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Seabury downs Lanai, advances to title game

Seabury Hall’s Kili Madrid Jr. tries to run through a tackle attempt by Lanai’s Justin Belista in the second quarter Saturday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

OLINDA — Kili Madrid Sr. was known for his quick-strike punches as a professional boxer.

Kili Madrid Jr. follows the same plan on the gridiron.

The younger Madrid, a Seabury Hall sophomore, scored five touchdowns — on a pair of 80-yard kickoff returns and runs of 9, 1 and 46 yards — leading the way to a 57-30 win over Lanai in a Maui Interscholastic League eight-player football semifinal Saturday afternoon at the Spartans’ on-campus field.

“I’ve never done that before, but, like, it’s not all me, it’s all my blockers and I really have to give hands down to all my blockers,” Madrid said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have those touchdowns. It’s all them. It’s not only me.”

Seabury (3-1) will play for the league title on Thursday at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku against undefeated Molokai, the defending champion.

Spartans quarterback Jack Almeida tosses a pass over the Pine Lads’ Keahilele Biho. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The Pine Lads (1-3) scored on the game’s opening possession — J.J. Dulay weaved through the defense on a 32-yard touchdown run after Blaise Dimaya kept the drive alive by snagging a 25-yard pass from Devrene Kahananui-Alejado on fourth-and-12.

Madrid took the ensuing kickoff on a hop and sped up the middle to tie the game. Taiana-Ulalia Ornellas’ 2-point conversion run gave the Spartans a lead they would not relinquish.

Seabury’s Jack Almeida found Peter Konohia for a 32-yard scoring pass on fourth-and-26 later in the first quarter, and Keanu Akina-Ancog scored on a 6-yard run to cap a 23-yard, four-play drive that followed a 38-yard interception return by Blayde Omura.

Madrid set up his 9-yard scoring run by scampering 13 yards on fourth-and-4 early in the second quarter. After Dulay’s second touchdown of the game, Madrid scored from a yard out, and Ben Swartz added a 55-yard interception return for a score with 28 seconds left in the first half to push the Spartans’ lead to 44-14.

Madrid’s touchdown on the return of the second-half kickoff activated the mercy-rule running clock, and his final touchdown later in the quarter finished Seabury’s scoring.

Seabury Hall receiver Peter Konohia catches a touchdown pass as Lanai’s Kane Tubura defends. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The Pine Lads’ Kahananui-Alejado threw a 58-yard scoring pass to Ardell Muller in the third quarter and ran in from 10 yards out in the final minute to account for the final score.

“All game long, we battled,” said Lanai coach Stephen Ferguson. “I’m proud of them. Molokai and Seabury has been the dominant teams for the last four years. We’re kind of getting to the level where we can start competing with those guys.”

The Farmers beat the Spartans 49-21 two weeks ago in Olinda.

“I tell you what, that’s exactly what we wanted,” Seabury coach Guy Batchelder said of a rematch with Molokai. “Our guys have been working hard and have improved so much in the last three weeks and I feel like they’re ready to play. It’s going to be a good game, it will be a lot different.”

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

Devrene Kahananui-Alejado of Lanai prepares to throw as Seabury Hall’s Jackson Masuda closes in Saturday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

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Lanai                   6       8     8    8–30

Seabury Hall    22    22    13    0–57

First Quarter

L–J.J. Dulay 32 run (pass failed)

SH–Kili Madrid 80 kickoff return (Taiana-Ulalia Ornellas run)

SH–Peter Konohia 32 pass from Jack Almeida (Corrado Rusnak kick)

SH–Keanu Akina-Ancog 6 run (Rusnak kick)

Second Quarter

SH–Madrid 9 run (kick blocked)

L–Dulay 5 run (Ardell Muller pass from Devrene Kahananui-Alejado)

SH–Madrid 1 run (Konohia pass from Almeida)

SH–Ben Swartz 55 interception return (Ornellas run)

Third Quarter

SH–Madrid 80 kickoff return (Rusnak kick)

SH–Madrid 46 run (run failed)

L–Muller 58 pass from Kahananui-Alejado (Kian Tubera pass from Balise Dimaya)

Fourth Quarter

L–Kahananui-Alejado 10 run (Kahilele Biho pass from Kahananui-Alejado)

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MIL TOURNAMENT

SEMIFINALS

Saturday’s Results

Seabury Hall 57, Lanai 30

Molokai def. Hana, forfeit

CHAMPIONSHIP

Thursday’s Game

Molokai vs. Seabury Hall at War Memorial Stadium, 6 p.m.

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