Moanalua advances after 30-13 victory over Kapolei

Moanalua QB Dillon Turk accounted for four Moanalua scores, three through the air and one on the ground. Greg Yamamoto | SL

Dillon Turk threw three touchdown passes and ran for another TD last night as Moanalua held off visiting Kapolei, 30-13, in O'ahu interscholastic Association football playoff action.

Na Menehune improved to 5-4 and will travel to OIA Red Conference Western Division champion Leilehua (7-0-1) in next week's quarterfinals. Kapolei's season ends at 3-6.

"At times we weren't as sharp as were last week (in a 28-24 loss to Farrington), but in the playoffs you just feel lucky to survive and move on," Moanalua coach Arnold Martinez said. "I tell our kids all the time, the other team wants to win, too, and they're gonna play hard. Kapolei played hard."

After a scoreless first quarter, Turk connected with Nainoa Eselu on an 11-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-8 to cap an 11-play, 74-yard drive midway through the second quarter, and Lee Arakawa's extra point made it 7-0. The Hurricanes went three-and-out on their next possession, and after Chad Aragon's 32-yard punt return Turk found Marciano Tauvela with a 4-yard TD pass five plays later on third-and-goal to make it 13-0. The PAT attempt failed.

Na Menehune extended the lead to 20-0 after Turk's 2-yard touchdown run with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter, but Kapolei answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive culminating in Mana Reis' 1-yard plunge. The extra point attempt failed, but Reis later added a 3-yard TD run with 8:39 left in the fourth quarter and Demiana Gerber's PAT cut the lead to 20-13.

But Moanalua struck back quickly by going 80 yards in just six plays, capped by a 20-yard pass from Turk to Donald Lambert that was set up by Turk's 21-yard run on third-and-7 the play before. Arakawa's extra point made it 27-13, and he sealed the game on a 29-yard field goal with under a minute remaining.

"The way our guys responded (after it was 20-13) was awesome," Martinez said. "I like how Dillion put that drive together and put us on his back with that (21-yard) run to extend the drive."

Turk finished with 16 completions in 25 attempts for 198 yards, and he added 34 rushing yards on eight carries.