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There’s plenty still to work on.
That was the message emphasized by Pac-Five coach Kena Heffernan after his team’s 41-0 beatdown of Kalaheo at Kailua’s Alex Kane Stadium.
“We made a lot of mistakes. There’s a lot we need to clean up,” Heffernan said. “We did some good things, but we definitely need to clean a lot of things up on offense, defense and special teams. Too many penalties. We gotta get back to work on Monday.”
Starting quarterback Koki Kaai echoed those sentiments, crediting a relentless Kalaheo pass rush for getting to him.
Despite the mistakes, the Wolfpack were explosive offensively, putting up 407 total yards. Kaai carved up the Mustangs defense for 247 passing yards on 12-for-21 passing, including a pair of touchdown tosses. Dawson Coover led the way for the Pac-Five receivers. He made four receptions, tallying a game-best 137 receiving yards and two touchdown catches. Behind him, Rome Lilio added 75 yards on just three grabs.
“I was just trying to keep my head clear the entire time. Not do too much,” Kaai said. “Just throw the ball, get it to my teammates, and have a fun game out there.
On the ground, the Wolfpack were led by Blade Kaululaau, who racked up 138 yards on 18 carries. Kaululaau found the end zone for three rushing touchdowns, two of which came in the first half.
“It was all thanks to my linemen,” Kaululaau said. “When we get the blocking down, I can make my plays, get things done, and get my touchdowns.”
“The pass game opened up our offense,” he added. “Let us open up the run game and build up momentum.”
Meanwhile, the defense pitched a shutout and picked off each of the three Kalaheo quarterbacks, including starting QB Jude Weber twice.
Weber was harassed all game by the Wolfpack pass rush. He completed just four of 19 passes for 9 yards. He also finished second on the team with 4 rushing yards on 13 carries. Despite throwing just one pass, Alika Amasiu was the team’s leading passer with 18 yards. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 7 yards on two carries.
The Mustangs and the Wolfpack traded three-and-outs to start the game. On Pac-Five’s second offensive drive, things began to click. Kaai opened the drive with a 14-yard carry, and three plays later, he found Coover for a 50-yard touchdown with 6:30 left in the first quarter.
Two more punts and a Kalaheo turnover on downs later, Pac-Five again got on the scoreboard. At the end of a six-play drive, Kaululaau crashed into the end zone from 7 yards out with less than a minute to play in the first quarter. The Wolfpack had reached the red zone on his 48-yard carry on the previous play.
After an interception, Pac-Five pounced on the opportunity, with Kaai tossing a 59-yard touchdown bomb to Coover.
Another interception set up Kaululaau to score on an 11-yard run.
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PAC-FIVE 41, KALAHEO 0
at Alex Kane Stadium
Pac-Five (2-0) 13 14 0 14 — 41
Kalaheo (0-2) 0 0 0 0 — 0
P5—Dawson Coover 50 pass from Koki Kaai (Bryson Tsukayama-Daniel kick)
P5—Blade Kaululaau 7 run (Tsukayama-Daniel miss)
P5—Coover 59 pass from Kaai (2-pt failed)
P5—Kaululaau 11 run (Judah Lapastora pass from Kaai)
P5—Kaululaau 3 run (Rome Lilio pass from Kaai)
P5—Cameron Cintron 5 run (2-pt failed)
RUSHING—Pac-Five: Kaululaau 18-138, Daymian Lapitan 3-14, Kalen Donate 1-13, Cintron 4-8, Braden Sarahina 1-(minus 6), Kaai 5-(minus 7). Kalaheo: Alika Amasiu 2-7, Jude Weber 13-4, Nainoa Barbieto 1-1, Da’Shone Will 3-(minus 4).
PASSING—Pac-Five: Kaai 12-21-0-247, Sarahina 1-3-1-15. Kalaheo: Weber 4-19-2-9, Amasiu 1-2-1-18, Gaige White 1-6-1-1.
RECEIVING—Pac-Five: Coover 4-137, Lilio 3-75, Donate 3-18, Kaululaau 1-15, Seth Miller 1-10, Lapitan 1-7. Kalaheo: White 2-19, Jayden Napulou 1-11, Jeremyah Toilolo 1-1, Zayden Napulou 2-(minus 3)
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