×

Lunas rally for OT win

Lahainaluna scores final 21 points in 24-17 victory over Maui High

Lahainaluna High School’s Kamalei Watson tries to pull away from Maui High’s Sione Aholelei during the first quarter of the Lunas’ overtime victory over the Sabers on Saturday at Sue Cooley Stadium. -- The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

LAHAINA — The matchup between the two first-round champions in Maui Interscholastic League football lived up to its billing.

Lahainaluna High School overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat Maui High 24-17 in overtime Saturday night at Sue Cooley Stadium, extending an unbeaten start to the season.

Nainoa Irish threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Siale Hafoka on the first possession of overtime, and the Lunas (5-0, 1-0 second round) then secured the win when Nyles Pokipala-Waiohu tackled Sabers quarterback Kainalu Tancayo for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1.

Irish finished with two touchdown passes and a scoring run.

Maui High (2-3, 0-1) went in front 17-3 with 9 minutes, 47 seconds to play in regulation on a 1-yard run by Tancayo, capping a nine-play, 41-yard drive that started after a 9-yard punt.

Maui High’s Solomone Tongi carries the ball as Lahainaluna’s Koa Evalu-Robinson gives chase in the second quarter Saturday. -- The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

A 36-yard field goal by Honu Feldt-Antonio in the third quarter had put the Sabers in front 10-3. That possession began on the Lunas’ 39-yard line after a 10-yard punt.

Lahainaluna needed just one play to respond to Tancayo’s scoring run — William Kai Bookland caught a 65-yard scoring pass from Irish — and then tied the game on Irish’s 29-yard touchdown run with 2:10 left in the fourth quarter.

The tying score finished a six-play, 59-yard drive that included Irish’s 24-yard pass to Ragudo on third-and-11.

In between the final two touchdowns of regulation, the teams traded turnovers. Hafoka intercepted a Tancayo pass, and Maui High’s Atu Falekaono recovered a fumble after a bad snap one play later.

The Sabers led 7-3 at halftime after a defensive battle.

Lunas quarterback Nainoa Irish passes in the second quarter. -- The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

The Lunas took a 3-0 lead on a 42-yard field goal by Pablo Rico in the first quarter, and the Sabers took advantage of a turnover to produce their first points — Sione Lolohea recovered a fumble by Lahaina­luna’s Kamahao Acpal on a second-quarter sack, and Tancayo hit Mitchell Hirose with a 26-yard touchdown pass on the next play.

Lahainaluna finished with 253 yards of offense, while allowing 199. The Sabers gained 62 yards in the first half, seven more than the Lunas.

* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com

_______________

Maui High 0 7 3 7 0–17

Lahainaluna’s Pablo Rico kicks a first-quarter field goal out of the hold of Bailey Honda. -- The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Lahainaluna 3 0 0 14 7–24

First Quarter

LL–FG Pablo Rico 42, 3:55.

Second Quarter

MH–Mitchell Hirose 26 pass from Kainalu Tancayo (Kalia Kapisi kick), 6:18.

Third Quarter

MH–FG Honu Feldt-Antonio 36, 1:29.

Fourth Quarter

MH–Tancayo 1 run (Kapisi kick), 9:47.

LL–William Kai Bookland 65 pass from Nainoa Irish (Rico kick), 9:09.

LL–Irish 29 run (Rico kick), 2:10.

Overtime

LL–Siale Hafoka 4 pass from Irish (Rico kick)

Junior varsity–Lahainaluna 39, Maui High 0.

Friday’s Result

At War Memorial Stadium

BALDWIN 55, KING KEKAULIKE 6

King Kekaulike 6 0 0 0– 6

Baldwin 7 28 14 6–55

First Quarter

KK–Rilee Peters 1 run (kick failed), 3:59.

B–Rohel Ruiz 37 pass from Chayce Akaka (Bishop Wickes kick), 0:03.

Second Quarter

B–Wickes 24 run (Wickes kick), 9:34.

B–Akaka 11 run (Wickes kick), 6:36.

B–Akaka 37 run (Wickes kick), 4:19.

B–Mahi DeFrancia 44 pass from Akaka (Wickes kick), 2:00.

Third Quarter

B–Akaka 7 run (Wickes kick), 11:18.

B–Frank Galios 3 run (Wickes kick), 2:03.

Fourth Quarter

B–Akaka 18 run (kick failed), 7:32.

KK B

First downs 7 16

Rushes-yards 29-48 25-222

Passing yards 23 149

Total offense 71 371

Return yards 40 32

Comp-Att-Int 2-16-2 6-7-0

Fumbles-lost 0-0 2-1

Penalties-yards 6-40 7-56

Punts-avg 5-18.6 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING–King Kekaulike, Trey Hunter 6-18, Peters 12-14, Lucas Tamayose 6-9, Shane Ribucan 5-7; Baldwin, Akaka 10-89, Wickes 3-53, David Enomoto 5-38, Aloalii Laga 2-32, Galios 4-10, Isaiah Kusunoki 1-0.

PASSING–King Kekaulike, Peter 2-14-2-23, Hunter 0-2-0-0; Baldwin, Akaka 5-6-0-139, Kusunoki 1-1-0-10.

RECEIVING–King Kekaulike, Tamayose 2-23; Baldwin, Wickes 2-19, DeFrancia 1-44, Kainoa Kaina 1-39, Ruiz 1-37, Akaka 1-10.

MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.

_______________

MIL SECOND-ROUND STANDINGS

Overall MIL record in parentheses

DIVISION I

W L Pct PF PA

Baldwin (3-2) 1 0 1.000 55 6

x-Maui High (2-3) 0 1 .000 17 24

DIVISION II

W L Pct PF PA

x-Lahainaluna (5-0) 1 0 1.000 24 17

KS Maui (2-2) 0 0 .000 0 0

King Kekaulike (0-5) 0 1 .000 6 55

x-won first-round championship

Friday’s Result

Baldwin 55, King Kekaulike 6

Saturday’s Result

Lahainaluna 24, Maui High 17, OT

Friday, Sept. 29

King Kekaulike vs. Lahainaluna at War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Maui High vs. Kamehameha Maui at War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
     
Support Local Journalism on Maui

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today