WR Randy Daligon celebrates with teammates after catching a 30-yard TD pass for the Falcons' first score of the game. Brien Ing | SL

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Sat, Aug 20, 2016 @ Kaiser [ 6:30 pm ]

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Kaimuki

22

Kalani

26

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kaimuki (5-4-0)	0	0	8	14	22
Kalani (4-3-0)	0	0	19	7	26

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Seth Tina-Soberano 217 yd 2 TD

Jordan Solomon 172 yd 1 TD

Ikaika Holden 20 yd 1 TD

Ieke Seei-Cleveland 46 yd 1 TD

Randy Daligon 72 yd 1 TD

Daniel Nguyen 50 yd 1 TD

Kalani outdueled fifth-ranked Kaimuki in a second-half slugfest to earn its first win of the year, 26-22 Saturday night at Kaiser Stadium.

The Falcons led 19-8 heading into the fourth quarter, but needed a little magic late in the game to knock off the Bulldogs. After Kaimuki took the lead with two minutes left and 20 seconds left in regulation, Ikaika Andaya returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yards into the red zone to set up Ikaika Holden's game-winning touchdown run two plays later. 

First-year Kalani coach Scott Melemai was proud of his players' resiliency late in the game and considered it an improvement from the previous week. In their Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II opener, the Falcons (1-1) gave up 22 unanswered points to Pearl City and fell, 35-20.

"It was like ‘oh my God, this is happening again,' but it was good that we could come back and do what we were supposed to do to come out successful this week. The boys didn't quit," said Melemai.

Both teams weathered through a defensive first half and were scoreless at the break. The second half was a much different story.

Kaimuki's Calton Joseph jumpstarted the scoring with a 81-yard return on the second-half kickoff to give the Bulldogs the early lead. Ieke Seei-Cleveland ran in the 2-point conversion to make it a 8-0 game 14 seconds into the second half.

The Falcons answered back quickly with Seth Tina-Sobarano's 30-yard TD pass to Randy Daligon two minutes later to cut into the Bulldogs' lead, 8-6.

Kalani later took its first lead of the game on Cody Uehara's pick-six with 4:29 left in the third quarter. The intended receiver on the play bobbled a slant pass and Uehara was in the right place at the right time to pluck it out of the air.

Tina-Sobarano added another touchdown late in the period on a 26-yard pass to Jaemi Harris. Junior kicker Indi McCellan booted the PAT to make it a 19-8 game heading into the final period of play.

Melemai said the offense was able to open things up in the second half after Tina-Sobarano was able settle down in the pocket.

"He started to see things more and not be so worried about the blitz," Melemai said on Tina-Sobarano. "In the first half we had some dropped balls, but we started making the connection and was running the ball well and got a good mix offensively in the second half."

Kaimuki wasn't going to go down without a fight however. Seei-Cleveland's one-yard TD run made it a one score game with 4:47 left to play and Jordan Solomon's 50-yard TD pass to Daniel Nguyen on a switch route gave the Bulldogs a 22-19 lead with 2:20 remaining in regulation.

Andaya's big return on the ensuing kickoff ultimately turned the tables as Kaimuki fell to 1-1 on the year. 

"It was not only a good loss, but it was also a humbling loss for us," said Kaimuki second-year coach David Tautofi. "It's a good thing we got it early in the season. I think even with a loss, a lot of good things came out today, one of them being how we fought back in the fourth quarter. It showed the kind of potential we have on offense. The part I have to figure out is how to get that for the entire game, and not have to wait for when the chips are down."