Despite clinching the OIA D-II regular-season title last week, Nanakuli still brought its A-game, rolling the visiting McKinley Tigers 68-8 on senior night on Saturday to wrap up a perfect regular season.
“It was a great team win,” Nanakuli coach Kili Watson said. “We had a great week of practice. Just like any other week, we’re trying to win one day at a time. I’m proud of our team for coming out tonight and getting that victory.”
“This is a special group of seniors,” Watson added. “It’s a large class, a tight-knit group. For them to come out tonight and pull off this victory, it really just solidifies the hard work that they’ve been putting in since their freshman year.”
The Golden Hawks (7-1, 7-0) scored on seven of their eight drives, while adding a pair of punt-return touchdowns and a pick-six. Their first punt of the game came on the first drive of the second half.
“You definitely have to be efficient,” Watson said. “It’s something that we pride ourselves on, staying efficient and trying our best to score on every series that we have.”
Senior quarterback Hansen Salausa-Kaawa led Nanakuli with 176 all-purpose yards — 141 of them coming through the air on 9-for-16 passing. Fellow senior David Kalili was Salausa-Kaawa’s top target, racking up 73 yards on a pair of receptions. Another senior, Allen Mahoe III, led the Golden Hawks’ run game with 126 yards on eight carries.
“Those are three awesome guys. Three of many awesome leaders we have on our team,” Watson said about the senior standouts. “I’m proud of everything they did all season and tonight.”
Just a week removed from running the ball 42 straight times, McKinley may have found the solution to its quarterback problems with Timote Kupu. The sophomore threw for a game-best 170 yards to lead the Tigers to their only points of the game. Wide receiver Preston Note was the connection on all Kupu’s completions for 170 receiving yards.
A McKinley three-and-out to start the game led directly to the first points of the game, and it was Nanakuli that benefited. The Golden Hawks scored the first touchdown of the game when Christopher Paulo returned a McKinley punt 66 yards to the house.
Nanakuli forced a McKinley turnover on downs on the next drive, and the Golden Hawks offense took its time with an 11-play, 70-yard drive that drained the remaining time in the first quarter. Mahoe was the beneficiary, taking the ball and running 21 yards for a touchdown.
The Golden Hawks scored their next two touchdowns within a minute of each other. Nathan Pele-Tukumoeatu’s 4-yard scoring run capped off a six-play drive. Not content with their three-touchdown lead, the Golden Hawks took the ball right back with a successful onside kick recovered by Micah Nihoa. The offense paid off the extra possession with Salausa-Kaawa’s 65-yard touchdown pass to Kalili, just 50 seconds after the previous Nanakuli touchdown.
Cyprus Rombawa-Kai-Rivera ended McKinley’s next drive with an interception off of Kupu, leading to another Nanakuli touchdown just three plays later. Salausa-Kaawa picked up his second passing touchdown of the night with a 27-yard toss to Pele-Tukumoeatu.
Nanakuli punted on the first drive of the second half, the lone blemish on a sparkling day for the Golden Hawks offense. The special teams unit picked up the slack, as Kalili opened the second half scoring on a 36-yard punt return.
McKinley fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff, and Paulo’s recovery set up Christian Asinsin’s 6-yard touchdown run one play later. The Tigers continued to have trouble on special teams, muffing the next kickoff. The Golden Hawks needed only two plays to score this time, with Mahoe’s 6-yard touchdown run capping the short drive. Mahoe followed up with another touchdown run on the next drive, this time from 55 yards out.
The Tigers finally got on the scoreboard with 2:26 left to play. Kupu connected with Note on two long passes, the second of which was a 52-yard score. On his next pass, however, Kupu threw an interception to Nanakuli’s Paulo, who returned the ball 65 yards for his second touchdown.
No. 10 Aiea 52, Castle 35
Na Alii junior quarterback Ezekiel Olie completed 28 of 34 passes for a career-high 393 yards and five touchdowns and Na Alii (6-2, 4-1 OIA Division I) won their sixth game in a season for the first time since 2009 with a win over the Knights (1-7, 1-4).
Jheremie Cacpal caught two touchdown passes in the first half and finished with 11 receptions for 124 yards to lead Aiea. Jayden Chanel added six receptions for 123 yards, including a 22-yard TD just before half to put Aiea ahead 35-14.
Aiea can clinch the No. 2 seed in the OIA Division I playoffs with a win over Farrington to end the regular season next week.
Kaimuki 46, Kalaheo 19
The Bulldogs extended their winning streak against the Mustangs to 13 games, dating back to 1997, with a dominant performance to end the regular season.
Avin Tanioka rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter and quarterback Iosefa Letuli threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and ran for another to help the Bulldogs (4-4, 4-3 OIA Division II) finish with a winning record in OIA play heading into the playoffs. Kalaheo is 1-8, 1-6.
Dante Peltier caught an 82-yard touchdown pass to put Kaimuki up 19-0 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs finished with 528 total yards, with 306 coming on the ground.
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AIEA 52, CASTLE 35
At Castle
Aiea (6-2, 4-1) 28 7 10 7 — 52
Castle (1-7, 1-4) 7 7 7 14 — 35
Aiea—Rico Figueroa 12 pass from Eziekiel
Olie (Bryson Boyea Quiton kick)
Cast—Coby Tanioka 96 pass from Daunte Ching (Uilani Shimabukuro kick)
Aiea—Jayden Chanel 21 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Jheremie Cacpal 9 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Emilio Aguilar 33 interception return (Boyea Quiton kick)
Cast—Ching 12 pass from Tanioka (Shimabukuro kick)
Aiea—Cacpal 22 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—FG Boyea Quiton 35
Aiea—Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo 33 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Cast—Ching 54 run (Shimabukuro kick)
Cast—Ching 19 run (Shimabukuro kick)
Aiea—Kobe Higa 11 run (Boyea Quiton kick)
Cast—Tanioka 4 pass from Ching (Shimabukuro kick)
RUSHING—Aiea: Noah Spencer 3-74, Higa 3-28, Kaimana Lale-Saole 5-27, Rico Figueroa 1-5, Team 1-(minus 5), Olie 2-(minus 7). Castle: Ching 15-120, Bronson Pakele 6-30, Tanioka 4-20, Chayse Nakayama-Hose 1-0.
PASSING—Aiea: Olie 28-34-0-393, Spencer 1-2-0-0. Castle: Ching 14-25-1-214, Tanioka 1-1-0-12, Nathanael-Seth Rombawa 0-1-1-0.
RECEIVING—Aiea: Cacpal 11-124, Chanel 6-123, Figueroa 5-85, Kim ChoyKeb-Ah Lo 2-48, Geronimo Ulgaran 4-13, Lale-Saole 1-0. Castle: Tanioka 10-184, Xavier Kekahuna 1-12, Ching 1-12, Roman Skonecki 1-11, Nathaniel Medina 1-5, Rombawa 1-2.
KAIMUKI 46, KALAHEO 19
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Kalaheo (1-8, 1-6) 0 6 7 6 — 19
Kaimuki (4-4, 4-3) 19 14 0 13 — 46
Kaim—Avin Tanioka 80 run (kick failed)
Kaim—Tanioka 37 run (Jeremiah White kick)
Kaim—Dante Peltier 82 pass from Iosefa
Letuli (kick blocked)
Kalh—Alika Amasiu 1 run (kick blocked)
Kaim—Letuli 1 run (Tanioka run)
Kaim—White 52 fumble return (run failed)
Kalh—Elijah Taylor 15 run (Amasiu kick)
Kaim—Iosua Letuli 5 run (run failed)
Kaim—Sonasi Latu 3 run (Hinano Kahawai kick)
Kalh—Kamalu Anoba-Jordan 65 run (pass failed)
RUSHING—Kalaheo: Anoba-Jordan 2-80, Taylor 11-56, Amasiu 7-29, Jeremyah Toilolo 1-11, Jayden Fargas 1-4, Gaige White 1-(minus 1), Zayden Napulou 2-(minus 2), team 1-(minus 12). Kaimuki: Tanioka 5-119, Latu 11-83, Iosu. Letuli 8-56, Iose. Letuli 4-24, Amugan Iehsi 4-21, Zechariah Kuratsu-Cook 3-3.
PASSING—Kalaheo: Amasiu 8-19-1-122, Napulou 1-1-0-34, White 1-1-0-0. Kaimuki: Iose. Letuli 11-17-0-222.
RECEIVING—Kalaheo: Napulou 2-70, Anoba-Jordan 2-45, Taylor 2-21, Fargas 3-20, Amasiu 1-0. Kaimuki: Peltier 2-112, White 3-59, Niutupuivaha Uluave 2-28, Tanioka 3-14, Josiah Hicks 1-9.
NANAKULI 68, MCKINLEY 8
At Nanakuli
McKinley (0-8, 0-7) 0 0 0 8 — 8
Nanakuli (7-1, 7-0) 7 26 21 14 — 68
Nan—Christopher Paulo 66 punt return (Chance Asinsin kick)
Nan—Allen Mahoe III 21 run (Cha. Asinsin kick)
Nan—Nathan Pele-Tukumoeatu 4 run (Cha. Asinsin kick)
Nan—David Kalili 65 pass from Hansen Salausa-Kaawa (kick missed)
Nan— Pele-Tukumoeatu 27 pass from Salausa-Kaawa (run failed)
Nan—Kalili 36 punt return (Micah Nihoa run)
Nan—Christian Asinsin 6 run (Cha. Asinsin kick)
Nana—Mahoe III 6 run (pass failed)
Nana—Mahoe III 55 run (Cha. Asinsin kick)
McK—Preston Note 52 pass from Timote Kupu (Kupu run)
Nana—Paulo 65 interception return (Cha. Asinsin kick)
RUSHING—McKinley: Makana Williams 6-27, Kupu 9-26, Samisoni Mafi 7-20. Nanakuli: Mahoe III 8-126, Salausa-Kaawa 3-35, Chr. Asinsin 4-22, Pele-Tukumoeatu 3-18, Talitonu Keohuhu 3-10.
PASSING—McKinley: Kupu 4-11-2-170. Nanakuli: Salausa-Kaawa 9-16-0-141.
RECEIVING—McKinley: Note 4-170. Nanakuli: Kalili 2-73, Pele-Tukumoeatu 1-27, Mahoe III 2-16, Kolomona Aleka 1-13, Kolomona Faubion 1-10, Titus Auwae 1-5, Darryl Hoapili 1-(minus 3)
