LIHU’E — The helmets banged and clanged and banged and clanged some more. All night long. The hard-hitting fight went the distance, and the Waimea Menehunes got the decision by upending the shocked Kailua Surfriders 20-18 in the first round
LIHU’E — The helmets banged and clanged and banged and clanged some more.
All night long.
The hard-hitting fight went the distance, and the Waimea Menehunes got the decision by upending the shocked Kailua Surfriders 20-18 in the first round of the first Chevron State Football Championships Friday night at Vidinha Stadium.
Before a jam-packed crowd, the Menehunes put their fans in a frenzy after holding off the big, imposing Surfriders in the final few minutes.
Waimea (8-0-1) moves to the tournament semifinals against the super-powerhouse, nationally ranked St. Louis Crusaders next Friday at Aloha Stadium.
“When you play a game back and forth and tough all-around like this — and win it — it’s a great feeling. Our kids played an unreal football game,” said Waimea coach Jon Kobayashi. “We were undersized, but we rose up to the big challenge.” It is no understatement to say these two teams slugged it out.
The Surfriders’ big and shifty running back Rocky Alo caused the Menehunes some early trouble, but after some adjustments, the Menehunes were able to contain the 6-foot, 210-pound running back, even though they let him get a game-high 177 yards.
The Menehunes brought the hard running Jessie Sablan to the table, and he played like a locomotive maniac, trudging, barreling and bulling for 169 yards on 25 carries. At times, Sablan just refused to go down.
Both teams came up with big, remarkable plays throughout the whole game.
Kailua got on the board first and took a 12-6 lead into the lockers at the half.
Taleki Mailau’s 28-yard touchdown toss to Ryan Exstrom made it 6-0 midway through the first quarter. The running of Alo, who cranked out gains of 14 and 10 yards, made the touchdown possible.
The Menehunes came right back as Sablan ripped off a 50-yard run.
Rocky Aviguetero’s play-action fake got Kailua thinking run, and before the Surfriders could recover, Aviguetero calmly lofted a 22-yard TD pass to a wide-open William Parubrub to make it 6-6.
Kailua began to look unstoppable during its next drive which was capped by Alo’s 50-yard TD run down the right sidelines for a 12-6 edge.
The Menehunes failed to capitalize on Archie Achuara’s fumble recovery early in the second half, despite moving the ball all the way to the Kailua 13.
After trading turnovers — a fumble recovery by Kailua’s Josh Uelese and an interception by Waimea’s Zaldy Lahip, the Surfriders mounted a long, time-consuming drive that took up much of the time in the second quarter.
Mailau found 6’2, 230-pound tight end Henry Timu for a 14-yard gain and tossed a 19-yard screen pass to Alo. Alo also blasted around left end on a 12-yard sweep.
But the Menehunes held their ground and stopped Alo short of the mark on a fourth down and goal situation from the 1-yard line as time ran out in the half.
The Menehunes, known throughout the years as being a second half team, were thrilled to go to the lockers down by just six points, and there were head-pats from the coaches for the whole team.
Waimea’s Gilroy Castro (a real Menehune at 5’5, 125 pounds) interrupted Kailua’s opening drive in the second half with an interception and 71-yard return. But Waimea failed to punch it in as Kailua’s Luke Okihiro picked off a Waimea pass on third down from the Kailua 15.
Michael Koerte’s fumble recovery led to Octavio’s 36-yard field goal attempt that hit the cross-bar.
A tide-turning hit by Brandon Perreira and Koerte caused Alo to fumble and Achuara grabbed the ball in mid-air before sprinting into the end zone from 21 yards out. Octavio kicked the extra point for a 13-12 Waimea lead with 2:32 left to go in the third quarter.
With a blend of passing and running, Mailau and Alo charged upfield leading to Mailau’s 1-yard TD run for an 18-13 Surfrider lead with 16 ticks to go in the third.
A Waimea fumble looked devastating, but Octavio pulled through with an interception and the Menehunes promptly marched 75 yards. Sablan beat two Kailua defenders to the outside and into the end zone on the game-winning 25-yard TD run with 11:04 left.
A planned high, short kickoff by Octavio bounced off of a Kailua player and Bryson Tumbaga recovered for the Menehunes. After one first down, the Surfriders stopped Waimea on four downs, and got the ball back with 6:03 left.
Runs of 33 and 14 by Keahi Mau helped get the ball to the Waimea 16, and that’s where the Menehune defense took over.
Tumbaga halted Alo for a 5-yard loss and David Hanashiro sacked Mailau for a 9-yard loss.
Kailua’s hopes improved when Mailau connected with John Kepa for a 26-yard gain.
Faced with a fourth down and three-to-go situation from the Menehune 9, the Surfriders opted for a 26-yard field goal attempt by Thomas Ho.
As they did all night, the Menehunes penetrated the huge Kailua offensive line and a gang of players blocked the low kick with 1:51 left.
Octavio’s 54-yard punt and Willys Labanon’s interception put an end to the Surfriders’ chances.
The Menehunes won the turnover battle, 8-3.
“We played lousy,” Kailua coach Darren Johnson said. “Waimea played great football and deserved to win. I feel good about my kids. They’re still winners.”
