Kauai 7, Kalaheo 0, FINAL
9:35 p.m.: Akiu is sacked for a loss of 11 on fourth down. That’s all she wrote. Kauai comes over to the Gathering Place and opens its season with a 7-0 win over Kalaheo at Kailua.
9:34 p.m.: Kalaheo burns its last timeout with 57.8 seconds left and the Mustangs facing fourth and 5.
9:29 p.m.: Potentially huge turn of events with 1:18 left as Kauai fumbles on a 7-yard gain and Kalaheo’s Jonah Lene recovers. Mustangs must go 85 yards with a little over a minute left.
9:24 p.m.: Passi is down on the grass after a 5-yard keeper gain. That is NOT what Kauai needed with this game winding down. … But he’s able to make it off the field after a couple moments. Parangao takes over at QB to finish this thing off.
9:23 p.m.: A couple more first downs here and this thing’s over.
9:21 p.m.: Akiu finds Riis Webber on fourth down, but their connection goes for no gain and Kalaheo turns it over on downs.
9:19 p.m.: Akiu gains 5 on third and 10. Timeout is called with 3:53 left and the ball at Kalaheo’s 43.
9:14 p.m.: Three and out for Kauai. Their punt is not return and stops bouncing a the Kalaheo 22. Might be the last chance for the Mustangs here to go most of the field with 5:10 remaining.
9:10 p.m.: Payton Barber with some very nice runs for Kalaheo helps the Mustangs get into Kauai territory for what feels like the first time in a very long time. But then Akiu is sacked on consecutive plays, plus a fumble that goes backward. Kalaheo recovers at its 23 and has to punt.
9:04 p.m.: Tai Panit’s 30-yard field-goal try is very low. Kalaheo takes over at the 20.
9:01 p.m.: Kauai faces third and 12 from the Kauai 17 at the start of the fourth. Been eerily quiet here at Kailua most of the night. No bands and pretty small crowd.
8:56 p.m.: Kauai marches down the field, but then Passi gets stuck and fumbles. Kalaheo recovers but Akiu immediately throws a pick into the hands of Parangao. It’s Kauai in Kalaheo territory again.
8:49 p.m.: Akiu goes deep to Neufeldt on first down for 38 yards. Great catch and run. They try again but it’s defended well and Akiu is dropped a couple times for a loss. Pretty much sums up Kalaheo’s night. They punt.
8:45 p.m. Running back Kamu Peahu makes a couple big plays, one on the catch and once on the run, but Passi is denied on a third-down keeper and Kauai punts from inside Kalaheo territory.
8:41 p.m.: Kalaheo kicks it deep to start the second half. Kauai returns it out to the 29.
8:30 p.m.: That touchdown (the only score of the game) at the start of the second quarter was confirmed to be a 7-yarder by Awe Parangao from Andrew Passi.
8:26 p.m.: Nothing doing there for Kalaheo to close the half. Mustangs have minus-21 yards on the ground tonight, and three completed passes. That patchwork offensive line is doing its best but the hosts tonight are clearly hurting up front.
8:21 p.m.: A costly holding call backs Kauai up near midfield, then Passi goes incomplete on three straight passes. the long snap goes over Kauai’s punter’s head … and he still has time to retreat, gather it and get the boot off. Kalaheo takes it from its 29 with 2 minutes left in the half.
8:19 p.m.: Kalaheo gets massively backed up by penalties, then Akiu’s backfooted throw is picked off by Kauai’s Kala Costa Perreira. Kauai takes over at Kalaheo’s 28.
8:11 p.m.: Passi had Kauai on the move, but the drive stalled at midfield. The Raiders punt and Kalaheo takes over at its 27.
8:05 p.m.: Akiu is then sacked and Kalaheo punts without a return to the Kauai 9.
8:02 p.m.: It’s Akiu! The sophomore QB takes it himself for a 15-yard keeper touchdown …. nope, wipe it off. That’s a gut punch for Kalaheo. Flag in the backfield. They’re backed up to the 30.
7:59 p.m.: Tight end Jordan Neufeldt coming up big for the Mustangs. Akiu finds him consecutively for 39 and 12 yards and Kalaheo is knocking for its first score.
7:54 p.m.: The Red Raiders get on the board immediately to start the second quarter, a 7-yard score. XP is good and they lead by a touchdown.
7:50 p.m.: Kauai is marching down the field behind a new quarterback — Andrew Passi. Parangao slides over to receiver
7:46 p.m.: Kalaheo returns the three and out. Lemmon gets a good punt, very high. It sails out of bounds at the Kauai 40. Big pickup of field position there for the ‘Stangs.
7:44 p.m.: Kauai goes three and out. Kalaheo takes over on its 5.
7:39 p.m.: Good first-down pickup of 6 yards by Payton Barber is negated by a team loss on second down and an incompletion on third. This time Kalaheo actually punts. Kauaai takes over at the Mustangs’ 38.
7:34 p.m.: Parangao is picked looking to the end zone again! this time Riis Webber comes down with it. He has a huge return to about the Kauai 30, but it’s negated by a flag way back there. Kalaheo takes over at its own 15.
7:30 p.m.: Kalaheo QB Isaiah Akiu is sacked on third down, knocking him back to the 19. Kalaheo goes for the fake punt! Punter Jack Lemmon’s pass is long to the open man, though, and Kauai takes over in the Mustangs’ red zone.
7:27 p.m.: Kalaheo’s Jordan Neufeldt picks off Red Raiders QB Awe Parangao over the middle as Parangao was thinking TD. Nice return moves it up to the Mustangs’ 35.
7:22 p.m.: Kalaheo fumbles the opening kickoff and Kauai’s Easton Luis recovers at the Mustangs’ 28.
7:21 p.m.: Kickoff is imminent. Kauai is kicking off to Kalaheo, left to right.
7:06 p.m.: Kickoff in about 15 minutes. Both coaches — Darrell Poole for Kalaheo and Jason Apilado for Kauai — say pregame their rosters have taken academic hits.
7:00 p.m.: Kauai’s JV defeats Kalani’s 28-8.
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Series history: Kauai leads 2-0
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