Lunas blank Bears 42-0 in emotional return to field
Playing in front of a sea of red at packed War Memorial Stadium Saturday night, Lahainaluna quarterback Lyrik Kahula throws a pass under pressure from Baldwin High’s Pita Takafua. The Lunas defeated the Bears 42-0 in the game, the first for Lahainaluna since the Aug. 8 wildfires destroyed much of their community. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
Lahainaluna players sing their alma mater after their win Saturday night.
Lahainaluna fans cheer a long third-quarter touchdown run by Avery Baybayan Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
Lunas running back Kaulana Tihada pops into the air after breaking a tackle to score a two-point conversion in the second quarter.
Lahainaluna’s Hoken Hironaka slashes through a hole opened by his offensive line on his way to a fourth-quarter touchdown.
The Lunas’ Kamaehu Corpuz is tackled by Baldwin’s Ethan Bacos and Toa Mataafa-Grove.
Lahainaluna co-head coach Dean Rickard gets a hug from Baldwin assistant coach John Jakubczak after Saturday’s game.
Lahainaluna’s James Lukela-Kobatake is upended by Baldwin’s Josiah Nakihei while picking up a first down. Also defending is the Bears’ Sam Koshi.
Playing in front of a sea of red at packed War Memorial Stadium Saturday night, Lahainaluna quarterback Lyrik Kahula throws a pass under pressure from Baldwin High’s Pita Takafua. The Lunas defeated the Bears 42-0 in the game, the first for Lahainaluna since the Aug. 8 wildfires destroyed much of their community. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
Lahainaluna players sing their alma mater after their win Saturday night.
Lahainaluna fans cheer a long third-quarter touchdown run by Avery Baybayan Saturday at War Memorial Stadium.
Lunas running back Kaulana Tihada pops into the air after breaking a tackle to score a two-point conversion in the second quarter.
Lahainaluna’s Hoken Hironaka slashes through a hole opened by his offensive line on his way to a fourth-quarter touchdown.
The Lunas’ Kamaehu Corpuz is tackled by Baldwin’s Ethan Bacos and Toa Mataafa-Grove.
Lahainaluna co-head coach Dean Rickard gets a hug from Baldwin assistant coach John Jakubczak after Saturday’s game.
Lahainaluna’s James Lukela-Kobatake is upended by Baldwin’s Josiah Nakihei while picking up a first down. Also defending is the Bears’ Sam Koshi.
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WAILUKU -- The Red Tide from the West Side is officially back.
Lahainaluna High School's highly anticipated return to the football field was all it was built up to be on Saturday night at a jam-packed, emotion-filled War Memorial Stadium -- the Lunas took care of business with a dominant 42-0 win over Baldwin.
It was the first action for the football team since the Aug. 8 wildfires devastated their community.
"It felt great playing with the team again, just getting back on the field, we've been waiting for this moment too long, too long," senior running back Kaulana Tihada said after rushing for 29 yards on seven carries and recording 20 receiving yards and a touchdown on three catches. "It's been definitely a hard time, you know, ever since that fire, but we've been persevering. We got to work extra hard, especially since we were behind everyone, so it means a lot to come out here and play for this whole community."
The Lunas led 28-0 at halftime on the strength of three touchdown passes by Lyrik Kahula -- 19 yards to Kuola Watson to open the scoring, 18 yards to Avery Baybayan to make it 13-0 one play into the second quarter, and 8 yards to Tihada to push the lead to 21-0 with 4:21 left in the half.
The Lunas scored their fourth touchdown on a 4-yard run by T.J. Borges with 44 seconds left before the break.
At halftime, a donation of $10,000 to the Lahainaluna band was announced -- the Baldwin band played a large role in leading the donation effort and several other school bands around the island also helped. The Baldwin and Lahainaluna bands met at midfield and embraced during the emotional, upbeat halftime ceremony.
The Lunas outgained the Bears 176 yards to 31 in the first half and 238-29 for the game.
Baybayan turned on the 35-point mercy-rule running clock on the first play of the second half with an electrifying 69-yard kickoff return, and Hoken Hironaka's 4-yard run with 11:46 to play made it 42-0.
Baldwin coach Cody Nakamura was happy his team got to be part of the festivities. The Bears fell to 0-5 and were shut out for the fourth time.
"Chicken skin all the way through," Nakamura said after warm hugs with several Lunas players following the game. "Great to see the Maui community out here supporting the boys' first game. It was great to see what a great environment it was, a lot of noise and very exciting."
Nakamura said he hopes that his team can learn from the experience.
"I think it was an eye-opening experience for them," Nakamura said. "Something that they haven't been exposed to, I don't think ever for this group. So, good to kind of get that exposure, try and get them used to it so in the future if we get to turn this program around they're there and they know what to expect."
Saturday's game was packed to the gills with more than 5,000 fans in attendance, and the media crush -- several national and nearly all the statewide media were in attendance -- made it most likely the most covered MIL game ever.
Lahainaluna co-head coach Dean Rickard was happy to have the first game out of the way. Lahainaluna plays Maui High next week in a battle of two teams that are 1-0 in Maui Interscholastic League Division I play.
"We definitely were trying to figure out which team would be coming out," Rickard said. "Especially considering all the hype around this game and the media attention and we just wanted them to focus. We were pleased with what we saw, but at the same time there's a lot of things that we need to fix up."
Kahula was 11-for-17 passing for 95 yards, the three TDs and no interceptions. Noa Gordon played the second half at QB and ran once for 13 yards and had a 24-yard completion to Talan Toshikiyo in two pass attempts.
The Lunas ran 20 times for 119 yards among eight ballcarriers.
"We need a little more consistency, minimize our errors, communication on the sidelines, not only with the players, but amongst the coaches ourselves," Rickard said. "But, you know, first game back, we just got to get the rust off a little. But, you know what? Can't complain with the 'W,' but at the same time it's just good to get that monkey off the back and get that game under our belt and then take it week-to-week after that."
Senior center Morgan "Bula" Montgomery played with a club cast protecting a broken left wrist, and Watson played after his right shoulder was separated at practice on Thursday. Both were first-team MIL All-Stars last season.
"No ways," Watson said near the locker room door when asked if anything was going to keep him out of this game. "I injured my shoulder, but the next day I took a couple ibuprofens and I was back at it."
When asked what happened, Watson smiled and said, "So, my shoulder popped out and I popped it back in. They just wrapped it."
Any lingering pain melted away when Watson, the grandson and son of Lunas coaches, saw the crowd.
"I mean, once I saw the crowd, it all just went away, all the bumps and bruises," Watson said. "I lost my voice before we even played the game."
* Robert Collias is at rcollias@mauinews.com.
Lahainaluna 7 21 7 7--42
Baldwin 0 0 0 0-- 0
First Quarter
LL--Kuola Watson 19 pass from Lyrik Kahula (Joseph Arcangel kick), 6:27.
Second Quarter
LL--Avery Baybayan 18 pass from Kahula (kick failed), 11:53.
LL--Kaulana Tihada 8 pass from Kahula (Tihada run), 4:21.
LL--T.J. Borges 4 run (Arcangel kick), 0:44.
Third Quarter
LL--Baybayan 69 kickoff return (Arcangel kick), 11:46.
Fourth Quarter
LL--Hoken Hironaka 4 run (Arcangel kick), 7:30.
LL B
First downs 16 4
Rushes-yards 20-119 19-3
Passing yards 119 26
Total offense 238 29
Return yards 113 38
Comp-Att-Int 12-19-0 3-16-1
Fumbles-lost 2-1 2-0
Penalties-yards 5-50 4-20
Punts-avg 1-48.0 6-23.2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Lahainaluna, Tihada 7-29, Kahula 2-22, Borges 5-20, James Lukela-Kobatake 1-15, Hironaka 2-14, Noa Gordon 1-13, Baybayan 1-5, Chester Albiller 1-1; Baldwin, Tyler Antonio 1-11, Josiah Nakihei 6-9, Antone Sanches 1-5, Brock Toma 4-2, Gavin Acosta 2-1, Kalaheo Kanae Oliveira 4-(minus 12), team 1-(minus 13).
PASSING--Lahainaluna, Kahula 11-17-0--95, Gordon 1-2-0--24; Baldwin, Oliveira 3-16-1--26.
RECEIVING--Lahainaluna, Tihada 3-20, Baybayan 2-27, Ikaika Cabrera 2-1, Talan Toshikiyo 1-24, Watson 1-19, Borges 1-16, Kamaehu Corpus 1-11, Michael Rayray 1-1; Baldwin, Sanches 1-13, Cooper Watkins 1-7, Noah Ruess 1-6.
MISSED FIELD GOALS--none.
Junior varsity--Lahainaluna 14, Baldwin 9.
*****
Friday's Result
KAMEHAMEHA MAUI 42, MAUI HIGH 7
Maui High 0 7 0 0-- 7
KS Maui 14 7 13 8--42
First Quarter
KSM--Dylan Schnitzer 42 pass from Makana Kamaka-Brayce (Kamalei Cua kick), 9:24.
KSM--Kaikea Hueu 1 run (Cua kick), 2:05.
Second Quarter
KSM--Schnitzer 46 pass from Kamaka-Brayce (Cua kick), 7:24.
MH--Braden Albrecht 44 pass from Nash Vida Ah Loo (Vida Ah Loo kick), 5:30.
Third Quarter
KSM--Hueu 19 run (kick failed), 8:43.
KSM--Schnitzer 66 pass from Kamaka-Brayce (Cua kick), 4:56.
Fourth Quarter
KSM--Hueu 17 run (Kanekoa Maielua-Kekiwi pass from Kamaka-Brayce), 11:47.
MH KSM
First downs 12 20
Rushes-yards 30-110 22-141
Passing yards 117 289
Total offense 227 430
Return yards 93 8
Comp-Att-Int 9-19-1 17-23-0
Fumbles-lost 4-3 1-1
Penalties-yards 4-20 3-20
Punts-avg 1-36.0 1-27.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Maui High, Landon Vea-Butihi 8-40, Juan Casilla Lopez 4-21, Rodney Vaka 5-19, Sky Abilay 3-18, Sione Ngalu 4-11, Cody Alejo 1-5, Charlie Peterson 2-0, Vida Ah Loo 3-(minus 4); Kamehameha Maui, Hueu 21-140, Kamaka-Brayce 1-1.
PASSING--Maui High, Vida Ah Loo 8-17-0--101, Vaka 1-2-1--16; Kamehameha Maui, Kamaka-Brayce 17-21-0--289, Kolten Waikiki-Caldeira 0-2-0--0.
RECEIVING--Maui High, Albrecht 5-93, Peterson 2-7, Jonah Cariaga 1-13, Vaka 1-4; Kamehameha Maui, Schneitzer 5-173, Teiva Kauhaa-Po 6-61, Kapohai Abreu 2-32, Shane Ueki 2-10, Mana Gasmen 1-7, Kanekoa Maielua-Kekiwi 1-6.
MISSED FIELD GOALS--none.
Junior varsity--Kamehameha Maui 44, Maui High 7
*****
MIL STANDINGS
Note: Only in-division games count for state qualification; overall record in parenthesis
DIVISION I
W L Pct PF PA
Lahainaluna (1-0) 1 0 1.000 42 0
Maui High (1-4) 1 0 1.000 27 17
Baldwin (0-5) 0 2 .000 17 69
DIVISION II
W L Pct PF PA
KS Maui (5-0) 1 0 1.000 34 21
King Kekaulike (3-1) 0 1 .000 21 34
Friday's Result
Kamehameha Maui 42, Maui High 7
Saturday's Result
Lahainaluna 42, Baldwin 0
Friday, Oct. 6
Baldwin at King Kekaulike, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 7
Maui High vs. Lahainaluna at War Memorial Stadium, 7 p.m.