Kapaa QB Kurt Napoleon attempts a pass against Lahainaluna. Napoleon accounted for two total touchdowns in the second quarter to break a scoreless game. Glen Pascual | Special to SL

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_16081448_aDSC_4321.JPG - Glen Pascual | Special to SL

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New year, same result.

Kapaa blanked host Lahainaluna, 21-0 at Sue Cooley Stadium Saturday night in both team's final non-league game of the year before the regular season.

It was also a rematch of last year's Division II state semifinals, where the Warriors won 24-0, and the fourth straight year that the two teams faced off with each other during the preseason.

Although Kapaa was outgained by the fourth-ranked Lunas on offense, 178 to 152, the Warriors were able to forced six Lahainaluna fumbles and come away with three recoveries. 

"It was a lot closer than what the score was because Lahainaluna, they played hard," said Kapaa coach Philip Rapozo, whose team is ranked third in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division II Power Rankings. "We got some breaks and we capitalize on them. The good thing was we were up for the challenge, and I liked the way the team responded."

Kapaa quarterback Kurt Napoleon factored in two second quarter touchdowns to break a scoreless game. Napoleon's 34-yard completion to Gabe Keener helped set up his 1-yard TD run with 6:47 to go in the first half.

On the Lunas' next possession, quarterback Enele Scanlan was stripped sack on the first play from scrimmage and Kapaa's Ikona Fernandez was able to recover it on the Lahainaluna 7-yard line. Two plays later, Napoleon found Izaya Valeria for a 4-yard TD pass to give Kapaa a 14-0 lead with 5:09 left before the break.

"Kurt did what we needed him to do," Rapozo said on Napoleon. "He had a good week of practice so we were feeling good about him doing his job heading into the game." 

The final score of the game came on an electrifying 76-yard punt return by Kapaa's Leighton Moniz. Lahainaluna's Unaloto Pahulu booted a 65-yard punt on the play, but outkicked his coverage men and allowed Moniz to find a seam up the middle before breaking for the sidelines.

Lahainaluna had life in the second half and even drove it into Kapaa territory a couple of times, but fumbled the ball away twice and turned it over on downs on another possession. 

"We just made a lot of mistakes. Against a good team, you cannot be doing those things," said Lahainaluna co-coach Garret Tihada. "We shot ourselves in the foot. That's what a good team does, they expose your weaknesses and make mistakes you normally don't mistake."

Maui News sports reporter Rob Collias contributed statistics and information used in this report.