Leilehua linebacker Kevin Burke (left) leads a gang tackle on Kailua quarterback Romeo Ortiz in the first quarter of a non-league matchup at Hugh Yoshida Stadium Friday night. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Kailua RB Clayton "Ikaika" Quidachay mishandles a pitch on an option play on the Surfriders' opening series. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Fri, Aug 11, 2023 @ Leilehua [ 7:30 pm ]

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Kailua

7

Leilehua

19

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kailua (5-5-0)	0	0	7	0	7
Leilehua (5-6-0)	0	7	6	6	19

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Hanohano Plunkett 175 yd 2 TD

Romeo Ortiz 127 yd 1 TD

Cole Northington 50 yd 1 TD

Caysen Samson 40 yd

Timothy Arnold 109 yd 2 TD

Aizek Kaanoi 66 yd 1 TD

WAHIAWA — After six hundred and thirty days, the drought is over.

Leilehua earned its first win on the field since Nov. 19, 2021 with a 19-7 win over visiting Kailua Friday night in a non-league game at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.

The Mules (1-0) forced five turnovers on defense and receiver Timothy Arnold finished with 109 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the win.

"It was a great step in the right direction," said Leilehua coach Mark Kurisu. "We tell our players we just got to stack. Stack a good day on top of another good day. The more good days we have, the easier the climb is. It's paying off, but we still got a ways to go."

Both teams struggled to finish drives throughout the first half. The Surfriders (0-1) drove to the Mules' 9-yard line on their opening drive before a false start and a mishandled pitch on an option play derailed the series.

Kailua RB Clayton "Ikaika" Quidachay mishandles a pitch on an option play on the Surfriders' opening series. Michael Lasquero | SL    Purchase image

Leilehua linebacker Jordan Tugaoen picked up the loose ball and ran it the length of the field for a potential defensive TD, but a block-in-the-back penalty that wouldn't have affected the play negated the score.

The game would remain scoreless until the Mules pieced together a scoring drive before the break. A 17-yard catch-and-run on third-and-16 and a 36-yard reception down the left sideline by Camren Flemister helped set up Hanohano Plunkett's 7-yard TD pass to Arnold as time expired in the first half.

A fumble by Kailua on its first possession of the second half led to Leilehua's next score. A 32-yard reception by Arnold put the Mules at the Surfriders' 5-yard line and Cole Northington's run up the middle on the next play gave Leilehua a 13-0 lead midway through the third quarter.

The Surfriders bounced back on their next series with a 12-play scoring drive that ended with Romeo Ortiz's 8-yard TD pass to Aizek Kaanoi on fourth down.

Leilehua's final score of the night came courtesy of another fumble by Kailua. The Mules recovered the ball at the Surfriders' 20 and Arnold came down with another TD on the very next play.

Led by Jordan Tugaoen's two fumble recoveries, the Leilehua defense forced five turnovers in the Mules' 19-7 win over Kailua Friday night. pic.twitter.com/641tTFYqiD

— Michael Lasquero (@MichaelLasquero) August 12, 2023

"We played good enough to win, but we just can't turn the ball over and put our defense in that situation," said Kailua coach Hauoli Wong.

Tugaoen, a 5-foot-7, 190-pound junior, was the player who recorded the takeaway that led to Arnold's second scoring grab.

"He's a playmaker," Kurisu said of Tugaoen. "He's one of those guys that doesn't have to fit the mold. I just tell the guys you don't have to fit any mold. You just have to be you and work."

Ezekiel Anahu got credit for the recovery that led to the Mules' second TD. Kevin Burke also recovered a fumble in the first half and Matteus Ioane came down with an interception in the second quarter.

Along with his 109 receiving yards, Arnold led all pass catchers with eight receptions. He was a reliable target for Plunkett (16-for-27 passing, 175 yard) with his ability to get separation on hitches and comeback routes.

"I told him since day one that I feel like you will be my wide receiver No. 1 from now," Plunkett said of Arnold. "I told him I'm going to trust you, high balls, hitches, all of that, and he came down with it, all the time. I'm thankful for that."

.@t1mothyarnold bookend the scoring in Leilehua's season-opening win with eight receptions for 109 yards and two TDs against Kailua. pic.twitter.com/Qp9d1roBIJ

— Michael Lasquero (@MichaelLasquero) August 12, 2023