Riders roll Bulldogs to reach OIA D2 title game

Roosevelt QB Sky Ogata drops back to pass against Waialua. Mycah Yokotake | Special to SL

Shepherd Kekahuna scored three total touchdowns and Sky Ogata threw for a score and rushed for another in Roosevelt's runaway 57-23 win over Waialua in the semifinals for the OIA Division playoffs.

Kekahuna scored the first three touchdowns for the Rough Riders, the first two on the ground, both of them from three yards out. The third was an electrying 56 yard punt return, where Kekahuna fielded the ball with a number of Bulldogs players closing in, made a qucik move to the outside and raced past the first level of coverage and broke a tackle on his way to the end zone.

Down 20-0 after one quarter of play, Waialua rallied, scoring 10 points in the second quarter to keep the margin respectable. Kai Hoekstra returned a kickoff 54 yards to help set up a 37 yard Kayde Mahuka field goal, and Justyce Lacar found Blazen Benz from 20 yards out with just eight seconds left in the half for the other Waialua score.

Ogata connected with Scott Chung on a 8-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter and ran in another from 14 yards midway through the third. The senior signal caller completed 20 of 26 passes for 180 yards with one interception.

Roosevelt led 28-10 at the half and quickly scored the third quarter on a 58 yard touchdown run by Myka Kukahiwa to extend the margin. Waialua countered on the next drive, as Lacar hooked up with Hoekstra on a 63 yard scoring strike, but the Rough Riders broke the game open from there, scoring 22 straight points on Ogata's keeper and a pair on one yard plunges by Mitchel Camacho.

Running clock was invoked at the 9:41 mark of the fourth, but Waialua scored on a 6 yard run by Blitzen Benz with 4:02 to trim the lead back under 35 points.

Lacar, who came on in relief of starter Kyler Dicion, finished the night completing 11 of 15 passes for 174 yards and two scores. Hoekstra caught 4 passes for 78 yards and a score to go along with some nice returns on special teams.

Kukahiwa amassed 121 yards rushing on 13 carries for the Rough Riders, who gained 305 yards rushing and 501 yards of total offense to the Bulldogs' 195.

Roosevelt will face off with Kaimuki, a 33-17 winner over Kaiser, on Saturday, October 26 for the OIA Division II title. The two teams faced off in the regular season, with the Bulldogs coming out on top, 28-26.