PEARL CITY -- Kaimi Paredes completed 16 of 23 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns and Pearl City's defense came up with a stop on its own 30-yard line with 41 seconds remaining last night as the Chargers held off Kaimuki, 29-27, in thrilling O'ahu Interscholastic Association football action at Bino Neves Stadium.

Pearl City improved to 8-1 overall and finished the OIA White Conference regular season at 8-0. The Chargers earned the No. 1 seed in the upcoming OIA White playoffs and will play host to No. 4 McKinley (6-3) at a time and date to be announced. Kaimuki fell to 8-1 and into the No. 2 seed; the Bulldogs will play No. 3 Waipahu (6-3) at a time, date and site to be announced.

Last night's game featured playoff-type intensity and excitement from the opening kickoff, after which Kaimuki marched 54 yards in nine plays capped by Brandon Kekoa's 4-yard scoring run. Keoki Kaiahua's extra point made it 7-0, but Daicorri Briscoe returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and David Laranol's PAT tied it at 7-7 with 7:26 left in the first quarter.

Kekoa scored on another 4-yard TD run two minutes into the second quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead, 13-7, but the extra point attempt failed and Pearl City took a 14-13 lead after Kaimi Paredes' 5-yard touchdown pass to Briscoe and Laranol's PAT with 8:02 remaining in the half.
Laranol later kicked a 35-yard field goal 57 seconds before intermission to put the Chargers up, 17-13.

Kekoa's third TD run -- this one from 3 yards out on fourth-and-goal -- helped Kaimuki regain the lead at 20-17 with 2:42 left in the third quarter, but Pearl City took it right back about 90 seconds later on Paredes' 14-yard scoring pass to Rakeel McMillian one play after Shawnson Batungbacal recovered a fumbled punt return.

The extra point attempt failed, but the Chargers extended the lead to 29-20 with 7:16 remaining in the game on McMillian's 27-yard run, though they again failed to convert the PAT.

Kaimuki narrowly missed a 35-yard field goal attempt with 3:35 left, but closed it to 29-27 two-and-a-half minutes later after Nahoa Spencer's 6-yard touchdown pass to Kanoe Barcenas and Kaiahua's extra point.

The Bulldogs' first onside kick attempt did not go the required 10 yards, but they got to try again after being whistled for offsides as the ball left the tee. The next attempt was fumbled and Kekoa recovered, and a personal foul gave Kaimuki possession at the Pearl City 39 with 1:05 showing on the clock.

After two incomplete passes, the Bulldogs advanced to the 35 on a hook-and-lateral play, leaving them at fourth-and-6. Spencer threw a short out to fullback Siaosi Hala'api'api, but Hala'api'api was driven out of bounds by sophomore defensive backs Jordan Mendiola and Tanner Tokunaga at the 30 -- one yard short of the first down -- with 41 seconds remaining.

"Our coach told us to watch out for the hooks, and we knew it was fourth-and-(6) so we just had to make sure we made the tackle," Tokunaga said.

Kaimuki coach Clint Onigama said Pearl City's team speed was as advertised.

"We scouted them well, and they were just as dangerous as they looked on film," Onigama said. "They're fast and explosive. It was a hell of a game."

Kekoa finished with 164 yards on 29 carries.