Despite playing without returning All-State Offensive Player of the Year Kainoa “Kaikai” Carvalho, No. 1-ranked Kahuku rolled up 353 yards of total offense in a 41-6 win over Waianae on Saturday night at Carleton Weimer Field.
Carvalho suffered a high-ankle sprain during practice on Thursday. His brother, Kaimana, set the tone with a 77-yard kickoff return to pay dirt to open the game.
“Accidents happen in practice. I’m sure it’ll heal fast. My teammates played a good game,” Kainoa Carvalho said.
With Kainoa Carvalho out, Kahuku deployed a new place-kicker and kick returner and saw safety Brock Fonoimoana come up with a 60-yard touchdown as a wide receiver.
“We’re pretty bummed. We had to step up. Mana (Carvalho) really stepped up. We had to use the ‘Damuni package,” Fonoimoana said of a personnel grouping named after former Kahuku standout Jack Damuni. “We started this last year. Just try to put the best athletes on the field.”
It was the OIA Open Division opener for both teams. Kahuku is 2-0 overall. Waianae is 1-1 overall. The game plan was simple but difficult: ball control against an elite Kahuku defense. Waianae eked out 118 total yards.
“When you’re playing a team like Kahuku, you can’t make those kinds of mistakes, especially starting off on kickoff (coverage),” Waianae first-year coach Thom Kaumeyer said. “We didn’t field it right, they did a good job of blocking and we gave up a touchdown. I want that mindset better. We’ll make some mistakes. We’ve got to get back into being more competitive. I think our guys understand what’s going on. It’s a measuring stick against a great team and hopefully we improve as the season goes and we get another shot.”
After Waianae’s three-and-out, an interference call on a Kahuku fair catch opened the next series at the Seariders’ 46-yard line.
Kahuku marched to the end zone in six plays, scoring on Va‘aimalae Fonoti’s 1-yard blast for a 13-0 lead with 6:51 to go in the opening quarter.
Waianae stayed on the ground, handing the ball to running back Tevin Wilbur eight times in a row during its first two series.
Kahuku drove 70 yards in five plays. Clyde Taulapapa raced through the Seariders defense for a 41-yard TD and it was 20-0 with 11:10 remaining in the first half.
Waianae got on the scoreboard on its fourth possession. A shanked 7-yard Kahuku punt set the Seariders up at the 35-yard line. Aided by two offsides penalties against Kahuku, Waianae went to a power-I set and Jamal Plunkett followed his surging trench men for a 5-yard TD, cutting the lead to 20-6 with 2:56 before the break.
Kahuku needed just four plays from scrimmage to score again. Waika Crawford threw a quick pass to Brock Fonoimoana on the left sideline, and the senior broke three tackles, cut back against the grain and galloped for a 60-yard TD with 47 seconds to go in the half. Kahuku led 27-6 at intermission.
Fonoti added his second TD, a 20-yard run, during Kahuku’s first series of the second half. After Crawford found Kingsley Ah You for a 14-yard TD with 4:45 left in the third stanza, the remainder of the game was in mercy-rule mode (running clock).
Next up, Kahuku hosts Leilehua and Punahou before visiting Campbell. A game at St. John Bosco (Calif.) is on Sept. 17. Waianae faces Punahou next week and then west-side rival Kapolei.
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KAHUKU 41, WAIANAE 6
at Carleton Weimer Field
Waianae (1-1, 0-1) 0 6 0 0 — 6
Kahuku (2-0, 1-0) 13 14 14 0 — 41
Kah—Kaimana Carvalho 77 kick return (run failed)
Kah—Va‘aimalae Fonoti 1 run (Zaden Mariteragi kick)
Kah—Clyde Taulapapa 41 run (Mariteragi kick)
Wain—Jamal Plunkett 5 run (kick blocked)
Kah—Brock Fonoimoana 60 pass from
Waika Crawford (Mariteragi kick)
Kah—Fonoti 20 run (pass failed)
Kah—Kingsley Ah You 14 pass from Crawford (Kache Kaio pass from Crawford)
RUSHING—Waianae: Tevin Wilbur 16- 16, Plunkett 2-13, Akoni Halemano 2-5, Brandon Tai Tin 1-2, Tarent Moniz-Babb 3-(minus 17). Kahuku: Taulapapa 8-101, Fonoti 6-74, Keona Poouahi-MacPherson 2-8, Damon Lauaki 1-1, Sitani Suguturaga 1-1.
PASSING—Waianae: Moniz-Babb 8-17-0-99. Kahuku: Crawford 11-16-0-158, Suguturaga 4-6-0-17.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Halemano 2-25, Plunkett 2-18, Joshua Santiago 1-40, Zayah Vincent 1-6, Tai Tin 1-6, Wilbur 1-5.
Kahuku: Fonoimoana 3-83, Kaim. Carvalho 3-24, Ah You 2-23, Kaio 2-20, Ikaika Lauano 2-7, Kaelo Kalani 1-11, Tavian Hallums 1-8, Fonoti 1-(minus 1).
Junior Varsity—Kahuku 20, Waianae 8.
