The final meeting between Damien and St. Francis provided a conclusion worthy of a scintillating four-part season series.
Six days after St. Francis rallied for a one-point win to force the winner-take-all rematch with the Monarchs, the Saints drove to the Damien 14 with less than a minute left in Friday’s ILH Division II championship game at Aloha Stadium.
With the league title and a state tournament berth in the balance, Damien defensive back JT White came down with his third interception of the night to seal a 13-12 Monarchs victory in the meeting that mattered most.
“This one was sweet, just because of how tough Saint Francis is,” Damien coach Eddie Klaneski said as the Monarchs celebrated their third straight ILH title. “They know us really well and it’s just a battle all the way to the end. … We game-plan well for each other and it just comes down to who makes the last play.”
St. Francis had driven into the red zone on the last of Bubba Akana’s 20 completions, a 31-yard pass to Scott McLeod. After a Damien timeout, Akana threw a backward pass to Wembley Mailei, who pulled up and lofted a throw toward the end zone.
“I thought they were throwing a screen to (Mailei),” White said. “I thought he was going to run it, but he ended up cranking up and I was scared, so I just started back-pedaling.”
The throw was a tad short and White secured his third pick of the night at the Damien 2 with 40 seconds left. The Monarchs offense managed to run out the clock to officially start the celebration and clinch Damien’s return to the state tournament.
“All season, (White has) been struggling through some things, and it was good to get him on his best game,” Klaneski said. “He had some health problems and almost didn’t play. For him to show up tonight and do what what he did, he’s a man.”
Along with the ILH title, Damien (9-3) earned a trip to Kauai for the Division I semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships. The Monarch face KIF champion Kauai a week from today at Vidinha Stadium in Lihue, where their season ended last year with a state tournament loss to Kapaa.
St. Francis ended its most successful season to date at 8-4.
“It broke our hearts that we put all our hard work into it and came out with the ‘L.’ But we pushed and did as much as we could,” sophomore running back Jonan Aina-Chaves said after rushing for 124 yards and two touchdowns, his eighth straight game over 100 yards rushing and 10th overall.
“Right after this, we have a week off and then come back and train hard, then come back next season and push.”
Akana passed for a school-record 245 yards in a duel with Damien quarterback Marcus Faufata-Pedrina, who threw for 190 yards and touchdowns to Pomai Kim and Lindon Sevilleja. Faufata-Pedrina also ran for 30 yards on 20 carries, accounting for all but 1 of Damien’s total yards.
“Playing them four times, man, that’s hard,” Faufata-Pedrina said. “They’re a tough team, hit hard, play hard. But our guys stuck it out and like we say when we cross that purple line at Houghtailing, we leave it all on the field and we came out with the win tonight.
“Physically, I’m probably going to wake up and I’m gonna hurt (today). But this win, it means everything. All those little bumps and bruises, it’s nothing when you win like this.”
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>> St. Francis (8-4) 6 0 6 0 — 12
>> Damien (9-3) 7 6 0 0 — 13
StF—Jonan Aina-Chaves 2 run (pass failed)
DMS—Pomai Kim 5 pass from Marcus Faufata-Pedrina (Shiloh Kaeo kick)
DMS—Lindon Sevilleja 10 pass from Faufata-Pedrina (kick failed)
StF—Aina-Chaves 9 run (kick failed)
RUSHING—St. Francis: Aina-Chaves 24-124, Bubba Akana 7-26, Scott McLeod 1-4. Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 20-30, Keoua Kauhi 2-2, Akila Arecchi 1-0, Logan Lauti 3-(minus 1).
PASSING—St. Francis: B. Akana 20-32-2—245, Wembley Mailei 0-1-1—0. Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 13-21-1—190.
RECEIVING—St. Francis: Sammy Kaleikau 4-83, Lachmann Atoa 4-64, McLeod 4-42, Shepherd Kekahuna 4-5, AinaChaves 2-31, Chase Akana 1-15, Mailei 1-5. Damien: Sevilleja 3-67, Arecchi 3-47, Jarvis Natividad 3-27, Lauti 2-30, Kim 2-19.
