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Makana Kamaka-Brayce

KS-Maui football  •   #8    

Makana Kamaka-Brayce is putting it all together at the right time for the Kamehameha-Maui football team.

The third-year starting quarterback threw for 256 yards and three touchdown passes to help the fifteenth-ranked Warriors defeat PAC-5 by a score of 31-10 in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II Football State Championships at Kanaiaupuni Stadium last Saturday.

Kamaka-Brayce, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior, completed all of his scoring passes in a 21-point second quarter to give KS-Maui a commanding 28-3 halftime lead and help the Warriors reach their second state final in three years.

"He's a very much a capable quarterback and a large portion of why we've scored a lot of points this year, he's finishing up his career on a good note."" said KS-Maui coach Ulima Afoa.

"Makana is a quality young man, he's good people. He's a good student, works hard. He's got the right mindset to be successful."

Afoa added that last season was tough for Kamaka-Brayce due to challenges on the offensive line, but he has bounced back nicely for his senior campaign.

"He's really turned it around this year and showed glimpses of what he did during his sophomore year. Sometimes that happens to a young man. He's done a great job obviously and he has a big part in the success of our offense so we just have to try to get him some time.

"I think last year with our offensive line… he was basically running for a lot of his life last year. This year, we're a little better up front even though we're young. He's one of those guys that if you give him time, he'll find a way to get the ball to the appropriate person."

Kamaka-Brayce's decision making was on display on his first completed pass of the night, a 21-yard completion to Keegan Gantala. With three receivers to his right, the senior quarterback had the option to hand the ball off to the running back or hit the inside slot receiver on a bubble route, but ultimately chose to fire a pass to the middle receiver in the trips formation running a slant route.

Another big play came on the Warriors' second scoring drive of the second quarter. On a second-and-11 situation on their own 44-yard line, Kamaka-Brayce faked a throw to the outside receiver on the right side, then checked to see if the wheel route by the right slot receiver was open before rolling to his left to go through his progressions as he was able to find Gantala for a big gain to the Wolfpack 27-yard line.

"The big thing is, he keeps moving and keeping his eyes downfield," Afoa said. "Sometimes that's what the good quarterbacks do, they extend the play. Not to look to run, but always looking to find somebody down the field."

After a timeout, KS-Maui came out in a trips formation to the right side of the field. Kamaka-Brayce made the appropriate read to hit Dylan Schnitzer on a 19-yard slant from the right wideout position to move the ball to the 8-yard line. On the next play, the Warriors went play-action where Kamaka-Brayce rolled left before going back to his right side to hit running back Kaikea Hueu leaking out in the flat for an 8-yard TD with 53 seconds left in the first half.

While the passing game brings the flash in the offense, the Warriors are relatively balanced between the run and the pass with 175 of their 432 yards of total offense against PAC-5 coming on the ground. Hueu, a freshman running back, carried the ball 15 times for 90 yards while sophomore running back Zedekiah Campbell rushed for 72 yards on just seven carries.

"They are super important in opening our entire offense up," Kamaka-Brayce said of Hueu and Campbell. "They compliment each other well and they keep each other rested so they can both last the whole game. We call them thunder and lightning. They're our one-two punch."

The KS-Maui offense also had the challenge of being without on its leading receivers against PAC-5 in senior 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior Frank Abreu, who is dealing with some injuries. Abreu has also given a verbal commitment to play for the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.

"Not having Frank in the lineup was a new look for me and the offense, but we have a lot of solid receivers who knew we had to step up and they did just that," said Kamaka-Brayce. "Nothing changed in our game plan and I just trusted my guys to make plays."

Shane Ueki, a 5-foot-3, 135-pound senior, was one of the players that got extended playing time without Abreu in the lineup Afoa said. He fumbled after his first catch and was tackled for a loss on his second reception, but bounced back to make an impact when he caught a 9-yard TD pass from Kamaka-Brayce early in the second quarter.

"Me and Shane have played 7-on-7 together since freshman year on our (pylon) team NXT Level Maui," said Kamaka-Brayce. "He's been super optimistic throughout his high school career and just patiently waiting for his opportunity. I'm happy he finally got the chance to showcase his talents, especially in an important game."

Abreu is also the team's starting punter, so Kamaka-Brayce was tasked with punting duties against PAC-5. He had two punts for 66 yards, with his best punt of the day going for a 36-yarder that was downed at the Wolfpack 20 in the fourth quarter.

"Normally it's Frank, but Frank wasn't there so Makana is our backup," Afoa said. "He's also a quick study. We had to teach him how to punt. For him, I think he did a great job punting given the circumstances"

After Hueu's scoring grab, the Warriors got the ball right back when Ramzak Fruean forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff that Ramzen Fruean recovered to give KS-Maui possession.

The next two plays were not ideal for Kamaka-Brayce and the offense however. The senior quarterback was hurried on a first-down throw and was sacked for a 10-yard loss on second down to prompt a KS-Maui timeout.

The stoppage in play helped calmed everyones' nerves as Kamaka-Brayce hit Schnitzer in stride on a go-ball for a 34-yard TD pass down the left sideline with 14 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Warriors a 28-3 halftime lead.

"It was just trying to get half of the yardage back, and it ended up being a lot bigger than we expected," Afoa said of the third-and-20 play before the break.

The Warriors were in milk-the-clock mode with the huge halftime lead, but they had one more big play in them before the game was over. In his first game back from a knee sprain since a Sept. 29 contest against Maui, senior Teiva Kauhaa-Po had a 65-yard catch-and-run to set up a Kayden Yap 20-yard field goal for KS-Maui's final points of the night.

The play came on a third-and-10 situation in the early stages of the third quarter. The Warriors initially came out in a doubles look with two receivers to each side of the formation, but motioned the right slot receiver to the opposite side of the field before the snap. When the ball was snapped, Kamaka-Brayce was able to make the right reads before throwing the ball 25 yards down the field to Kauhaa-Po running up the left hash marks.

"Makana did a nice job of finding the right person to throw the ball to all night. That was a big game for Makana," said Afoa.

Kamaka-Brayce and the Warriors will try for their first-ever state title when they take on reigning champion Waimea Saturday in the D2 final. Kickoff is slated for 4:07 p.m.

"Winning a state title for me personally would mean the world," said Kamaka-Brayce. "It's been my biggest goal ever since I started playing high school football. It would mean a lot for the school and program seeing that would be the first title in school history.

"Bringing a state title back home would give everyone something to be proud of."

FOOTBALL

Tai Aipia-Barrett, Waipahu — Caught four passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in a win over Farrington

Keoki Alani, Konawaena — Threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-25 passing without an interception in a win over Kapaa 

Zed Anahu-Ambrosio, Konawaena — Made two tackles, one for a loss, intercepted two passes, forced a fumble and caught six passes for 86 yards in a win over Kapaa 

Kayden Anzaldo, Mililani — Made 4 1/2 tackles and scored on a 42-yard interception return for touchdown in a win over Campbell 

Kameron Apilado, Waimea — Made seven tackles, including two for losses, and ran 11 times for 73 yards in a win over Roosevelt 

Kaimana Carvalho, Kahuku — Caught a touchdown pass, intercepted two passes, broke-up another and made 2 1/2 tackles in a win over Punahou 

Alika Cavaco-Amoy, Punahou — Made eight tackles and recovered a fumble in a loss to Kahuku 

Elijah Connell-Chavez, PAC-5 — Ran for 110 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries in a loss to Kamehameha-Maui 

Keawe Davis, Roosevelt — Caught six passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Waimea 

Faafetai Failauga, Waipahu — Ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in a win over Farrington 

Vaaimalae Fonoti, Kahuku — Ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in a win over Punahou 

David Hosier, PAC-5 — Made 9 1/2 tackles, including one-half for a loss, and recovered a fumble in a loss to Kamehameha-Maui 

Ioane Kamanao, Roosevelt — Threw for 285 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-34 passing without an interception in a loss to Waimea 

Caleb Lauifi, Waipahu — Made six tackles, including two sacks, intercepted a pass and broke up another in a win over Farrington 

Lautiti Liufau, Farrington — Made 9 1/2 tackles, including two for losses, in a loss to Waipahu 

Kini McMillan, Mililani — Threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns on 33-of-45 passing with an interception and ran nine times for 67 yards in a win over Campbell 

Sitani Mikaele, Farrington — Ran for 109 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in a loss to Waipahu 

Kapono Na-O, Kapaa — Ran for 152 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries and threw for 111 yards and a touchdown on 7-of-14 passing with two interceptions in a loss to Konawaena 

Keawe Navas Loa, Konawaena — Ran for three touchdowns and made 10 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles in a win over Kapaa 

Hayden Ranis-Alameda Dela Cruz, Waimea — Kicked field goals of 26 and 35 yards in a win over Roosevelt 

Blayne Shiraki, Punahou — Made 10 tackles, including one sack, in a loss to Kahuku 

Taimane Souza-Fautanu, Roosevelt — Made 6 1/2 tackles, including three for losses, in a loss to Waimea 

Eric Stephens, Waipahu — Caught 13 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in a win over Farrington

Luke Tuasivi, Roosevelt — Made 9 1/2 tackles, including one for a loss, in a loss to Waimea 

Wyatt Wehrsig, Konawaena — Made nine tackles in a win over Kapaa 

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Isabella Arrisgado, Maryknoll — Scored 21 points in a win over Mililani 

Naiara Bal, Maui — Scored 19 points in a loss to Maryknoll 

Alisha Deweever, Pearl City — Scored 16 points in a win over Sacred Hearts 

Kalesha Deweever, Pearl City — Scored 18 points in a win over Lanai 

Nihoaokealii Dunn, Kamehameha — Scored 16 points in a win over Moanalua and scored 20 points in a win over Maui 

Madison Guillermo, Maryknoll — Scored 16 points in a win over Moanalua 

Kanoe Hanohano, Iolani — Scored 15 points in a win over Maui 

Puaena Harrington, Waiakea — Scored 17 points in a loss to Orange Lutheran 

Haley Hosino, McKinley — Scored 18 points in a win over Kapolei and scored 16 points in a loss to Radford 

Keanu Huihui, Kamehameha-Hawaii — Scored 27 points in a win over Kalani, scored 32 points in a win over Pearl City and scored 19 points in a loss to Waimea 

Veniza Jackson, Lanai — Scored 29 points in a win over Punahou II and scored 14 points in a loss to Waimea 

Justice Kekauoha, Iolani — Scored 16 points in a win over Mililani and scored 17 points in a win over Moanalua 

Sierra Lamblack, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 17 points in a win over Kapolei 

Shailoh Liilii, Moanalua — Scored 20 points in a loss to Maryknoll 

Jolie Mantz, Waiakea — Scored 18 points in a loss to Orange Lutheran and scored 21 points in a win over Lahainaluna 

Hailey Mata, Waimea — Scored 18 points in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii 

Rylee Paranada, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points in a win over Maui 

Ava Santos, Waiakea — Scored 15 points in a win over Lahainaluna 

Shilee Scanlan, Pearl City — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Hawaii 

Liliyanah-Tiare Tavale, Kapolei — Scored 15 points in a loss to McKinley 

Jirah Villanueva, Radford — Scored 15 points in a win over Hawaii Baptist and scored 14 points in a win over McKinley 

Hayden Yee, Sacred Hearts — Scored 20 points in a loss to Pearl City and scored 16 points in a win over Punahou II