Leilehua beats No. 6 Kapolei in OT thriller, 20-19

The Leilehua Mules celebrate after an interception against the Kapolei Hurricanes Saturday night. Sylvia Lee | SL

KAPOLEI — Odin Mersberg intercepted a 2-point conversion pass in the end zone to preserve Leilehua's thrillling 20-19 overtime win against No. 6 Kapolei Saturday night at the Hurricanes' home stadium.

Konapiliahi Andres passed for 172 yards and two second-half touchdowns and rushed for the game-winner in OT to give the Mules their first win of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Red to improve to 1-2 (2-2 overall).

The Hurricanes (2-3, 1-3) dropped their second in a row on the field following the forfeiture of their Castle victory three weeks ago.

"My team played their hearts out and didn't stop until it was done," Mersberg said.

The Mules came seeking their first score of the regular season, much less a win. They started without Andres for disciplinary reasons. They gambled on fourth-and-2 their own 49 and failed early in the game. The short field set up Kapolei's first score of the game.

"That's one thing we talked about," Leilehua coach Mark Kurisu said. "Keeping our minds right. The last game against Mililani, we got so excited; we made so many mistakes we typically don't make. That was the focus for tonight, gathering our minds, everybody staying focused. No matter what, you'll fail, you'll be successful. You have to stay even keel until the clock goes zero."

The difference might have been character.

The Mules had three penalties for 30 yards. The Hurricanes, though, were called 13 times for 114 yards. Some of the fouls aided the Mules' drives or set the Hurricanes back into bad field position.

"Right now, we're a very undisciplined team and that's all on me so I take the full responsiblity for that," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "We'll fix the problem. I'm going to attack the problem and I think the way it looks now, with the basically three losses in a row, it's going to test our resolve, our adversity. We'll see if we can bounce back."

The game was tied at 13 after regulation with the Mules rallying from a 13-0 halftime deficit with two scores in the second half.

Kapolei won the toss for OT and elected to play defense first. The Mules started from the Hurricanes' 20. After a 4-yard gain, Andres was stopped for a 2-yard loss by Aaron Faumui. But a deadball personal foul against Kapolei gave Leilehua first-and-goal at the 9. After an incomplete pass by Andres, he rushed for 6 to the 3. An illegal substitution against Kapolei put the ball to the 1. Andres lined up in the pistol, then went up to his center, took the quick snap and pushed his way in the end zone. Akoni Tom-Makue, who missed an earlier PAT, made this one to put Leilehua up 20-13.

The Hurricanes moved without trouble in their half of the OT, needing just four plays to score on Dylan Toillolo's 3-yard run off the right side. The Hurricanes tried the 2-point conversion for the win. Quarterback Kaniala Kalaola rolled right and fired into the crowded end zone where Mersberg's interception end the game.

"It's amazing," Mersberg said. "All we did was hard work for this game. Thanks to coach Kurisu and his scheme, you just have to do your assignment. We won as a team."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].