Baseball
Schools
Schedules
Standings
Stats
Players
Softball
Boys VB
JV boys VB
Girls Water Polo
» Football
» Girls Volleyball
» JV Football
» JV/White Girls Vball
» Baseball
» Softball
» Boys Volleyball
» Girls Water Polo
» JV Boys Volleyball
» Boys Basketball
» Girls Basketball
» Boys Soccer
» Girls Soccer
» JV Boys Basketball
» JV Girls Basketball
» JV Boys Soccer
» JV Girls Soccer
All-Hawaii
Power Rankings
Distinguished Athlete
Newcomer Award
Top Performers
Stories
About SL
Contact
Privacy
Advertise
Michael Lasquero | ScoringLiveOctober 22, 2023, 12:55am
Sat, Oct 21, 2023 @ Kailua [ 1:00 pm ]
KAILUA — The risk was worth the reward for the Kailua football team Saturday afternoon.
The Surfriders scored on an untimed down at the end of the first half to take a 14-0 lead at the break as Kailua held off visiting Aiea for a 21-14 OIA Division I playoff win at Alex Kane Stadium.
Safety AJ Lusk recorded a pair of interceptions in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory and punch Kailua's ticket into the semifinals where it will take on Farrington (5-2) next Friday at Skippa Diaz Stadium at Kusunoki Field.
Quarterback Romeo Ortiz started the game with eight straight incompletions, but bounced back to throw for 125 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 39 yards and another score.
Ortiz completed 11 passes, with seven of those going to Aizek Kaanoi (seven receptions, 66 yards), but his biggest completion of the day went to Joey Griffiths on a 13-yard scoring pass at the end of the first half.
"I was looking for Aizek actually intentionally. He was covered in the back of the end zone so I stepped up, got out of the pocket and made a throw," Ortiz said.
The untimed down was a result of a roughing-the-kicker and unsportsmanlike penalty against Aiea on a 46-yard field goal attempt by Matthew Mashiba. The fouls moved the ball to the Aiea 8-yard line before an illegal procedure penalty pushed the Surfriders to the 13.
Kailua coach Hauoli Wong said the coaching staff were going back and forth on whether they wanted to kick or throw it during the untimed down, but Ortiz had his mind made up.
"I wasn't going to let our (offensive coordinator) Noah (Auld) take us off the field like that," Ortiz said. "I told him let's take a shot, make something happen. We made something happen, got the play, went into the second half 14-0."
Penalties also aided Kailua (5-4) on its first scoring drive when a pass interference call put the Surfriders in the red zone.
"We talked about it before. We're depleted (so) we cannot beat ourselves up with penalties," said Aiea coach Wendell Say. "It doesn't matter what the refs call, a penalty is a penalty. We got to be smarter."
On the flip side, multiple unsportsmanlike penalties and an ejection against Kailua set up Na Alii's first scoring drive. JD Leama had the honors of scoring the first TD for Aiea on a 1-yard run on third down on the final play of the third quarter.
Ortiz got the Surfriders back on the scoreboard on a 20-yard run with 5:08 to play in regulation, but Aiea answered right back when Bryson Boyea Quiton returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards to the house.
Na Alii also recovered the onside kick after the special teams score to set up their comeback bid.
But Lusk wasn't going to let Kailua blow the game away.
Aiea tried to go deep on the next play from scrimmage but turned it over when Lusk came down with the pass thrown by Leama.
"We were just in a good defense. I saw he was trying to throw the go ball. I just made a play on the ball," said Lusk. "Thankfully I made the play and our team got the win in the end."
Kailua could not milk the clock out after the turnover and was forced to punt to give Aiea one last opportunity.
A pair of completions to Jheremie Cacpal took Na Alii inside Kailua territory before a pass interference call put Aiea at the Kailua 15-yard line. But Lusk intercepted Leama on the very next play on a pass over the middle to end the threat.
"I just knew I had to stay deep," said Lusk. "Look for a tipped ball, look for an overthrown ball and that's what I did. Came away with two good ones there at the end."
It was a tough way to end the season for Aiea, who saw its season end with a 2-7 record. Na Alii had to deal with nearly half the team transferring out in the offseason and struggled to keep their quarterbacks healthy all year.
In a must-win game last week against Nanakuli, Aiea quarterback Noah Deed injured his collarbone two plays into the game. Receiver-turned-quarterback Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo did well in spot up duty against the Golden Hawks, but he suffered a concussion on Aiea's fourth play from scrimmage against the Surfriders.
After Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo got pulled from the game, there were a total of five different players that took snaps behind center for Aiea in its season-ending loss.
"Our kids gave it our all. Second game (in a row) we lose our quarterback in like the second play," said Say. "Our linebackers had to play quarterback. It's tough. It's been a tough season for these kids, but they were resilient in everything that happened. I told our seniors, you know what, you guys stuck around, did your best and that's all we can ask.
"Everything they went through, nobody goes through the things these kids went through this year. I give these guys credit. I love these kids. Everything they did, they worked hard."
Every contribution, no matter the size, will help ScoringLive continue its mission to provide the best and most comprehensive coverage of high school sports in the state of Hawaii and beyond.
Please consider making a contribution today.
ADVERTISEMENT
Shysten Nagasako did work on both the mound and at the plate in the Seariders' mercy rule shortened win...
Na Alii posted a 3-1 win over Roosevelt behind Aidan Yoshida's complete game, while two pitchers combined...
Campbell defeated Roosevelt in four sets Thursday, while Moanalua topped Waipahu in the nightcap as both...
The Hurricanes found their offensive groove in the late stages, scoring 14 runs down the stretch to back...
Bob Manintin pitched six strong innings as the Warriors snapped the Red Raiders' seven-game winning streak.
Teizsha Kaopuiki hit two home runs to power the Seariders in the opening round of the OIA Division I...
