The right to move on to the OIA Division II final came down to inches Friday.
Roosevelt’s defense stopped Kaiser’s Brady Kim just short of the goal line on a 2-point conversion attempt with 1:30 remaining in the visiting Rough Riders’ 35-34 victory over the Cougars in the semifinals.
“We practiced hard all week — offense and defense — and the kids really wanted this,” Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala said. “These kids played their hearts out.”
Kaiser scored on a 5-yard keeper by Sean Connell and decided to go for the lead. On the 2-point attempt, Connell threw the ball to Kim in the left flat. Kim was tackled just short of the end zone by Victor Silva and Ezekiel Soon.
The Rough Riders recovered the on-side kick and ran out the clock.
Roosevelt will play the winner of today’s Pearl City/Kaimuki matchup for the title next Friday at 5 p.m. at Mililani. The finalists will represent the OIA in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA D-II State Championships, which start Nov. 10.
“This is what the kids play for — they want to get to the states and the OIA final. That was one of our goals from the beginning,” Kahooilihala said.
Roosevelt retook the lead at 35-28 on Ioane Kamanao’s 15-yard slant to Jahsiah Souza-Armstead with 9:10 left in the fourth.
“The play before that we were talking it up and slants are my thing,” Souza-Armstead said. “I just went, did my route, executed good and it was a good pass from the quarterback.”
Kamanao finished 19-for-30 for 302 yards and four touchdowns for Roosevelt, which has won five in a row.
“Ioane is a winner, he’s a warrior,” Kahooilihala said.
Roosevelt (7-3, 6-2) scored on the opening possession of the game on Kaleikaumaka Akiona’s 3-yard run with 10:22 remaining. Journey DePeralta made the PAT kick. Kamanao had a 30-yard completion to Keawe Davis and a 24-yarder to Dayten Tilton on the drive.
Kaiser (5-4, 5-3) tied it at 7-7 on Connell’s 7-yard keeper off the right side and Morgan White’s PAT kick with 3:27 to go in the quarter.
The Rough Riders went up 14-7 on Kamanao’s 11-yard pass to Davis with 10:52 remaining in the second quarter.
Roosevelt extended the lead to 20-7 on Kamanao’s 39-yard pass down the left side to Souza-Armstead with 4:34 remaining before halftime.
Kaiser got within 20-14 on Connell’s 62-yard pass to Keagan Lime with 22.4 seconds to go in the half.
Kamanao was 12-of-21 for 180 yards and Akiona had 14 rushes for 64 yards for Roosevelt before halftime.
The Cougars’ Connell started 3-for-9, but finished the half 4-for-4 for 86 yards. Lime had five receptions for 98 yards in the half. Kaiser’s average starting field possession on its first three drives was its 46-yard line. For the final four, the Cougars’ average start was their 13.
Kaiser scored on the opening possession of the second half on Connell’s 1-yard sneak to take its first lead at 21-20 with 7:35 remaining in the third.
The Rough Riders’ offense opened with a muddle-huddle, with the linemen aligned to the far side and Kamanao at center. The strategy backfired, as Taimane Souza-Fautanu’s pass was intercepted by the Cougars’ Kash Kamauoha.
Roosevelt went back to its regular offense thereafter.
Kaiser extended its lead to 28-20 on Connell’s 7-yard scramble with 3:38 left in the third.
Roosevelt tied it at 28-28 on Kamanao’s 27-yard pass to Davis, and Kamanao’s 2-point conversion pass to Souza-Armstead with 2:10 left in the third. On the touchdown pass, Davis leaped and stole the ball from a Kaiser defensive back at the goal line.
On Kaiser’s next possession, Kolo Taetakua Thompson intercepted Connell at the Cougars’ 45. The Rough Riders drove to the 4, but they botched a snap and the Cougars’ JyTahoe Richards recovered.
Connell finished 12-for-24 for 158 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 16 times for 111 yards and four scores for the Cougars, who had won five of their previous six games.
On Sept. 9, Kaiser defeated visiting Roosevelt 27-24.
—
At Kaiser
Roosevelt (7-3) 7 13 8 7 — 35
Kaiser (5-4) 7 7 14 6 — 34
ROOS—Kaleikaumaka Akiona 3 run (Journey DePeralta kick)
KAIS—Sean Connell 7 run (Morgan White kick)
ROOS—Keawe Davis 11 pass from Ioane Kamanao (DePeralta kick)
ROOS—Jahsiah Souza-Armstead 39 pass from Kamanao (kick failed)
KAIS—Keagan Lime 62 pass from Connell (White kick)
KAIS—Connell 1 run (White kick)
KAIS—Connell 7 run (White kick)
ROOS—Davis 27 pass from Kamanao (Souza-Armstead pass from Kamanao)
ROOS—Souza-Armstead 15 pass from Kamanao (DePeralta kick)
KAIS—Connell 5 run (pass failed)
RUSHING—Roosevelt: Akiona 25-87, Taimane Souza-Fautanu 2-1, Team 2-(minus 2), Kamanao 5-(minus 4). Kaiser: Brady Kim 29-110, Connell 16-98, Dillon Reis 8-28.
PASSING—Roosevelt: Kamanao 19-30-0-302, Souza-Fautanu 0-1-1-0. Kaiser: Connell 12-24-1-158.
RECEIVING—Roosevelt: Souza-Armstead 6-122, Davis 8-101, Souza-Fautanu 4-54, Dayten Tilton 1-25. Kaiser: Lime 9-136, Jesse Shinagawa 2-17, Kim 1-5.
