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MCMINNVILLE, Ore. >> With COVID-19 restrictions lifted after more than two years since the pandemic began, the 2022 prep football season has included many Hawaii high schools making mainland trips for the first time in recent memory.
The Pacific Northwest got a taste of what Hawaii football has to offer this week as Farrington made it a perfect weekend for local schools in Washington and Oregon with a 21-18 victory over host McMinnville at Wortman Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Chansen Smith scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 9-yard run with 1:06 remaining and junior Joredyn Abella Belz sealed the win with an interception in the final 20 seconds to give the Govs (2-2) their first win on the mainland since beating Serra (Calif.) in 1972.
“I think the kids were excited jumping on the plane and seeing all of the (colleges) this week,” Farrington coach Daniel Sanchez said. “We kind of did (the week) like colleges do and the kids were fatigued, really fatigued, but I think it was an awesome, awesome experience for them.”
A day after Aiea defeated Woodinvillle (Wash.) 38-14, the Govs pulled off the come-from-behind win with the entire Na Alii team cheering them on in the stands at a stadium roughly an hour drive southwest of Portland.
Farrington led 13-6 after Kingston Miles scored on a 4-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, but fell behind when McMinnville’s Austin Rapp scored on two touchdown runs. Rapp set up the second of those scores on defense by forcing and recovering a fumble.
Facing a fourth-and-14 situation on their own 45 with 4:40 remaining, the Govs elected to punt from their own 45 despite not having any timeouts remaining.
The Grizzlies were facing a third-and-3 with a first down needed to end the game when quarterback Kane Sullivan and Rapp fumbled on the exchange.
It was recovered by Farrington senior LJ Liki and the Govs had the ball at the McMinnville 29 with three minutes to go.
After three strong runs by Miles, who led the Govs with 74 rushing yards on 16 carries, Smith, filling in for injured quarterback MJ Moreno, faked the handoff and rolled out to his right before turning upfield and blowing past a couple of defenders for a 9-yard touchdown run to give the Govs the lead with 1:06 to go. He tacked on the 2-point conversion on a run to make it a three-point game.
“The whole game it was open every time I bootlegged. I told Coach run it one more time because I knew I would score,” said Smith, who finished 9-for-15 with 124 yards and a touchdown passing. “It felt a little frustrating at first because I’d never played quarterback at this higher level. It was really tough controlling the team and the offense.”
McMinnville had a chance to tie or take the lead with a minute to go.
Quarterback Kane Sullivan, who finished 5-for-13 for 39 yards, completed his biggest pass of the day, a 24-yard strike to Gabe Bianco to put the ball inside the Farrington 40.
On the next play, Sullivan launched a pass high over the middle that was picked off by Abella Belz, who returned it into McMinnville territory before being tackled out of bounds to end it.
“It felt amazing. To win it for my team and take the ‘W’ back home is great,” Abella Belz said. “I knew they had to pass and I knew they would throw it deep. I stayed deep.”
Zechariah Molitau led the Govs in receiving with seven catches for 109 yards. His 59-yard touchdown catch from Smith in the second quarter was the only score of the first half.
Rapp finished with 147 yards on 13 carries to lead the Grizzlies (0-1).
Farrington will spend today in Corvallis, Ore., and attend the Oregon State vs. Boise State game before flying home.
“This whole week we had team bonding and a lot of team events that built that we’ve got to believe and we’ve got to trust each other and I think those events throughout the week maybe they started listening to it,” Sanchez said. “They believed until the end and it was a nice win — nice win to cap the week off. I’ll be able to sleep a little better tonight.”
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FARRINGTON 21, McMINNVILLE (ORE.) 18
At Wortman Stadium
Farrington (2-2) 0 7 0 14 — 21
McMinnville (0-1) 0 0 6 12 — 18
Far—Zechariah Molitau 59 pass from Chansen Smith (Jason Felipe kick)
MM—Tyler Martino 23 run (pass failed)
Far—Kingston Miles 4 run (pass failed)
MM—Austin Rapp 20 run (kick failed)
MM—Rapp 53 run (run failed)
Far—Smith 9 run (Smith run)
RUSHING—Farrington: Kingston Miles 16-74, Dayvin Malaetia 9-51, Ikaika Kuaana-Lacno 4-23, Keona Taba 5-20, Molitau 2-15, Smith 7-15, team 1-(minus 1). McMinnville: Rapp 13-147, Martino 8-63, team 1-(minus 2), Brandon Birney 1-(minus 6), Kane Sullivan 4-(minus 18).
PASSING—Farrington: Smith 9-15-0-124, Molitau 0-1-0-0. McMinnville: Sullivan 5-13-2-39, Birney 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Farrington: Molitau 7-109, Kein Kahele 2-15. McMinnville: Gabe Blanco 3-39, Tyler Misher 1-2, Mitchel Taylor 1-(minus 2).
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