Kaiser's Derek Costa wraps up Kauai's Kyron Rapacon Sean Nakamura | SL

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Kaiser won their first Division II State Title on Saturday against a tough Kaua'i squad at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium. Trailing 7-0 at halftime, Kaiser refocused and made some second half adjustments to smother the Red Raiders in the second half. The Cougar defense held the Red Raiders to 10-net rushing yards and 77-yards of net offense for the game. The longest run the Cougars gave up to was 6-yards in the second half.

"Some adjustments we made weren't so much defensively, but it was more mentally. We had to wake up and step up our game," said defensive tackle Manase Palu.

In the second quarter, the Red Raiders had 22-net rushing yards and a scoring drive that took 18-plays and 10 minutes. Kaua'i scored on a 3-yard run by Kanoa Iwasaki to put the Red Raiders up 7-0. The Red Raiders led at the half and it was the first time Kaiser was held scoreless in the first half.  

"When we went back to the locker room at halftime, I talked to the boys and I told the d-line, 'We worked to hard for this, we sacrificed our summers and we gave everything we got  into training.' We knew we had a good team and we knew we had to outwork everybody. We tried to put a lot penetration into the back field and push their o-lineman into their crosses  where there were handing the ball off. We had to come out with a different mindset in the second half and in the first half I think we underestimated them," said defensive lineman Derek Costa, who had five solo tackles and four of them were tackle for losses.

On Kaua'i's last drive of the game and facing a 4th-and-15, Kaiser's Melvin Kahunanui intercepted Kelson Andrade's pass and returned it 20-yards to put the exclamation point on the victory.

"That last drive, I knew I was going to get that pick and I wanted to get it for this team and end it. Words can't explain this feeling, I love this team and we worked so hard to get here," said Kahunanui, who also added four solo tackles.  

Kaiser had 14 tackle-for-losses for 56-yards and they had four sacks for 20-yards for the game. Canaan Saole, Isaac Slade-Matautia, Palu, and Fitou Fisiiahi each had a sack. Zeno Choi had a quarterback hurry and had two tackle for losses. Slade-Matautia, had six solo tackles and two tackle-for-losses and Fisiiahi had three tackle-for-losses for 23-yards.  

"We made that second half adjustment, we came out firing and gave 110 percent. I really think what we did for all that hard work we did, only a select few can handle it and we worked too hard. I trusted them being next to me filling their gaps and executing," said Costa.

Canaan Saole led the team with nine tackles one sack and blocked a punt. With the game deadlocked at 7, Saole blew by everyone and blocked the punt and Melvin Kahunanui recovered the ball in the end zone.

"That play, I thought it was a dead ball and second nature I just went for it and ran it into the end zone. It boosted us and it lifted our spirits," said Kahunanui.  

The Cougars won their thirteenth game in a row and finished 13-1 overall and winning a championship was something everyone at Kaiser had their sights on. Throughout the season, all players said that everyone trained hard in the offseason with strength and conditioning coach Chad Ikei and getting to this game and winning the state title was the cherry on top.  

"We did morning runs with our strength and conditioning coach, coach Chad Ikei. I want to give the glory to my defensive line coach Matt Faga and all the stuff he bestowed upon me and the life lessons he taught me," said Palu.