Silas Kekahuna scored on a 15-yard run to give Roosevelt the lead with 2:27 to play and the Rough Riders held on for a 31-24 win over Radford on Friday night at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.
Radford put in a valiant effort, rallying from a 23-0 halftime deficit to take the lead, 24-23, with less than three minutes to play.
Kekahuna’s 15-yard touchdown, followed by Kayman Lewis’ 2-point conversion pass to Jayden Montgomery-Gaopoa, gave the Rough Riders some breathing room. Expecting a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff, Radford fielded the ball on its 1-yard line, returning it to the 7. The Rams got no further than their 25-yard line before time expired.
Roosevelt is now 1-1 in OIA Division I play (2-1 overall), while Radford dropped to 0-2 (1-3 overall).
“I’m proud of the kids, how they fought back, never gave up, and the coaches. Just the preparation. We had a bye week leading up to Radford, and the kids put in the work,” Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala said.
Lewis finished 18-for-31 for 340 yards and three touchdown passes. Kamu Kaaihue, starting at middle linebacker, added eight receptions for 111 yards and a TD, and Montgomery-Gaopoa had five catches for 174 yards and a TD.
The Rough Riders overcame a gritty performance by Radford, which was missing five starters out with injuries. Running back Michael Hayslett finished with 144 hard-earned yards on 19 carries, and scored on a 56-yard screen pass.
“He’s a good running back. He’s tough, he’s big, he can run. For us, it’s the tackling part. Wrap it up. It’s all basics,” Kahooilihala said.
Radford quarterback Kalob Victorino-Avilla tried to elude a fierce pass rush — he was sacked six times — but passed for 309 yards, accounting for two TDs total.
Roosevelt struck early with a reverse to two-way playmaker Kama Kaaihue, who launched a bomb to Montgomery-Gaopoa for an apparent 48-yard touchdown, but the receiver fumbled the ball before he reached the goal line, and the ball bounced out of the end zone for a touchback.
Kaaihue got the Rough Riders on the scoreboard on their second series, catching a short pass from Lewis and sprinting to the right pylon for a 30-yard TD.
Roosevelt’s fourth series had a similar look. Lewis hit Montgomery-Gaopoa on an out route, and then sprinted down the right sideline for a 72-yard TD, giving Roosevelt a 20-0 lead with 1:01 left in the first quarter.
After Journey DePeralta’s 31-yard field goal, Roosevelt had a 23-0 lead at halftime. Leg cramps, however, took a toll on the Rough Riders.
Radford got on the scoreboard with Elijah Falaniko’s 7-yard blast up the middle with 7:56 left in the third quarter.
The Rams struggled with their ground attack in the first half but wore Roosevelt’s front seven down.
Roosevelt had a chance to score, but Kekahuna’s 2-yard TD run was negated by offsetting penalties. On the ensuing play. Lewis couldn’t snag a high snap and Collin Bergey recovered for Radford to end the threat.
Radford drove 83 yards in 15 plays, scoring on Victorino-Avilla’s 15-yard pass to Roch Schaefer, pulling within 23-12 with 2:15 to go in the third quarter.
After Hayslett scored on a 56-yard screen pass, the Rams were within 23-18 with 8:48 remaining.
Jacob Sullivan’s interception and 12-yard return set up Radford near midfield. The Rams drove methodically, scoring on Victorino-Avilla’s 3-yard keeper for a 24-23 lead with 2:54 remaining.
Keanu Bezares’ kickoff return was crucial, bringing it back past midfield, and a personal foul on Radford gave Roosevelt the ball at the Rams’ 30-yard line. Kekahuna scored the go-ahead TD two plays later.
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ROOSEVELT 31, RADFORD 24
At Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium
Radford (1-3, 0-2) 0 0 12 12 — 24
Roosevelt (2-1, 1-1) 20 3 0 8 — 31
ROOS—Kamuela Kaaihue 30 pass from Kayman Lewis (kick failed)
ROOS—Jayden Montgomery-Gaopoa 72 pass from Lewis (Journey DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Kainalu Davis 10 pass from Lewis (DePeralta kick)
ROOS—DePeralta FG 31
RAD—Elijah Falaniko 7 run (kick failed)
RAD—Roch Schaefer 7 pass from Kalob Victorino-Avilla (kick failed)
RAD—Michael Hayslett 56 pass from Victorino-Avilla (pass failed)
RAD—Victorino-Avilla 3 run (pass failed)
ROOS—Silas Kekahuna 15 run (Montgomery-Gaopoa pass from Lewis)
RUSHING—Radford: Joel Gillies 1-(-2), Victorino-Avilla 13-(-20), Hayslett 19-144, Olijah Gomez 2-(-2), TEAM 1-(-10), Falaniko 1-7. Roosevelt: Keanu Bezares 7-90, Kekahuna 8-75, Lewis 4-(-13).
PASSING—Radford: Victorino-Avilla 23-40-0-309. Roosevelt: Lewis 18-31-1-340, Kaaihue 1-2-0-47.
RECEIVING—Radford: Gillies 6-82, Gomez 6-62, Hayslett 4-110, Schaefer 2-22, Jhonathan Kekua-Cobb 2-12, Tyrese Miller 1-16, Michael Robinson 1-6, Kellen Fortson 1-(-1). Roosevelt: Kaaihue 6-111, Montgomery-Gaopoa 5-174, Davis 3-46, Harrison Hoskins 2-29, Chase Aguinaldo 1-16, Kekahuna 1-6, Bezares 1-5.
Junior Varsity—Roosevelt 21, Radford 7
