Opponent set: Kaua‘i to face HPA

LIHU‘E — The first round of the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association football playoffs took place across the state Friday night, and now there are eight teams still vying for a shot at a state title.

Interestingly, all four seeded teams ended up losing to their unseeded opponents.

The game Kaua‘i High School surely had its eye on was taking place on O‘ahu, where Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy played on the road at Moanalua High School. The winner would be traveling to Kaua‘i for this coming Friday’s semifinal game against the Red Raiders at Vidinha Stadium.

With the score tight the whole game, the teams were tied 14-14 entering the fourth quarter. In the end, it was HPA that came away with the 17-14 win to advance to the semifinal round.

HPA will be familiar with its surroundings when it comes to Kaua‘i next week, since it also made a preseason visit in August, besting Waimea 14-6 at Hanapepe Stadium.

“They gave Waimea a pretty good game, but we didn’t think much of them at the time,” said Kaua‘i head coach Derek Borrero in an interview last week. “When we heard they won their division, we knew they must have done something right.”

HPA now sits at 11-0 on the season, the only team other than Kaua‘i that entered the Div. II playoffs undefeated.

In the other Division II first-round matchup, it was Aiea picking up a 20-12 home win over No. 4-seeded Lahainaluna. Aiea will now be taking on top-seeded Iolani, Friday night at Radford High School on O‘ahu.

In Div. I action, Leilehua ran over No. 3-seeded Baldwin 48-12 at War Memorial Stadium on Maui. Leilehua will now face No. 2-seeded Kamehameha, Friday at Aloha Stadium.

In the other first round meeting, Farrington bested No. 4 Honoka‘a by a score of 48-16. Top-seeded Kahuku will be Farrington’s next opponent, Friday at Aloha Stadium.

Those two games will be played at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.