Kalaheo RB Jaden Amasiu looks for some running room against McKinley. Leighland Tagawa | SL

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MAKIKI — One of the smallest and youngest players on the field made the difference in Kalaheo's 21-0 win against host McKinley Saturday night at a sticky (humid) Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

Alakai Umemura, a 5-foot-5, 130-pound freshman, returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown to break a scoreless deadlock in the first half to help the Mustangs snap a four-game losing streak dating to last season. The first of two interception returns for TDs helped the Mustangs improve to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II. The Tigers dropped to 1-2 and 0-1.

"It was a huge confidence-booster for us," Kalaheo senior running back/defensive back Jaden Amasiu said of the win. "Like as a team, we're young, (so it was big) to come out with a 'W.'"

And it was Umemura's return that sparked the Mustangs.

"He definitely stepped up," Amasiu said of Umemura. "He made big-time plays and that's what changed the game."

Indeed it did.

The teams' offenses were mired in the middle of the field most of the first half. An aborted field goal attempt by the Mustangs from 43 yards netted a 20-yard loss to the Tigers' 45. On first down, Umemura intercepted Alexandria Buchanan's pass and returned it 60 yards down the right sideline with two minutes, 12 seconds left in the half. Amasiu's pass to Sheldon Mejia for the 2-point conversion gave the Mustangs an 8-0 lead into the half.

"Very inspirational kid, humble," Kalaheo coach Darrell Poole said of Umemura. "Comes to practice everyday and does his best. Despite his size, people kind of take it for granted. He''s real great player and such a coachable kid. I'm so glad to have him with us."

Unfortunately, Umemura took a hit to the helmet during a kickoff in the waning seconds of the game. He was down a while but walked with assistance from coaches off the field. The extent of his injury was not known at that moment.

"The referee said both players put their helmets down (toward each other)," Poole explained. "So it's like an up-and-up call. I didn't see it that way, but the call is the call so I'll go back and look at the tape and, see what I gotta see and submit it (for review)."

Amasiu said the team appreciates Umemura's toughness.

"He's not scared to come up and hit," Amasiu said. "Even though he got hit pretty hard, he still (got) up. And he works really hard, too."

The Mustangs nursed the 8-0 lead all the way to the fourth quarter. With 8:21 left to play, the Mustangs recovered a McKinley fumble at the Tigers' 46. Eight plays later, Amasiu scored on a 2-yard run. A failed 2-point try gave Kalaheo a 14-0 lead with 5:40 left.

Later in the quarter, Kekoa Alana had an apparent interception nullified by a pass interference call on fourth down. But on first down, Jedaiah Borge returned a Buchanan pass 82 yards for a TD with 25 second left in the game. Amasiu kicked the PAT to make it 21-0.

The Tigers last two plays of the game netted two yards.

Kalaheo really struggled offensively in the first half. Umemura's 60 yards on his return was 70 more yards than what Kalaheo's offense had generated in the first half.

"Right now, we got started really late," Poole said. "We're just getting our guys out. We're kind of a little bit behind the 8-ball with the offense, but for the most part, the kids are working hard. It was a team effort. That's why we won tonight."