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Stepping in for injured sophomore Tama Amisone, Kapolei junior Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa threw for 273 yards and accounted for five touchdowns to lead the sixth-ranked Hurricanes to a 38-14 win over Leilehua to end the regular season on Kapolei’s homecoming night Friday.
The Hurricanes (6-6, 3-3 OIA Open) had already clinched the No. 4 seed in the OIA Open Division playoffs and will play the winner of tonight’s game between No. 1 Kahuku and No. 3 Mililani next week in the semifinals with a state berth on the line.
Kapolei reached the six-win mark for the first time since 2016, when it memorably beat Punahou in the state tournament before losing to Kahuku in the semifinals.
The Hurricanes haven’t reached states since.
“Last year we only won two games, so to be 6-3 and be in the playoffs, the boys have worked very hard,” Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said.
Tagovailoa-Amosa, who started his first game after Amisone broke his collarbone in a loss to Mililani last week, hit eight different receivers with passes and completed 30 of his 41 attempts.
He also rushed for a team-high 66 yards on seven carries with touchdown runs of 29 and 15 yards.
“He didn’t turn the ball over. He ran when he had to run. He got rid of the ball quickly. I thought he played well,” Hernandez said. “He hadn’t started a game since last season and as the game went on he started to produce. We know what he’s capable of.”
Tagovailoa-Amosa had command of Kapolei’s up-tempo offense, which was slowed by penalties all game long.
The Hurricanes ended with 16 flags for 175 yards.
“It really made an impact on our game plan and stopped so many drives,” Hernandez said. “It’s stuff that we have to clean up, but it was really tough for us.”
The Mules (0-7-1, 0-6), who have won one game in two years since they were forced to move up to the Open Division, took a 7-3 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter on Dustin Chow’s 11-yard pass to Timothy Arnold.
Aided by four Kapolei penalties for 45 yards on the drive, the Mules hit plays of 13 and 19 yards to set up the score and take their first lead of the season in league play.
Kapolei responded quickly, with Tagovailoa-Amosa, who attempted 30 passes in the first half, hitting Hala’i Kamohali’i for a 13-yard score to cap a quick six-play drive.
It was the first of three straight TD drives for the Kapolei offense, with Tagovailoa-Amosa keeping on a 29-yard run and throwing a 47-yard pass to Tryton Keli’ikipi out of the backfield for a 24-7 lead.
Arnold did his best to keep Leilehua in the game, catching the first three passes on the next drive, including a diving 36-yard gain on the visiting sideline to put the ball at the Kapolei 20.
After a Cole Northington run to the 2, Camren Flemister punched it in on his second try from a yard out to make it 24-14.
Kapolei shut out Leilehua 14-0 in the second half.
Arnold finished with five catches for 80 yards and the touchdown and Cole Northington led Leilehua with 82 rushing yards on 12 carries.
BOX SCORES
Aiea 31, Farrington 10
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Aiea (7-2, 5-1) 0 10 14 7 — 31
Farrington (5-5, 3-3) 3 7 0 0 — 10
Farr—Jason Felipe FG 35
Aiea—Bryson Boyea Quiton FG 32
Aiea—Jayden Chanel 41 pass from Ezekiel Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Farr—Dayvin Malaetia 9 run (Felipe kick)
Aiea—Chanel 29 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Malaetia 3 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Geronimo Ulgaran 20 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
RUSHING—Aiea: Kaimana Lale-Saole 10-59, Kobe Higa 6-45, Olie 4-3, TEAM 1-(minus 6). Farrington: Malaetia 7-33, Kingston Miles 9-27, Keona Taba 2-1, Zecariah Molitau 1-(minus 4), MJ Moreno 10-(minus 14), TEAM 1-(minus 18).
PASSING—Aiea: Olie 26-35-1-347. Farrington: Moreno 14-24-1-198.
RECEIVING—Aiea: Chanel 7-152, Ulgaran 11-94, Figueroa 5-77, Jheremie Cacpal 3-24. Farrington: Chansen Smith 5-76, Molitau 3-76, Kamakana Tisalona-Perez 4-30, Ryan-Jacob Sabado 2-16.
Junior varsity—Farrington 22, Aiea 14.
Kapolei 38, Leilehua 14
At Kapolei
Leilehua (0-7-1, 0-6) 7 7 0 0 — 14
Kapolei (6-3, 3-3) 10 14 14 0 — 38
Kapo—FG Hurley Kennedy 23
Lei—Timothy Arnold 11 pass from Dustin Chow (Zackary Sutcharitkul kick)
Kapo—Hala‘i Kamohali‘i 13 pass from Tuli Tagovailoa-Amosa (Kennedy kick)
Kapo—Tagovailoa-Amosa 29 run (Kennedy kick)
Kapo—Tryton Keli‘ikipi 47 pass from Tagovailoa-Amosa (Kennedy kick)
Lei—Camren Flemister 1 run (Sutcharitkul kick)
Kapo—Malachi Tapaoan 74 pass from Tagovailoa-Amosa (Kennedy kick)
Kapo—Tagovailoa-Amosa 15 run (Kennedy kick)
RUSHING—Leilehua: Cole Northington 12-82, Flemister 10-37, Ali‘iolani Kahanu 1-(minus 1), Chow 3-(minus 11). Kapolei: Tagovailoa-Amosa 7-66, Kaina Kamohali‘i 9-63, Keli’ikipi 7-61, Shyson Cachuela 6-31, Esaiah Gideon 2-19, Caleb Dela Pena-Pihana 1-7, Lono Akana 2-0.
PASSING—Leilehua: Chow 9-20-1-91. Kapolei: Tagovailoa-Amosa 30-41-0-273.
RECEIVING—Leilehua: Arnold 5-80, Jacob Gamponia 1-5, Ryder Gonsalves 1-3, Northington 1-2, Trevin Po‘opa‘a 1-1. Kapolei: Tapaoan 7-93, Keli‘ikipi 5-76, Diezel Kamoku 6-64, Kamohali‘i 4-32, Lino 1-4, Gideon 1-2, Jason Kealoha 1-1, Riley Camarilo 5-1.
Junior varsity—Leilehua 17, Kapolei 14
Waianae 41, Moanalua 32
At Waianae
Moanalua (2-9-1, 1-5) 13 7 6 6 — 32
Waianae (3-5, 2-4) 14 0 14 13 — 41
Wain— Dustin Pave 1 run (Kaden Nauer kick)
Moan—Jeremy Garner 63 pass from Tayden-Evan Kaawa (Andy Nguyen kick)
Wain—Jamal Plunkett 5 run (Nauer kick)
Moan—Cameron Johnson 2 run (kick failed)
Moan—Johnson 6 run (Nguyen kick)
Wain—Plunkett 5 run (Nauer kick)
Moan—Jayce Bareng 1 pass from Kaawa (pass failed)
Wain—Tarent Moniz-Babb 5 run (Nauer kick)
Wain—Moniz-Babb 5 run (pass failed)
Moan—Johnson 6 run (pass failed)
Wain—Joshua Santiago 10 pass from Moniz-Babb (Nauer kick)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Johnson 13-21, Ryson Lum 1-(minus 1), team 1-(minus 1), Kaawa 7-(minus 3). Waianae: Plunkett 19-181, Dayton Kuhiiki 4-29, Brandon Tai Tin 2-6, Moniz-Babb 3-5, Pave 1-1, Tevin Wilbur 2-0, team 3-(minus 7).
PASSING—Moanalua: Kaawa 30-54-1-357. Waianae: Moniz-Babb 6-15-0-64.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Johnson 10-106, Bareng 7-58, Garner 5-98, Kingston Ishimine 4-57, Wells 2-22, Lum 1-10, Keenan Ulu 1-6. Waianae: Santiago 4-49, Keoni McLeod 1-10, Akoni Halemano 1-5.
Junior varsity—Waianae 55, Moanalua 6
Radford 14, Castle 13
At Castle
Radford (2-6, 1-5) 0 0 14 0 — 14
Castle (1-8, 1-5) 0 7 6 0 — 13
Cast—Coby Tanioka 23 run (U’ilana Shimabukuro kick)
Rad—Michael Hayslett 5 run (Harrison Hoskins kick)
Rad—Hayslett 34 run (Hoskins kick)
Cast—Tanioka 33 pass from Ayden Bruhn (run failed)
RUSHING—Radford: Hayslett 27-138, Brandon Euceda 2-18, Kalob Victorino-Avilla 2-0, Joel Gillies 1-(minus 1), TEAM 2-(minus 11). Castle: Tanioka 16-50, Xavier Kekahuna 3-38, Bronson Pakele 3-4, Nathaniel Medina 1-4, Benjamin Domingo 1-4, Daunte Ching 2-3, Sebastian Weeks-Lapinad 1-(minus 3), Nathaniel Seth-Rombawa 1-(minus 15), Bruhn 3-(minus 24).
PASSING—Radford: Victorino-Avilla 5-11-1-55. Castle: Bruhn 5-9-0-116, Tanioka 1-3-0-8, Ching 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Radford: Hayslett 1-40, Gillies 3-14, Jhonathan Kekua-Cobb 1-1. Castle: Tanioka 5-116, Roman Skonecki 1-8.
Junior varsity—Castle 35, Radford 13
‘Iolani 49, Pac-Five 14
at Kozuki Stadium
Pac-Five (3-3, 1-3) 6 0 0 8 — 14
‘Iolani (9-0, 6-0) 7 28 14 0 — 49
P5—Blade Kaululaau 92 interception return (kick blocked)
IOL—Keao Kawa‘akoa 85 kickoff return (Allison Chang kick)
IOL—Reyn Shimabuku 76 fumble return (Chang kick)
IOL—Kawa‘akoa 6 pass from CJ Villanueva (Chang kick)
IOL—Taniela Taliauli 55 pass from Micah Hoomanawanui (Chang kick)
IOL—Tristan Martinez 10 pass from Villanueva (Chang kick)
IOL—Jones Vierra 10 run (Chang kick)
IOL—Keon Preusser 20 pass from Villanueva (Chang kick)
P5—Kaululaau 2 run (Kauluaau run)
RUSHING—Pac-Five: Kaululaau 22-120, Cameron Cintron 9-16, Kalen Donate 2-2, Breydon Gono 1-1, Daymian Lapitan 2-1, Koki Kaai 2-(minus 5). ‘Iolani: Vierra 7-77, Kawa‘akoa 6-63, Hyrum Horita 2-8.
PASSING—Pac-Five: Kaai 8-15-0-91. ‘Iolani: Villanueva 7-8-0-112, Hoomanawanui 6-8-1-90.
RECEIVING—Pac-Five: Dawson Coover 3-36, Rome Lilio 1-25, Cintron 1-16, Lapitan 3-14. ‘Iolani: Jazz Priester 3-64, Taliauli 2-59, Martinez 3-24, Preusser 1-20, Tyger Hayashi 2-16, Kualau Manuel 1-13, Kawa‘akoa 1-6.
Neighbor islands:
Konawaena 71, Keaau 14
Lahainaluna 35, Baldwin 0
Kealakehe 21, Waiakea 14
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