—Jordan DeCenzo 11 pass from Tuifua (pass failed)
DMS—Peyton Dalmacio 4 run (Ching kick)
DMS—Joshua DeCenzo 25 run (Ching kick)
DMS—Kaleb Kealanahele 27 run (Ching kick)
RUSHING—Kalaheo: Elijah Taylor 7-41, Caleb Martin 4-11, Da’Shone Will 5-10, TEAM 1-(minus 12), Jude Weber 5-(minus 19). Damien: Jos. DeCenzo 2-32, Kealanahele 2-25, Dalmacio 5-21, Tuifua 3-2, Champ Buffett 3-2.
PASSING—Kalaheo: Weber 7-34-2-67, Alika Amasiu 0-1-1-0. Damien: Tuifua 22- 37-1-264, Jos. DeCenzo 2-2-0-25.
RECEIVING—Kalaheo: Gaige White 3-28, Toa Tevaga 2-8, Zayden Napulou 1-16, Martin 1-11, Kamalu Anoba-Jordan 1-4. Damien: Buffett 6-77, Jor. DeCenzo 6-53, Hopeau-Lampitoc 4-89, Ian Sera 4-15, Alaimalo 3-43, Kaysen Dulay-Gorai 1-12.
PAC-FIVE 36, PAHOA 0
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Pahoa (0-1) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Pac-Five (1-0) 22 14 0 0 — 36
P5—Blade Kaululaau 4 run (Kaululaau run)
P5—Kaululaau 21 run (run failed)
P5—Kaululaau 4 run (Kalen Donate pass from Koki Kaai)
P5—Daymian Lapitan 62 interception return (Donate pass from Kaai)
P5—Dawson Coover 30 pass from Braden Sardinha (run failed)
RUSHING—Pahoa: Noah Kaawaloa 11- 35, Moses Oros 2-3, Dayton Asuncion 2-0, Donivan Lynch 1-(minus 5), team 1-(minus 7). Pac-Five: Kaululaau 9-43, Cameron Cintron 3-31, D. Lapitan 3-26, Kaai 2-15, Breydon Gono 2-4, Sarahina 1-2, Donate 3-(minus 4), team 2-(minus 8), Kyler Agan 1-(minus 9).
PASSING—Pahoa: Dayton Asuncion 6-13-2-50, Donivan Lynch 2-10-1-9. PacFive: Kaai 6-10-0-37, Sarahina 1-3-0-30, Agan 1-2-0-5.
RECEIVING—Pahoa: Daniel Vital-Rezania 2-22, Moses Oros 3-16, Noah Kaawaloa 1-13, Zedekiah Ahin-Ganir 2-8. Pac-Five: Coover 4-51, D. Lapitan 2-15, Carter Lapitan 1-5, Donate 1-1
ROOSEVELT 51, MCKINLEY 7
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
McKinley (0-1) 0 0 0 7 — 7
Roosevelt (1-0) 22 7 15 7 — 51
Roos—Kayman Lewis 36 run (kick good)
Roos—Silas Kekahuna 4 run (Kekoa Richardson pass from Lewis)
Roos—Bobby Souza 20 run (kick good)
Roos—Chase Aguinaldo 1 pass from Lewis (kick good)
Roos—Jayden Montgomery-Gaopoa 20 pass from Lewis (Lewis run)
Roos—Kekahuna 6 pass from Lewis (kick good)
McK—Preston Note 25 pass from Afi Togafau (kick good)
Roos—Keanu Bezares 1 run (kick good)
RUSHING—McKinley: Makana Williams6-(minus 1); Togafau 16-(minus 16). Roosevelt: Lewis 7-93, K. Bezares 8-60; Kekahuna 6-57, Souza 7-25.
PASSING—McKinley: Togafau 3-7-0-89. Roosevelt: Lewis 6-20-0-54 .
RECEIVING—McKinley: Note 2-87, Williams 1-2. Roosevelt: Montgomery-Gaopoa 2-31, Richardson 2-21, Aguinaldo 2-2.
Junior Varsity—Nanakuli 20, Roosevelt 7
WAIANAE 26, CASTLE 6
At Castle
Waianae (1-0) 13 6 0 7 — 26
Castle (0-1) 0 0 0 6 — 6
Wain—Tevin Wilbur 33 run (kick failed).
Wain—Wilbur 1 run (Kaden Nauer kick)
Wain—Wilbur 4 run (pass failed)
Cast—Coby Tanioka 5 run (kick failed)
Wain—Wilbur 5 run (Nauer kick)
RUSHING—Waianae: Wilbur 16-100, Brandon Tai Tin 6-50, Dayton Kuhiiki 3-27, Tarent Moniz-Babb 7-(minus 9). Castle: Daunte Ching 10-44, Laakela Miner-Quidachay 6-9, Nathaniel Medina 1-6, Bronson Pakele 1-4, Tanioka 4-3, team 1-(minus 30).
PASSING—Waianae: Moniz-Babb 13-21-1-101. Castle: Ching 11-27-2-149, Ayden Bruhn 1-3-0-8.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Wilbur 4-37, Akoni Halemano 4-22, Zayah Vincent 2-20, Jamal Plunkett 1-11, Joshua Santiago 1-8, Lopaka Dicion 1-3. Castle: Tanioka 8-115, Medina 1-36, Xavier Kekahuna 2-(minus 2), Parker Holman 1-8.
Junior Varsity—Waianae 18, Castle 6
Also
PEARL CITY 33, KAUAI 22
No Statistics available
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