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Warriors outlast Sabers

Sanchez, Facuri connect for two TDs as Kamehameha Maui holds on for 21-13 victory

By Robert Collias 5 min read

PUKALANI -- Damon Martin had no trouble waiting his turn Friday night at Kanaiaupuni Stadium.

The senior running back for the Kamehameha Schools Maui football team ran for 95 of his 108 yards in the second half to lead the Warriors to a 21-13 win over Maui High in the Maui Interscholastic League opener for both teams.

Martin, the 2016 MIL rushing champion with 814 yards, watched Dane Abarra run for 39 yards on six carries in the first half. In a nonleague win over Kalaheo two weeks ago, Abarra had 70 yards rushing while Martin nursed a plantar fasciitis injury.

"I haven't been practicing, so we put Dane in -- he's a great running back," Martin said. "He's a junior, we've been working together for a while, and it's great to see him out there. Getting to share the field with him coming from last year was amazing. Having fresh legs was amazing -- it was slow, but it was good."

Ahead 14-13 at halftime, the Warriors padded their lead in the third quarter when Kainoa Sanchez dove in from a yard away to cap a 59-yard, eight-play drive that began after a fumble recovery by Darius Mynar.

Martin ran six times for 53 yards on the drive and finished with 19 carries for 108 yards.

Mynar added a second fumble recovery early in the fourth quarter to thwart a Maui High drive that reached the Kamehameha Maui 35-yard line.

Nathan Facuri caught scoring passes of 21 and 36 yards from Sanchez, while Justin Pulido scored on a pair of 4-yard runs for the Sabers.

Kamehameha broke on top with 2 minutes, 59 seconds left in the first quarter when Facuri's first scoring catch capped a four-play, 50-yard drive. Abarra had a 17-yard run and Tristan Catan had a 12-yard reception on the drive.

Catan finished with 11 receptions for 84 yards and Sanchez was 14-for-22 passing for 145 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

"They played well, our defense came up big, so that's the way you win ballgames," Kamehameha coach Ulima Afoa said. "Both sides have to be productive."

Pulido made it 7-6 1 1/2 minutes later when his first scoring run culminated a five-play, 45-yard drive. The short field was set up by Tevita Takitaki's 44-yard kickoff return. Pulido carried four times for 40 yards on the drive and 14 times for 114 yards in the first half.

The Sabers took a 13-7 lead on their next possession that began when Kimo Honokaupu recovered a fumble by Sanchez after a bad snap. Pulido ran four times for 17 yards on the eight-play, 45-yard drive. Selesi Moli had three straight runs for 21 total yards to set up Pulido's scoring run.

Facuri's second touchdown catch came on the next possession on a five-play drive that was helped by a roughing-the-passer penalty, one of four 15-yard penalties called on the Sabers in the first half.

Tiliti Adams had two interceptions in the first half for the Warriors, one of which came in the end zone on the final play of the half.

Before that, Maui High had reached the Kamehameha 22-yard line after Moses Aholelei blocked a 46-yard field-goal try by Michael Singh and Storm Crozier returned it 26 yards. Kainalu Tancayo hit Christian Lee for an 18-yard pass on the play before Adams' second interception.

Sabers head coach Rodney Figueroa made his MIL coaching debut with the loss, which marked the first time in more than five seasons that Kamehameha Maui had beaten Maui High.

Pulido finished with 163 yards rushing on 27 carries. The Sabers dressed 35 players for the game and expects to have more than 50 suited up for their game next week against Lahainaluna.

"Kamehameha played very well, we knew we were going to be in for a battle," Figueroa said. "We played with what we have, but give them credit."

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.

Maui High 6 7 0 0--13

KS Maui 7 7 7 0--21

First Quarter

KSM--Nathan Facuri 21 pass from Kainoa Sanchez (Michael Singh kick), 2:59.

MH--Justin Pulido 4 run (kick failed), 1:25.

Second Quarter

MH--Pulido 4 run (Kalia Kapisi kick), 10:17.

KSM--Facuri 36 pass from Sanchez (Singh kick), 8:11.

Third Quarter

KSM--Sanchez 1 run (Singh kick), 4:07.

Junior varsity--Kamehameha Maui 15, Maui High 6.

Friday's Result

At Sue Cooley Stadium

LAHAINALUNA 45, KING KEKAULIKE 0

King Kekaulike 0 0 0 0-- 0

Lahainaluna 21 17 7 0--45

First Quarter

LL--Joshua Tihada 20 run (Kaihulali Casco kick), 11:02.

LL--Elijah Ragudo 2 run (kick failed), 8:12.

LL--Derek Perez 57 punt return (Etuati Storer run), 6:28.

Second Quarter

LL--Aliksa Pihda 9 run (Casco kick), 9:19.

LL--Kamalei Watson 30 punt return (Casco kick), 5:22.

LL--FG Pablo Rico 35, 0:44.

Third Quarter

LL--Ragudo 52 run (Casco kick), 9:11.

Junior varsity--Lahainaluna 42, King Kekaulike 0.

– KK LL

First downs 4 14

Rushes-yards 35-33 37-225

Passing yards 3 95

Total offense 36 320

Return yards 0 87

Comp-Att-Int 1-5-1 5-8-0

Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0

Penalties-yards 3-15 6-61

Punts-avg 4-24.8 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--King Kekaulike, Trey Hunter 12-51, Arik Mendoza 5-15, Rilee Peters 7-5, Matt Garaganza 8-2, team 3-(minus 40); Lahainaluna, Ragudo 2-54, Pihda 2-36, Tihada 3-28, Koapaka Purdy 8-23, Nathaniel Somera 8-20, Jesse Dudoit 2-14, Kahiau Yap 2-13, Kamahao Acpal 5-10, Lennox Kahahane-Lived 1-10, Etuati Storer 1-7, Nainoa Kulukulualani-Sales 2-6, Dean Miyamoto 1-4.

PASSING--King Kekaulike, Hunter 1-5-1-3; Lahainaluna, Storer 5-7-0-95, Acpal 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING--King Kekaulike, Jesus Damon Madera 1-3; Lahainaluna, William Kai Bookland 3-64, Leovigildo Amby 1-20, Kawehi Gillcoat 1-11.

MISSED FIELD GOALS--None.

Starting at /week.