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Maui High rallies past Konawaena

WAILUKU – Call this Maui High School football 2.0.

Or make that 2-0, as in the Sabers’ record in the nonleague portion of their schedule.

Maui High played late into Saturday night and came away with a 47-37 win over Konawaena in a preseason game in front of about 500 fans at War Memorial Stadium.

The Sabers, who have not had a winning season since 2003, overcame a 24-7 halftime deficit with three touchdowns in the first 4 minutes, 12 seconds of the third quarter.

Onosai Emelio scored three touchdowns for Maui High, all in the third quarter.

The game was delayed for about 15 minutes with 4:53 to play when Maui High’s Brysen Kokubun was taken by ambulance to Maui Memorial Medical Center with an apparent arm injury.

Emelio began the comeback when he scored on a 20-yard run to cut the deficit to 24-14 with 10:45 to go in the third quarter, after Andre Pierman returned the second-half kickoff 55 yards to the Konawaena 33-yard line.

Pierman then recovered an onside kick and Emelio scored on a 7-yard pass from Tyson Takabayashi – the Sabers’ first completion this season – with 8:46 left in the quarter. Mario Fernandez rumbled 25 yards to the Konawaena 17-yard line to start the drive, but was injured on the play.

The Sabers took a 27-24 lead on an 18-yard touchdown run by Justin Cravalho less than a minute later. The two-play, 23-yard drive was set up by a fumble recovery by Nathan Apolo after Brandon Howes was sacked.

Maui High capped its 27-point third-quarter outburst with a 12-yard touchdown run by Emelio with 5:50 left in the period.

Konawaena (0-1) got within 34-30 on a 2-yard run by fullback Makoa Chapa, capping a four-play, 85-yard drive.

Maui High put the game out of reach with Cravalho’s 44-yard scamper four minutes later. Pierman then scored on a 30-yard interception return on the first play after the delay for Kokubun’s injury.

Pierman recovered the Wildcats’ onside kick after their final score – an 8-yard pass from Howes to Brandon Awa with 24 seconds left.

Cravalho finished with 82 yards on nine carries. Emelio gained 71 yards on 12 rushes.

Howes passed for 371 yards and three touchdowns. Ca-meron Takaki caught 13 passes for 167 yards and a score.

The Sabers took a 7-0 lead on a 20-yard run by Fernandez two plays after Arven Lacaden recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff at the Wildcats’ 25-yard line, but Kona-waena took temporary command after that.

A bad snap in punt formation gave Konawaena the ball on the Maui High 29. Howes hit Takaki on a 24-yard pass, and Dishon Cho scored on the next play, with 7:56 left in the first quarter.

On the Wildcats’ next possession, Cho broke free for a 48-yard run to the Sabers’ 22 and Howes connected with Takaki for a scoring pass on the following snap.

On its next possession, Konawaena drove 69 yards in 14 plays – twice picking up first downs on penalties – before John Replogle made it 17-7 with a 28-yard field goal with 9:18 left in the first half.

With the clock winding down in the first half, the Wildcats pinned the Sabers deep in their own territory and forced a punt. On the drive that followed, Cameron Howes snagged a 29-yard scoring pass from his brother to make it 24-7 with 28 seconds left in the first half.

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

Konawaena…14…10……0…13-37

Maui High…….7……0…27….13-47

First Quarter

MH-Mario Fernandez 20 run (Jared Kapisi kick), 11:06.

K-Dishon Cho 5 run (John Replogle kick), 7:56.

K-Chase Takaki 22 pass from Brandon Howes (Replogle kick), 4:42.

Second Quarter

K-Replogle 28 FG, 9:18.

K-Cameron Howes 29 pass from Brandon Howes (Replogle kick), 0:28.

Third Quarter

MH-Onosai Emelio 20 run (Kapisi kick), 10:45.

MH-Emelio 7 pass from Tyson Takabayashi (Kapisi kick), 8:46.

MH-Justin Cravalho 18 run (run failed), 7:48.

MH-Emelio 12 run (Kapisi kick), 5:05.

Fourth Quarter

K-Makoa Chapa 2 run (kick blocked), 9:56.

MH-Cravalho 44 run (Kapisi kick), 5:42.

MH-Andre Pierman 30 interception return (kick failed), 4:40.

K-Brandon Awa 8 pass from Brandon Howes (Replogle kick), 0:24.

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