Leilehua's Tristan Kamaka looks to make a move on Kapolei's Christopher Pierce-Kerisiano. Evan Asato | SL

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Kapolei's Mana Reis rushed for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns against Leilehua. Evan Asato | SL

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Fri, Sep 13, 2013 @ Leilehua [ 7:30 pm ]

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Kapolei

48

Leilehua

27

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kapolei (6-4-0)	6	7	0	35	48
Leilehua (6-4-0)	7	13	7	0	27

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Kalanimoku Pauole 71 yd 2 TD

Aizon Kahana 10 yd

Ikaika Piceno 56 yd 1 TD

Kazden Reis 104 yd 3 TD

Tristin Kamaka 43 yd 1 TD

Triston Pebria 12 yd

WAHIAWA – Even on Friday the 13th, the game that took place at Hugh Yoshida Stadium Friday night was nothing short of bizarre.

The Mules' homecoming and final regular seasonhome game in 2013 was nowhere near normal. A power outage before the game, two weird touchdowns, and a 35-point fourth quarter swing had the visiting Hurricanes riding home victorious, 48-27.

"It's really surreal," said Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez after the game. On the win: "I don't know, I can't describe it. We practiced all year long and we worked so hard; to see the boys' hard work come to fruition like that is a beautiful thing."

The lopsided finish saw the Hurricanes (5-1 overall, 3-1 Red West), extend their win-streak to three, while the Mules (3-2, 1-2) dropped their second straight game. Kapolei and Leilehua were ranked ninth and seventh respectively in the ScoringLive/OC16 Division I Power Rankings.

Leading the charge for the Hurricane offense was a three-headed monster at running back. Tristan Pebria, Mana Reis and Kainoa Brown rushed for a combined 225 yards and five touchdowns.

"We felt after watching the Waianae film last week (against Leilehua), that we could run the ball," explained Hernandez. "Our game plan was to follow our big O-line with our three-headed monster at running back and run the ball."

Heading into the fourth quarter the score was 27-13, in favor of the Mules. The Hurricanes were in the midst of a 10-play drive and driving in Leilehua territory. Two plays into the period, Brown punched it in for a three yard touchdown run. Arielle Stoyanow's PAT attempt would get tipped at the line, but would sneak in through the uprights, a foretelling sign that nothing would go the Mules way in the fourth quarter.

Leilehua's next drive ended in a turnover on a band handoff on a crucial third down. Kapolei's Kalani Vakameilalo recovered the loose ball at the Leilehua 35-yard line giving the Hurricanes a short field on a potential game-tying score.

The Mules' defense remained unshaken from the turnover forced Kapolei to punt the ball. Unfortunately for the Mules, the Hurricanes' all-purpose Panawea Julius converted on fourth down with a fake-punt run up the middle. This set up the Pebria's game-tying score where he muscled his way into the end zone from five yards out. Stoyanow's PAT was good and the score was knotted up at 27 apiece with five minutes and 53 seconds remaining in the ball game.

Everything from that point on would swing Kapolei's way.

On the first play of the Mules' next drive, Kalanimoku Pauole scrambled left and right before lofting it in the air for easy pickings. Kapolei's Paulo Bartley came up with the interception which set up the Hurricanes next touchdown. The go-ahead touchdown was scored by Brown from four yards out and Stoyanow's kick made it 34-27, with four minutes and six seconds left in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Kapolei kickoff ended up in the hands of returner Tristin Kamaka, a dangerous return man who already has a kickoff and a punt returned for touchdown this year.

Kamaka received the kickoff at the 12-yard line and found some running room for a big return. Unfortunately, Kamaka ran into Kapolei's Alika Sene-Bailey who stripped the ball free with team mate Kekua Marumoto securing the turnover.

Two plays later, Reis outraced two defenders for a 35-yard touchdown putting Kapolei up by two scores.

There would be no homecoming comeback for the Mules as they failed to pick up a first down on their next possession. Reis added a late rushing touchdown to pad the lead. Stoyanow's final kick of the game was good and the final score was 48-27, in favor of the visitors.

"It was just one of those games were everything went right for us," said Hernandez. "We got some key turnovers and as the game went on, we were able to wear them down in the fourth quarter."

Prior to the varsity game, a power outage left the entire upper-Wahiawa area without electricity. The blackout put a damper to the Mules' homecoming game as it delayed the start time for about 45 minutes.

The dim lights didn't stump the Mules defensively to start the game as they held Kapolei to negative yardage on the Hurricanes first drive of the first half. Both teams traded three-and-outs afterwards before the Mules first touchdown drive.

Splitting time with starting quarterback Mack Eberhardt, Pauole helped engineer the first points of the game with his 19-yard pitch-and-catch to Lauriano Lucas on a crossing pattern. John Enos' PAT was good and Leilehua had an early 7-0, lead in the first quarter.

Despite the Kapolei running backs finishing with huge rushing stats, they were limited early on in the game. Kapolei's first score actually came on a defensive touchdown on an Eberhardt interception. Eberhardt received the snap deep in his own territory and felt pressure from the Kapolei pass rushers. Eberhardt tried to throw the ball away, but his pass landed into the hands of Kapolei defensive back Tristan Centeio for a two yard pick-six.

As the second quarter came along, so did both teams' offenses. Ikaika Piceno added a 25-yard touchdown run for the Mules and Reis answered with a 38-yard touchdown scamper of his own.

Leilehua's last touchdown of the first half came on one of the most bizarre play of the game. A bad Kapolei snap on fourth down led to the ball bumbling around the end zone before the Mules own Anthony Johnson recovered it for a score.

The score was 20-13, in favor of the home team heading into halftime. In the third quarter, Pauole added a 16-yard touchdown pass to Kamaka on a screen pass to close the scoring for the Mules. Kapolei scored 35 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and the rest was history.

"We just got outplayed," admitted Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda. "We made too many mistakes that we shouldn't have."

Most of Leilehua's problems in the game were somewhat self-inflicted. Alongside the turnovers, Leilehua compiled 14 total penalties, four of them personal fouls. The offensive line also committed seven holding penalties in the game.

The crazy events that took place that night overshadowed a big defensive game for the Mules' Maake Muti. The 6-foot-1, 260-lb senior defensive lineman recorded 13 total tackles, three for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles.

Leilehua travels to Aiea next Friday while Kapolei gets a week off before taking on the Seariders at Waianae.