Dear diary,
It’s time for another wild night of prep football in Hawaii. We will try to keep you updated with all of the action, here is what we have scheduled:
• Pun 35, Iol 23, FINAL
• Kamehameha-Hawaii 35, Honokaa 0, FINAL
• Baldwin 30, Lahainaluna 8, FINAL
• Kealakehe 30, Hilo 29, FINAL
• St. Francis 12, Pac-Five 9, FINAL
• Kapolei 16, Aiea 6, FINAL
• Mililani 60, Moanalua 36, FINAL
• Kaiser 22, Leilehua 9, FINAL
• Radford 28, Nanakuli 7, FINAL
Punahou played early at historic Alexander Field and is still the top dog in the ILH after a 35-23 win. Billy Hull live blogged it, you can find his musings here: http://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/football/live-blog-no-1-punahou-vs-iolani/
Wayne Taulapapa was his usual awesome self, scoring three touchdowns and going over 100 yards again. He is constantly in the shadow of Mililani’s Vavae Malepeai, but he is onto something historic in his ILH career. We are a long, long way from ILH All-Stars being voted on by coaches, but we could have seen a very rare event these past three years. Taulapapa and Iolani’s Keoni Kordell Makekau are both in line for their third straight year as first-team ILH. When was the last time two ILH teams have faced off with both of them boasting of a three timer on offense?
How about 1932-34, when Charles Ah Sui of McKinley and Andy Boyd of Kamehameha clashed? And they played both ways.
We all know that Kanawai Noa was the last receiver to be a three-time first teamer, but who was the last running back? We will provide the answer at the end of the night.
But as they say, that is in the past and trivial anyway. Let’s get to the action going on right now.
Paul Honda is live blogging the Mililani-Moanalua tilt here: http://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/football/live-blog-no-3-mililani-at-moanalua/ and you can catch Aiea vs. Kapolei on OC16 with Nanakuli and Radford a channel over on XCast.
8:12: Kaiser and Leilehua are belting out anthems and kickoff is set for 8:20. Kaiser must be pumped up, they are at home so don’t have to drive back from Waianae or Kahuku this time. It is Leilehua’s first trip to Hawaii Kai to play the Cougars, but the Mules have been on the field twice before, a loss to Farrington in 2012 and a loss to Kaimuki in 1998.
8:14: Baldwin is leading Lahainaluna 17-2 at the half and Kamehameha-Hawaii just got a 38-yard TD catch from Israel Borden to go up 14-0 on Honokaa.
8:15: Over in Halawa, Tyson Shimabukuro 31-yard run gives St. Francis 6-0 lead over Pac-Five, 10:18 1st
8:20: Pac-Five’s Tyler Fukuroda kicks 23-yard FG. St. Francis leads 6-3, 3:35 1Q
8:21: And just like that, the Mililani machine is up 8-0 on Moanalua with 10 minutes left in the first quarter. I am sure McKenzie Milton has a huge grin on his face. And the Trojans score again, 15-0 lead with nine minutes left in the first.
8:31: The TV station posts a picture of the Nanakuli cheerleaders here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1035286609837793, but the Rams are first on the board Ace Faumui 5 pass from Quintin Iriarte. Radford 7, Nanakuli 0 in the first. If we know anything about the Golden Hawks, though, it is that this fracas hasn’t even begun yet.
8:35: Ty Keough 34-yard TD pass from Kona Andres. Leilehua 7, Kaiser 0, 6:40, Q1. Rumor has it that Billy Hull is going to debut Trench Warfare for the season.
8:36: Aiea and Kapolei are scoreless after one quarter. Na Alii fighting for their playoff lives, Hurricanes better get moving the ball.
8:37: It is a strange world when Leilehua is not good. But the Mules are good tonight: Leilehua 9, Kaiser 0, 6:28, Q1. Bad snap goes out of the end zone. How would a Campbell vs. Leilehua first round OIA matchup be?
8:39: Nainoa Banks to Keanu Momoa and Nanakuli has tied it at 7 in the first quarter.
TRENCH WARFARE: http://www.hawaiiprepworld.com/football/trench-warfare-eletise-vs-leilehua/ Let’s see what the beast has in store for the Mules. It is pretty even after two series.
8:47: Mililani already up 29-0 over Moanalua in the first quarter. Rod York must have had those Trojans working this week at practice. We jinxed it. Na Menehune score to make it 29-7.
8:52: Belated congrats to the Iolani volleyball team for clinching a state berth. And the Raiders swept Punahou tonight to put a cherry on the top of the first round. They have not lost a set yet this year.
8:53: Halftime: St. Francis 6, Pac-Five 3. The Saints have never beaten the Wolf Pack in their short history, going 0-2 and giving up more than 25 points each time. Defense is doing the trick so far tonight, though.
8:56: Leilehua 9, Kaiser 0, End 1. The Mules beat the Cougars for the first time last year, the series is tied 1-1-1.
9:00: Aiea gets on the board with Cody Lau‘s 32-yd FG. Na Alii lead Kapolei 3-0, 3:30 2nd qtr. Na Alii haven’t beaten Kapolei since the Hurricanes jumped up from JV in the 2003 playoffs. That’s 10 straight wins for Darren Hernandez over Wendell Say in a battle of two of the OIA’s most experienced coaches. Aiea was shut out by the Hurricanes last year.
9:06: Netane Muti is making Eletise earn everything he gets in the trenches. Past Trench Warfare players of the year includ Fred Ulu-Perry last year and Jordan Agasiva the year before. Is Eletise next?
9:17: Wembley Mailei‘s 7-yard score extends St. Francis’ lead to 12-3 over Pac-Five, 10:02 3rd quarter
9:22: Radford hits the half wiht a 14-7 lead over Nanakuli.
9:23: Leilehua avoids a safety but punts on third down from inside its own 1. Kaiser ball on Mules 15 with 1:23 left in half. The Golden Hawks have not beat the Rams at home since 1999.
9:26: Parker Higgins with an absolute MAN RUN as he bowls over about 4 guys and scores on a 13-yard TD. Leilehua 9, Kaiser 7, 51.3. Q2
9:27: Mililani up 43-14 on Moanalua at the half. I still worry about the Trojans’ defense.
9:28: Kaiser and Leilehua hit the half with the Mules up 9-7. The Cougars would probably like to keep it a defensive struggle.
9:38: Leilehua has held Jensen McDaniel to 13 rushing yards on 16 carries in the first half.
9:40: End 3rd: St. Francis 12, Pac-Five 9. St. Francis is a quarter away from winning its first-ever ILH game.
9:49: Hilo and Kealakehe are going to overtime tied at 23.
9:50: Chance Kalaugher sacks Ugalino in the end zone for a safety. Kaiser 9, Leilehua 9, 11:27, Q3.
9:53: Wendell Say is cooking up a masterpiece. Na Alii lead 3-0 after three quarters.
9:55: And the Trojans get their customary 50th point, lead Na Menenhune 50-14 in the third quarter. Oops, never mind the shutout. Kapolei’s Lorenzen Panapa blocks the Aiea punt out of the end zone. Safety. Hurricanes still trail 3-2, 11:51 4th
9:57: I took my eye off the television and Radford leads Nanakuli 21-7 in the third.
10:03: Paul Honda reports on his live blog that Vavae Malepeai is up to 282 yards rushing. That is a school record, beating the 279 Brian Daniels put up against Kailua in 2000. Milton and Timoteo have been holding him back all this time.
10:06: Keoua Mahiko intercepts Leilehua at the 5 and brings it back to the 30. Huge play for Kaiser. Ugalino has been in at QB for Andres for Leilehua since the second quarter.
10:07: Cody Lau connects on his second FG of the game, 37 yard kick gives Aiea 6-2 lead, 7:26, 4th qtr.
10:09: And it is the day Sister Joan of Arc Souza has been waiting for. St. Francis goes final with a 12-9 win over Pac-Five and the first ever ILH win for the Saints. And its the first time they have held a league opponent under 26 points. Congrats to all on that campus.
10:12: Keoua Mahiko 47-yard TD pass from Nic Tom on a broken play. Kaiser 15, Leilehua 9, 3:07, Q3.
10:13: Moanalua scores, it trails Mililani 50-22 with eight minutes left. Is Malepeai done for the night?
10:15: Josh Pacheco tweets that Kealakehe beat Hilo 30-29 when the Vikings fail to get the extra point in the air in overtime.
10:18: Nanakuli’s Nainoa Banks is down, clutching his throat. We almost had an uneventful night. Whew, he appears to be walking off.
10:20: Trojans tack on a field goal. 53-22 with 7 minutes left.
10:21: Kapolei takes the lead on Ty-Noah Williams 23 yd TD reception from Taulia Tagovailoa. PAT good. Hurricanes up 9-6, 3:44 4th qtr. It’s like they were setting up for that one play all game.
10:22: END 3: Kaiser 15, Leilehua 9. The Cougars never got anything going until they moved Eletise to left tackle. His first drive in the new spot resulted in a 70-yard TD drive and the lead.
10:23: Mililani ups the lead to 60-22 over Moanalua. Mililani’s reserves doing work.
10:26: Radford’s defense comes up with a score and the Rams lead 28-7 with 5:23 left. This game was hyped, we thought it would go down to the end.
10:28: Aiea gets the ball at midfield with 2:47 left. QUICK, CHANGE THE CHANNEL!
10:29: Feliciano from a yard out and Moanalua is losing 60-28.
10:31: Ezra Savea returns an interception 64 yards for a Kapolei TD. PAT good. Hurricanes lead 16-6, 1:32 4th. What a way for Na Alii to go out. That one is going to sting, especially for the seniors.
All of the talk when Tua took over at QB for Kapolei was about how much the offense has improved, but the defense might be even more improved since Savea started laying the lumber on defense. That kid flies all over the field.
10:38: And Kapolei goes final with a 16-6 win over Aiea on homecoming. That’s got to be a young homecoming crowd for the fledgling Hurricanes.
10:40: Radford goes final with a win and Mililani does, too. All that is left is Kaiser and Leilehua. Keoni Pangan with the interception for Kaiser. He returns it to the Leilehua 9 with 4:30 remaining.
10:42: Trojans hit 60 points for the fourth time this year, they did it once last year (against Saint Louis). Before that, they had never scored more than 58. What a machine. Because they entered the fray at the same time, Moanalua used to be billed as a rivalry called the M&M game. If it ever was a rivalry, it isn’t any more. Mililani has not lost to Moanalua since 1995. But this is the most Na Menehune has ever scored against the Brown and Gold.
10:47: Emmett Garcia 2-yard TD run. Kaiser 22, Leilehua 9, 2:54, Q4.
10:48: Radford clinches OIA D-II regular season title with 28-7 win over Nanakuli. Not bad for a team without a home field, the Rams have been playing at Aiea this year.
10:49: Keoua Mahiko with another interception for Kaiser and that should do it. The Cougars win.
And that closes another edition of Friday Night Lights. But remember the trivia question?
Here’s your answer:
The last running back to be first-team ILH for three straight years is Punahou’s Mosi Tatupu. He was judged the best back by the league’s coaches in 1971-73. Older backs to share the honor are Charlie Wedemeyer (1964 Punahou), Andy Boyd (1934 Kamehameha), Charles Ah Sui (1934 McKinley), Johnny Wise (1928 Kamehameha) and Rusty Holt (1926 Kamehameha).
Wayne Taulapapa can join them if he is judged first team running back by ILH coaches after the season.
Now to get excited for tomorrow’s Kahuku-Waianae rumble. There will be one player on the field who can become a three-time all-OIA first teamer.
COMMENTS