They said it was senior night.
It may as well have been the biggest gut-check test of Pac-Five’s season. Down 21-7 in the second half, the Wolfpack dug deep and came up with three unanswered touchdowns, including a clutch 4-yard TD pass from Chase Hedani to Kaala Tam with 4 seconds left to give Pac-Five a 28-21 win over Pearl City.
The Saturday afternoon thriller at Aloha Stadium means Pac-Five is 5-3 and has clinched a winning record for the first time since 2009, when the Wolfpack went 7-5.
The Wolfpack close the season next week against McKinley at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium. Because the ILH has only one team in D-II, Pac-Five is not eligible to qualify for the HHSAA state tournament. Interestingly, Pac-Five has already beaten the three teams still battling for the fourth and final playoff berth in OIA D-II.
The final minute of play was hectic — and confusing. With the game tied at 21, an interception by Matt Miura gave Pac-Five the ball at the Pearl City 39. The ‘Pack drove to the 4 with 14 seconds left. The scoreboard showed no time outs left for Pac-Five.
Pac-Five had its kicker, Giovanni Rufino, on the field, but once officials confirmed to Coach Kip Botelho that Pac-Five still had one time out, the offense returned. Hedani threw a pass away, stopping the clock with 10 seconds remaining. Then he lofted the perfect strike to Tam in tight coverage.
For now, the Wolfpack are simply stoked. Botelho and his QB, Hedani, chatted after the comeback win.
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