Leilehua quarterback Kalanimoku Pauole scrambles from Aiea defenders. Eugene Tanner | SL

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Leilehua's Justin Jenks hauls in a long pass to get the mules a yard away from the endzone. Evan Asato | SL

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Leilehua quarterback Mack Eberhardt threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns against Aiea. Eugene Tanner | SL

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Elijah Tausaga completed 11 of 24 passes including Aiea's only touchdown of the night in the first quarter. Eugene Tanner | SL

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Tristin Kamaka pulls in one of two deep passes caught for Leilehua touchdowns against Aiea. Evan Asato | SL

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Fri, Sep 20, 2013 @ Aiea [ 7:30 pm ]

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Leilehua

40

Aiea

10

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Leilehua (6-4-0)	0	20	13	7	40
Aiea (2-6-0)	7	0	0	3	10

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Elijah Tausaga 92 yd 1 TD

Mack Eberhardt 247 yd 2 TD

Elijah Tausaga 51 yd

Austinn Nagao 45 yd 1 TD

Shaenan Hernandez-Fonoti 52 yd 1 TD

Tristin Kamaka 125 yd 2 TD

'AIEA - Coming off back-to-back losses, the Leilehua football team decided to put its coach in his place: in the press box.

With Nolan Tokuda calling the shots from the coaches' booth, the Mules snapped their modest losing streak with a 40-10 win against 'Aiea in O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West football at 'Aiea stadium.

The Mules (4-2 overall, 2-2 Red West), No. 9 in the ScoringLive/OC 16 Power Rankings, handed Na Ali'i (2-5, 0-5) their fifth consecutive loss and eliminated them from postseason on their homecoming celebration. 'Aiea, having lost to 1-3 Waipahu last week, needed to win at least two games for a chance to bypass the Marauders because of the head-to-head tie-breaker.

"It's actually kind of funny, but everybody wanted me away from the team," Tokuda said. "I think it was something good for them…I came down at halftime and asked if I could come down, they said, 'No.' So I went back to the press box, but once we got to the fourth quarter, I told them I'm coming back."

And what about the next game?

"If the coaches want me up, I have to do what the team asks," Tokuda said. "I'll do what's best for the team."

What really was best for the team was some improved blocking for quarterback Mack Eberhardt. He had his most efficient game of the season, completing 16 of 20 passes for 247 yards. He had TD passes of 24 and 58 yards to Tristin Kamaka.

"It starts with the O-Line," Tokuda said. "We've had guys who were injured and guys stepped up and did their job. We had a solid game plan….With what the O-Line did, (Eberhardt) just showed what he could do."

But before the Mules got going, it was 'Aiea, celebrating homecoming, that jumped out in front on Elijah Tausaga's 40-yard TD pass to Shaenan Hernandez-Fonoti with 58 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Mules then stormed back with 40 consecutive points that were jump-started by Will Pule's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown with 7:14 left in the half. The PAT failed, so the Mules still trailed 7-6.

Leilehua's offense then reeled off five consecutive TDs to blow the game apart. It began with running back Austinn Nagao's 40-yard TD run and Kamaka's 24-yard TD catch that increased Leilehua's lead to 20-7 at the half.

The assault continued in the second half with Eberhardt's 58-yard TD pass to Kamaka and fullback Kendrick Nunes' 5-yard TD run in the third quarter to make it 33-7. Kamaka finished with six receptions for 125 yards.

The attack ended when backup QB Kalanimoku Pauole scored from the 1 in the fourth quarter to make it 40-7 with 6:04 left in the game.

It took most of the remaining time on the clock for 'Aiea to take a chip out of its deficit when Jae Won Huh kicked a 31-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to make it 40-10.

Meanwhile, the struggle continues for Na Ali'i. Quarterback Jordan Li'ili'i (foot) was cleared to play Thursday, but too late to prepare for this week. With a bye next week, 'Aiea is hopeful he can return for the regular-season finale against Mililani, coach Wendell Say said.

Since the injury to the promising Li'ili'i, who passed for 272 yards against Kailua in preseason, 'Aiea has gone through different QBs by taking players from other positions. Mana Kaahanui is a LB; Hernandez-Fonoti, who shared time at QB with Kaahahui last season, is a defensive back and receiver. Receiver Jantzen Shinmoto also was considered a backup until concussion kept him out. Recently, Tausaga has moved from receiver to take the reins. He was in on 71 percent of 'Aiea's plays, rushing 21 times for 51 yards and passing 24 times for 92 yards.

"Look at Elijah," Say said. "The kid just plays his heart out. He doesn't want to come out."

At the outset, he wasn't even considered to play QB. But as the injuries piled up, he stepped up.

"He's the one that wants to take charge," Say said.

Say said he could sense frustration by his players when calls didn't go 'Aiea's way. He said the players can't dwell on things they can't control.

"I told them don't stop," Say said. "Keep going. The whistle didn't blow; don't complain about something (you can't control). You just have to finish the job. These kids have to realize that they have to want it more."

'Aiea closes its season Oct. 4 at Mililani. Say hopes his players won't just go through the motions.

"We could play it out and not worry," Say said, "or we could be spoilers.

"You never know what the outcome will be. The way the West is, it's crazy. You never know what's going to happen."