Even with a limited roster, the Kaimuki Bulldogs never seem to run out of offensive weapons, excelling in a 49-18 showdown against Kalani at Kaiser Stadium.
The Bulldogs (8-2, 7-1 OIA D-II) cruised to a victory in their last game of the regular season, leading by as many as five touchdowns entering the fourth quarter until the Falcons added two scores to the board within several minutes.
“We can never be satisfied, but they did well,” Kaimuki head coach David Tautofi said. “The outcome was a win and that’s what we came here to accomplish.”
And win they did. Despite Kalani recording the first score of the night on a 3-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Logan Lim, Kaimuki’s defense shut down the Falcons’ offense and prevented it from reaching the end zone again until the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs impact player, senior running back Naomas Asuega-Fualaau tied the first-quarter score by rushing 1 yard into the end zone prior to a 16-yard TD run to take the lead. He finished with 109 yards on 15 carries.
Junior receiver Koby Moananu notched touchdowns catches of 10, 45, and 19 yards to finish with six catches for 113 yards.
“[Asuega-Fualaau and Moananu] impacted the game a lot. They’re some of our big playmakers and they made the plays they needed tonight and they gave us the opportunity to stay ahead and win the game,” Tautofi said.
Senior tight end Jonah Faasoa tried out multiple roles on offense throughout the night, snagging seven catches for 69 yards and scoring on a 3-yard run. He also completed a 16-yard pass in the second quarter.
Tautofi praised sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava’s offensive performance after he completed 19 of 24 pass attempts for 251 yards and four touchdowns. According to Tautofi, the difference maker for Maiava was, “Being able to pilot the offense and sustain drives and make better choices. Tonight it was one of his more efficient games for sure.”
Kalani (4-6, 3-5) found the end zone again in the fourth quarter with senior Jaden Self’s 33-yard scoring catch from Lim, but the two-point conversion failed. Less than a minute later, however, Kaimuki’s botched punt snap landed in its own end zone, giving the Falcons a safety. Moananu caught his third touchdown pass from Maiava with three minutes left, and Kalani senior kicker Kevin Tabuchi finished the game with a 45-yard field goal.
The Bulldogs are tied with Kaiser for first place to finish the OIA Division II season. A Roosevelt win over Nanakuli tonight would result in a three-way tie, with a coin flip determining the seeding.
“We’ll use this game the same way we’ve used every game,” Tautofi said. “Every game is a new opportunity and we’re just fortunate to have another game after tonight. A lot of teams across the island are done after this weekend so we’ll just go back to the drawing board this weekend and get ready for next week Friday.”
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