Division I in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships will have a hard time matching the excitement provided by Division II on Friday night.
In the first game played Saturday, KIF champion Kauai hosts ILH champion Damien at Vidinha Stadium at 2 p.m.
The Monarchs have played Kauai twice in the last three years, winning 28-21 in 2014 and 34-19 in 2015.
Updates and a live blog will follow below.
Damien (10-3) 6 0 7 0 — 13
Kauai (5-4) 3 7 0 0 — 10
Kau—FG Logan Noice 45
Dam—Marcus Faufata-Pedrina 14 run (kick failed)
Kau—Jaykob Naka’ahiki-Young 2 run (Noice kick)
Dam—Logan Lauti 31 pass from Faufata-Pedrina (Shiloh Kaeo kick)
RUSHING—Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 14-75, Keoua Kauhi 14-42, Aperamo Sulu 1-6, Lauti 6-18, Akila Arecchi 1-3, Team 1-(-2). Kauai: Christian Manera, 15-39, Naka’ahiki-Young 9-35, Aukai Albao 5-13, Hoku Parbo 1-7, Pomai Akau, 1-0.
PASSING—Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 10-25-3-120. Kauai: Manera 5-18-0-58.
RECEIVING—Damien: Lindon Sevilleja 4-47, Lauti 2-34, Kauhi 2-17, Arecchi 1-11, Jarvis Natividad 1-11. Kauai: Naka’ahiki-Young 3-36, Parbo 1-14, Noah Ruiz 1-8.
————————–
Kauhi picks up 2 yards. Fauafata-Pedrina takes a knee. Damien advances to the Division I championship game.
Kauai faces third-and-2 as we go under 3 minutes. Naka’ahiki-Young breaks a tackle at the line and gets to the 44. 2:34 left. Manera has Ruiz open deep, but he can’t hang on. Third-and-6 at 2 minutes. Hoku Parbo is trapped in the backfield, but turns the corner for a 5-yard gain. But a personal foul-blindside block pushes Kauai back to its 30. Manera to Naka’ahiki-Young over the middle for 17 yards to bring up fourth-and-7. Timeout Kauai (one left), 1:17. Quick out to Ruiz is incomplete. Illegal block on Kauai is declined. Damien ball at the Kauai 47.
Lauti is tripped up on third down to bring up fourth-and-3 at the 23. Faufata-Pedrina tries to will his way to the marker but is stopped short. Kauai ball at its 21.
On third-and-10, Manera connects with Noah Ruiz for 14 and a first down at the Red Raiders’ 24. Tristan Blair sacks Manera for a loss of 7 and the third-down pass is incomplete. Kauai’s punt goes out of bounds at the Red Raiders’ 30.
Damien faces third-and-10 at the Kauai 42, Faufata-Pedrina magically escapes pressure again and finds a seam up the sideline for an 18-yard gain, first down. Timeout Kauai. Kauhi runs for 4 and Lauti picks up 6 for another first down at the 14. Llego-Pellettier. drops Fauata-Pedrina for a loss of 3 on first down. Faufata-Pedrina rolls left and his throw is intercepted by Kyle Bissara. Kauai ball at its 10.
After the touchback, Kauai goes three-and-out. Damien ball at its 46. Faufata-Pedrina completes a short pass to Lauti on third-and-4. Measurement leaves the Monarchs short to bring up fourth-and-less than 1. Faufata-Pedrina sneaks for a gain of 2 to keep the drive alive and end the third quarter.
Kauai starts at its 32. Sack by Jonathan Dalmacio brings up third-and-17. After a short pass to Naka’ahiki-Young, Kauai punts. The return is fumbled and Kauai recovers at the Damien 30. Manera throws to his right, it bounces and looks like an incomplete pass, but its ruled backward. Monarchs’ Akila Aercchi recovers and returns it to the Kauai 10. Faufata-Pedrina scrambles to the 1 on third down. His fade on fourth down is intercepted in the end zone. by Noah Ho’opi’i.
Faufata-Pedrina completes passes for 11 and 14 yards. Kauhi takes a draw for 15 yards to the Kauai 31. Faufata-Pedrina rolls right and throws deep to Logan Lauti who makes the catch for the score. TOUCHDOWN DAMIEN. PAT good. Damien up 13-10, 8:35.
Damien’s short kick actually fades back toward the Monarchs and the Red Raiders start at the Damien 40. Kauai faces fourth-and-1 but encroachment gives the Red Raiders a first down at the 26. Manera keeps and fumbles. Damien’s Matthew Faufata-Pedrina recovers at the Damien 29.
——————
At Vidinha Stadium
Damien (9-3) 6 0 — 6
Kauai (5-3) 3 7 — 10
Kau—FG Logan Noice 45
Dam—Marcus Faufata-Pedrina 14 run (kick failed)
Kau—Jaykob Naka’ahiki-Young 2 run (Noice kick)
RUSHING—Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 6-43, Keoua Kauhi 9-22, Aperamo Sulu 1-6, Logan Lauti 2-6, Akila Arecchi 1-3. Kauai: Christian Manera, 8-46, Naka’ahiki-Young 5-15, Aukai Albao 1-1, Pomai Akau, 1-0.
PASSING—Damien: Faufata-Pedrina 5-17-1-56. Kauai: Manera 2-8-0-21.
RECEIVING—Damien: Lindon Sevilleja 3-33, Kauhi 1-12, Arecchi 1-11. Kauai: Naka’ahiki-Young 1-13, Noah Ruiz 1-8.
——————
Damien starts at its 31. Faufata-Pedrina scrambles for 15. False start and personal foul penalties push Damien back to the 26 for first-and-30. Faufata-Pedrina’s 16-yard scramble is wiped out by a holding call and time runs out.
Manera completes a bubble screen to Jaykob Naka’ahiki-Young for 13 yards. Naka’ahiki-Young converts on third-and-2 with a 15-yard run to the Damien 13. Kauai takes its second timeout before second-and-1 at the 12. Manera recovers his own fumble, then converts on third down with a 10-yard keeper up the middle to the Damien 1. Naka’ahiki-Young stopped for a loss of 3. Encroachment moves the ball back to the 2 and Naka’ahiki-Young scores on the next play. TOUCHDOWN KAUAI. PAT good. Red Raiders go back up 10-6, 2:05.
Damien drive starts with a false start. Faufata-Pedrina’s third-down pass is intercepted by Hoku Parbo at the Damien 49.
Manera keeps up the middle then cuts left and gets to the 35 for a 26-yard gain. After an 8-yard completion, Kauai flagged for delay of game and a run is stopped for no gain. Third-down pass falls incomplete and the Red Raiders punt. Damien ball at its 19.
Kauhi picks up 4 yards, then is dropped for a loss of 2 by Adonis Llego-Pellettier. Deep pass drifts out of bounds and Damien punts. Illegal block on the return. Kauai ball at its 9.
A lateral pass is stopped for no gain to end the first quarter and a deep ball falls incomplete to start the second. Tristan Blair stuffs Manera for a loss of 3 on third down. Kauai punts, Damien ball at its 47.
Faufata-Pedrina connects with Lindon Sevilleja for 10 yards on third-and-5 to the Damien 42. On third-and-10, Faufata-Pedrina rolls out, circles away from pressure, reverses field again then fires to Keoua Kauhi for 12 yards and a first down to the Kauai 46. Timeout Kauai. Faufata-Pedrina converts another third down with a 14-yard out to Sevilleja to the Kauai 33. He takes a big hit on an incomplete pass over the middle to bring up third-and-6. Throw into the end zone is broken up. Ineligible receiver call is declined. Faufata-Pedrina lines up in punt formation, but throws to Jarvis Natividad for a first down. But it’s called back by another ineligible receiver penalty. Timeout Damien. This time Faufata-Pedrina punts, touchback.
Kauai recovers a squib kick and QB Christian Manera keeps for 10 yards on first down. He’s stopped for no gain, two passes fall incomplete and the Red Raiders punt.
Damien starts its drive at its 36. Freshman Aperamo Sulu rushes for 6 yards on first down, but is down with an apparent leg injury. Ambulance, which was on stand-by, is called onto the field immediately. Sulu is given a nice applause as he’s loaded into the ambulance. Play resumes after about 10-minute delay. Marcus Faufata-Pedrina scrambles to 10 yards then hits Aklla Arecchi for 11 to the Kauai 37. Faufata-Pedrina runs a QB draw on third and 5 then sneaks for the first down. Keoua Kauhi sweeps left for 10 more to the Kauai 16. After two incomplete passes and a 2-yard run, Faufata-Pedrina drops back then takes off for the left corner for a 14-yard scoring run. TOUCHDOWN DAMIEN. PAT wide left. Damien leads 6-3, 6:40.
The Kauai squib kick is fielded by a Damien up-back, who fumbles and Kauai recovers at the Damien 22. Three-play drive nets a loss of 6. Logan Noice drills a 45-yard FIELD GOAL. Red Raiders lead 3-0 at 11:03.
Damien wins the toss and will receive the opening kickoff.
COMMENTS