Returning to the same field where Kahuku manhandled Saint Louis to end last season with a state title, the Red Raiders celebrated yet another addition to the trophy case.
Quarterback Waika Crawford rushed for two touchdowns and threw for another and Kahuku won its 29th OIA football championship with a 35-0 shutout of Mililani on Friday night at Skippa Diaz Stadium.
With the same formula that led the Red Raiders to a win over the Trojans two weeks earlier to end the regular season, Kahuku (10-2) methodically pounded away from the very start on the Trojans. Three explosive plays in the first half and a methodical 13-play touchdown drive to start the third quarter were enough to earn a sixth league title in the past seven seasons.
“We’ve been preaching all year long that we don’t set the standard, we are the standard,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho said. “As a team collectively we made the adjustments and this is the outcome — another OIA championship.”
Much like last season, when they walked off Farrington’s home field after clobbering the Crusaders, the Red Raiders made it to the bus after playing in rainy conditions once again looking like the class of high school football in the state of Hawaii.
They’ll have two more chances to prove it in the Open Division state tournament, which will be held at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium instead of on the way downtown in Kalihi just off the H-1 freeway.
“I’m used to the drive to here because we played here kind of a lot last year and there’s something about this turf I really like,” said reigning Star-Advertiser Defensive Player of the Year Liona Lefau, who had an interception in the end zone. “We didn’t mind who we were going against — if it was their first-string or third-string quarterback. Our plan was to hold them to a goose egg and we got it.”
Mililani (7-4) played without sophomore quarterback Kini McMillan, who missed the game with an injury. Backup Emana Tarape finished 13-for-24 for 92 yards and was intercepted three times.
McMillan won’t be back for the state tournament on Nov. 18, when Mililani opens with the ILH champion, according to coach Rod York.
“(Tarape) is our guy right now. It doesn’t matter,” York said. “We’ve got to get our running game going. It was a short week for us. We’ll be more prepared in three weeks coming up.”
Crawford finished 14-for-23 for 157 yards and Va’aimalae Fonoti rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown to lead the Kahuku offense.
Reigning Star-Advertiser Offensive Player of the Year Kainoa Carvalho, who played last week for the first time since the season opener, caught three passes for 37 yards.
The Red Raiders took the lead with three consecutive big plays that made the difference in the first half.
The game was scoreless after the first quarter and the Trojans were controlling the clock when Tarape took a sack on second down by Hyrum Moors to force third-and-long.
Tarape was under a heavy rush when he threw a pass to the outside that was picked off by Shaun Niu Jr. and returned to the Trojans’ 19.
On the next play, Crawford kept it and sprinted outside and down the sideline for a 19-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Those three plays were the difference in what likely would have been a scoreless first half.
“Don’t let us get going,” Sterling Carvalho said. “We feed off momentum. We’re a very opportunistic team, and so when we see these things, we take advantage and there’s no stopping us.”
Mililani tried to answer with a 15-play drive, but after two timeouts prior to the fourth-down snap, Tarape was picked off in the end zone by Lefau, a Texas commit.
Lefau also rushed for a first down on fourth-and-1 on the Red Raiders’ next drive, but the half ended with two incomplete passes by Crawford that kept the game 7-0.
Freshman Madden Soliai had two blocked punts and an interception to help the Red Raiders earn their first shutout of the Trojans since 1986. Kahuku scored three touchdowns in the final quarter to make it a blowout.
“I’ve been dreaming about this ever since I was a little kid. I was the water boy for these guys,” Soliai said. “How the times have changed.”
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KAHUKU 35, MILILANI 0
At Skippa Diaz Stadium
Mililani (7-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Kahuku (10-2) 0 7 7 21 — 35
Kah—Waika Crawford 19 run (Zayden Mariteragi kick)
Kah—Crawford 3 run (Z. Mariteragi kick)
Kah—Va’aimalae Fonoti 3 run (Z. Mariteragi kick)
Kah—Kache Kaio 15 pass from Crawford (Z. Mariteragi kick)
Kah—Gemini Vendiola 28 pass from Sitani Suguturaga (Z. Mariteragi kick)
RUSHING—Mililani: Nakoa Kahana-Travis 13-59, Kingston Samuelu 4-18, Emana Tarape 5-(minus 19). Kahuku: Fonoti 14-87, Crawford 7-38, Tavian Hallums 1-8, Keoni Poouahi-MacPherson 4-8, Liona Lefau 1-3, Damon Lauaki 1-2, Suguturaga 2-(minus 7).
PASSING—Mililani: Tarape 13-24-3-92. Kahuku: Crawford 14-23-0-157, Suguturaga 1-1-0-28.
RECEIVING—Mililani: Onosai Salanoa 5-43, Raymond Roller 6-39, Derek Tsuchiyama 1-10, Kahana-Travis 1-0. Kahuku: Kaimana Carvalho 4-60, Kainoa Carvalho 3-37, Vendiola 1-28, Lefau 3-24, Kaio 1-15, Carson Mariteragi 1-11, Kingsley Ah You 1-6, Crawford 1-4.
Junior Varsity—Kahuku 42, Mililani 27
