LIHUE – It was an ideal start for first-year head coach Wes Kaui, whose Kapa’a Warriors topped the King Kekaulike Na Alii 26-14 Friday night in a preseason opener at Vidina Stadium in Lihue. The Warriors amassed 210 total yards
LIHUE – It was an ideal start for first-year head coach Wes Kaui, whose Kapa’a Warriors topped the King Kekaulike Na Alii 26-14 Friday night in a preseason opener at Vidina Stadium in Lihue.
The Warriors amassed 210 total yards of offense – 94 yards passing and 130 yards on the ground.
Warrior Dustin Mundon looked impressive in his first start as a senior. The quarterback completed 4 of 12 passes for 94 yards and threw a 1-yard touchdown. He also rushed for two touchdowns and amassed a total of 43 yards on the ground.
Receiver Jonny Poe Hooikaika caught three passes for 56 yards and one touchdown. And the Warrior running game, which saw action from five different Warriors, was led by Nalu Hawela, who ran for 38 yards and a touchdown.
The Warriors looked even more impressive on defense, recording three sacks and a safety and holding the Na Alii to just one score in the first half while its offense was stagnate.
The Warrior opened its first possession with a 39-yard pass from Mundon to Hooikaika. Mundon would again connect with Hooikaika on a one-yard touchdown reception to put the Warriors up 6-0 halfway through the first quarter.
But the quick score would be the Warrior’s last of the first half. Kapa’a wouldn’t record another first down until mid-third quarter.
The Na Alii took a 7-6 lead on a seven-yard run from quarterback Daniel Scott in the second quarter. And in the third, following two consecutive penalties which put the Na Alii on their own one-yard line, Warrior lineman Kua Whittman stuffed Scott in the end-zone for a safety and put the Warriors on top 8-7.
Kapa’a’s offense picked up in the final two quarters.
Preceding a bench-clearing fight which ejected several Warriors from the game, Mundon scorched the Na Alii defense with a 15-yard touchdown run to give Kapa’a a 14-7 lead.
With just under one minute in the third quarter, Kelii Kaiihue picked up a fumble, which led to a 23-yard Mundon pass to receiver Austin Rosa. This set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Hawelu, and Kapa’a led 20-7.
Mundon would seal the win in the fourth with a one-yard touchdown run, which put the Warriors up 26-7. The Na Alii would score once more in the fourth, on a six-yard touchdown reception by Toby Orikasa, but it was too little, too late for Kekaulike, and Kapa’a went on to win their first game of the 2002 season.
