MILILANI, Hawai‘i — An old school ground and pound attack propelled Waimea High School to its second straight First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II football championship at John Kauinana Stadium in Mililani on O‘ahu on Saturday.
The Menehunes claimed the state title in a thrilling 31-28 win over Kamehameha Schools Maui that featured big plays, costly turnovers and a crucial field goal doink. But it was the Waimea running game that sealed the deal — an attack that defines the program.
“We stick to our identity. It is what it is,” said Waimea head coach Kyle Linoz in a post-game interview with Spectrum OC16, which televised the contest.
The Menehunes racked up 273 yards on the ground and, in doing so, became the first team to win a state championship without throwing a pass. Kaili Arakaki led the running attack with 111 yards on 14 carries and one touchdown.
The victory hinged on a 40-yard field goal try by Rayden Alameda-Dela Cruz during a fourth-and-four situation in the fourth quarter with 7:33 showing on the game clock. The successful field goal gave Waimea High a 31-21 lead.
Kamehameha took control of the pigskin following the field goal, but after peeling off 3 minutes and 5 seconds, a Kalai Yap field goal attempt from the Waimea 25-yard line, on a fourth-and-nine situation, hit the crossbar and fell shot.
The failed field goal was pivotal in the final score.
Kamehameha narrowed the gap later in the fourth when Joshua Kerr hit paydirt with a 20-yard touchdown return off a fumble with 2:42 remaining in the game. But the Menehunes recovered the ensuing onside kick, and then ran out the clock for the win.
The game was a back and forth contest with each team pulling off big plays.
Following a 32-yard scoring strike from Kamehameha quarterback Makana Kamaka-Brayce to Shane Ueki to make the score 14-7 with 4:41 left in the second quarter, Waimea’s Keona Tam electrified the crowd of more than 1,300 with a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
“Before that, I had a little mistake where they scored on me,” said Tam in a post-game interview with Kalani Takase of ScoringLive.com.
“They told me, ‘You got this. you can do it, again, you have redemption.’ So, I just grabbed the ball, saw a hole, and I was gone. I saw green grass and I’m outta here.”
With the scoreboard deadlocked at 14-14 in the second quarter, the Menehunes broke into the leader’s column with 42 seconds showing in the half when Kameron Apilado capped a drive with a 19-yard scoring run to give Waimea a 21-14 lead at the break.
Arakaki put the Menehunes up 28-14 with 5:09 in the third quarter when he broke free for an 80-yard dash to the end zone.
Kamehameha answered a short while later when Kamaka-Brayce ran it in from 1-yard out to make the score 28-21.
On the defensive side of the ball, Kody Erdmann picked up eight stops and a sack to lead the Waimea, followed by Mikah Brun getting six stops. Brennan Fernandez and Kule‘a Kauwe each had a pass interception. Game information courtesy of ScoringLive.com.
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Editor Wyatt Haupt Jr. contributed to this report.
