KAILUA, KONA -- Keenan Sadanaga completed 18 of 39 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns and Leilehua took an early 22-0 lead Friday night before holding off Kealakehe, 35-24, in the opening round of the First Hawaiian Bank/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division I Football State Championships.
The Mules, who finished third in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association, improved to 10-1-1 and will face OIA champ Kahuku (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in Friday's semifinals at Aloha Stadium.
Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion Kealakehe ends its season at 10-2.
Leilehua took a 22-0 first-quarter lead after a 26-yard halfback option pass from Jeremiah Andrade to Mikal Peyton, Allen Racette's 1-yard TD run and Andrade's 34-yard scoring reception from Sadanaga on fourth-and-10 with 2:49 remaining in the first quarter.
The Waveriders closed it to 22-7 after John Kamoku's 12-yard touchdown run with 42 seconds remaining in the first half, then -- after Kealakehe's Jordan Rapoza made an interception on the next play from scrimmage -- Jon Yates connected on a 26-yard field goal as time expired to make it 22-10 at the break.
Kamoku later scored on a 1-yard TD run to help close it to 22-17 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
The Mules extended the lead to 29-17 after Sadanaga's 2-yard touchdown pass to Racette with 9:14 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Kealakehe answered immediately on Kamoku's 80-yard scoring run on a quarterback keeper one play after the ensuing kickoff to close it to 29-24.
Tim Momiyama's 33-yard field goal stretched the lead to 32-24 with 6:14 left, and he then gave them more breathing room by drilling a 43-yard field goal with 2:37 on the clock.
The Waveriders' final drive ended with Reece Acohido's interception with 29 seconds remaining to seal the victory..