Wai'anae upends Kailua, 49-7


Leighton Panui and Lyman Peeples celebrate a Waianae touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Brien Ing | SL
KAILUA - In a stunning role reversal, Wai'anae used a potent air attack and stifling defense last night to rout Kailua, 49-7, in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference football quarterfinals.

The Seariders improved to 4-5 overall and will face OIA Red Western Division champion Mililani (8-1) in Friday's semifinals at Aloha Stadium. OIA Red East champ Kahuku (9-0) will play the winner of tonight's Castle-Leilehua quarterfinal in the other semi.

Both games will be televised live statewide on OC16.

Last night on OC16, Wai'anae put on a prime-time display of aerial fireworks and suffocating defense.

On the game's first play from scrimmage, James Wilson intercepted state passing leader Kahaku Iaea and returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. The extra point attempt was wide left, but that mattered little as Josh Naki picked off another Iaea pass three plays later, helping to set up Puletua Wilson's 36-yard TD strike to twin brother James.

Puletua Wilson then ran in the two-point conversion on a bootleg to the left, giving the Seariders a 14-0 lead with 9:25 still remaining in the first quarter.

Later in the quarter, Jaylen Mitchell's 25-yard punt return set up a 56-yard touchdown pass from Puletua Wilson to Keola Bradley, and Shaughn Spencer's PAT made it 21-0.

In the first quarter alone, Puletua Wilson had 92 yards passing and 43 yards rushing, while Iaea -- who entered the game with 159 completions in 288 attempts (55.2 percent) for 1,953 yards -- was just 2 of 10 for 4 yards with two interceptions.

"That pick-six right away hurt us," Kailua coach Gary Rosolowich said. "We wanted to score early and try to change their game plan, and the exact opposite happened."

Barely three minutes into the second quarter, Puletua Wilson hit Ho'okena Kamana on a screen pass to the right side on third-and-23 from the Surfriders 29, and Kamana followed his blockers on a path to the end zone.

With 1:29 left before halftime, Puletua Wilson found tight end Malei Suiaunoa on a 14-yard TD pass over the middle, and Spencer's extra point made it 35-0.

Kailua (5-4) finally scored three plays later, when Iaea and state receiving leader Eric Lum connected on a 47-yard touchdown pass play, and Lum's PAT made it 35-7 at the half.

But Wai'anae kept rolling in the third quarter, and the lead grew to 42-7 after the Wilson twins struck again on a 41-yard TD pass with 59 seconds remaining, starting a running clock.

Wilson finished with eight completions in nine attempts for 239 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, and added 68 yards rushing on seven carries. His four TD passes in the first half doubled his season total.

"As an offense, we feel we can compete with anybody," said Puletua Wilson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior left-hander. "We just have to come out and do our assignments, and then everything opens up. And knowing our defense is giving us the ball and keeping their offense off the field - that gives us an adrenaline rush."

Iaea, meanwhile, finished 15 of 43 for 178 yards, with three interceptions.

"We had a bye (in the first round), so that gave us two weeks to put in our nickel package," Seariders coach Danny Matsumoto said. "That first interception gave us momentum."