No. 12 Leilehua pulls away from Aiea

James' McGary got the scoring going with a 15-yard TD reception in the first quarter and then pulled the Mules away on a 90-yard kickoff return score in the final period. R-Sam Joseph | Special to SL

AIEA — At face value, six forced turnovers and a 19-point margin of victory would make it seem the Mules cruised to their fifth victory, but the game was much closer than the score showed as it took a fourth quarter 90-yard kickoff return touchdown from James McGary to pull Leilehua away from host Aiea, 40-21, Friday night in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I contest.

Aiea drove down the field as quarterback Kayson Castillo connected with Zacharia Kalahiki-Basque in stride in the end zone to make it a 26-21 ballgame with under eight minutes remaining in the game. With the homecoming crowd on its feet, the 12th-ranked Mules quickly sat them down as McGary caught the ensuing kickoff and took it up the middle all the way to the end zone for 90 yards to re-extend their lead to 33-21.

Na Alii was unable to recover and gave up another score for the eventual final of 40-21.

It was a game of momentum swings as Leilehua jumped out to a 23-0 lead before Aiea got on the scoreboard.

On Aiea's first possession, a mishandled handoff exchange gave Leilehua the ball near midfield after Jaeden Chow came up with the recovery. Leilehua later scored on a 15-yard swing pass from Max Nichols to McGary. Na Alii then drove the ball inside Leilehua's 30 yard line but turned it over on downs.

Following a 21-yard field goal from Leilehua's Akoni Tom-Makue, Aiea QB Castillo was picked off by Randen Siavii and was later recycled into points on Nichols' 19-yard strike to Dorian Furtado. Castillo was picked off again on the next possession, the first of three by senior Warren Lagaaia, and was also turned into points on a 10-yard Nichols-to-Jayzon Ramos connection.

Na Alii finally got it going on offense and Castillo hit an open Babu Capanang over the top for a 48-yard touchdown at the 3:02 mark of the second quarter, and then with time winding down on the half, Castillo dropped one in the right corner of the end zone for Austin Mogote to make it a 23-14 game.