Kaimuki's Billy Masima rushed for a game-high 170 yards in the Bulldogs' stunning win over Nanakuli. Jim Lebeau | Special to SL

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Fri, Oct 16, 2015 @ Nanakuli [ 7:30 pm ]

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Kaimuki

27

Nanakuli

22

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kaimuki (7-5-0)	0	7	6	14	27
Nanakuli (7-3-0)	7	7	0	8	22

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Nainoa Banks 110 yd 1 TD

Keanu Pratt 63 yd

Shandon Laa 51 yd

Billy Masima 168 yd

Keanu Momoa 121 yd 1 TD

Jahssaiah Maiava 36 yd

NANAKULI—There will be a new Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II champion this season.

Andrew Neves' 83-yard kickoff return with no time remaining helped No. 6 Kaimuki shock No. 3 Nanakuli, 27-22 in the OIA Division II semifinals at Nanakuli High School on Friday night.

"I just prayed to God and I told him that we deserved it tonight and it paid off in the end. I saw the edge and I was gone," said an emotional Neves. "I told myself do it for the boys and do it for the coaches. Everyone had my back and I got theirs."

"Neves almost never returns for us, but something in my gut said call Neves. I called Neves and he came and I said, ‘Neves it's on you, buddy.' Neves got it, I closed my eyes and when I looked up it was all green for him. It was divine intervention. It was a true blessing," said Kaimuki coach David Tautofi.

Kaimuki (6-2 OIA, 7-3 overall) secures a spot in the OIA title game on Oct. 30 and they will await Waialua or Radford, who play on Saturday night. The Bulldogs, who are making their first state tournament appearance since 2010, lock up a berth to the 2015 First Hawaiian Bank/Hawaii High School Athletic Association State Football Championships.

"This is where dreams are made of. With a team like us starting with three wins in the last two seasons. We dream about it and talk about it, but it was the trenches where we had to work and we went through a refining season. This is a changed team, each kid is a different is a different kid than they were when they started the season," said Tautofi.

Nanakuli, the defending OIA champion, ends their season at 7-1 in the OIA, 7-3 overall.

On 4th-and-goal, Brandon Sevellino, who came in for Nainoa Banks, threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Isain Wong-Lonzanida and a 2-point conversion to Keanu Momoa to make it 22-21 in favor of the home team.

With 13.3 seconds remaining, Neves received the kickoff and raced down the Kaimuki sideline past Nanakuli defenders, all the way to the end zone where he was mobbed by teammates as time expired.

Kaimuki lost to Nanakuli, 41-6 earlier on Aug. 29 and started the season 1-3, but since then the Bulldogs rattled off six-straight wins, looking like a totally different team.

"The way that we fought back and we showed the world that we're a better team this year if we put our hearts to it," said Neves.

Kaimuki turned to Billy Masima to carry the rock and he rushed for 168 yards. Daniel Nguyen had two fumble recoveries and an interception in the first half. James Gentile scored off an interception and Ronnie Akau had a fumble recovery in the end zone.

"He's a well-rounded running back, he has breakaway speed and can run you over, and he's elusive. He's a blessing in disguise and he opens up our playbook," said Tautofi.

Following a Kaimuki three-and-out, Nanakuli scored in three plays as Nainoa Banks threw a 74-yard touchdown to Momoa, who had 121 receiving yards, to make it 7-0.

James Gentile made an incredible one-handed interception and returned it 18 yards for the score to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard to tie the game at seven.

Kaimuki was forced to punt deep within their end zone and Chyson Morgan returned the punt 44 yards for the score to give the Golden Hawks a 14-7 lead.

Jahssaiah Maiva sacked Banks and knocked the ball loose and Akau pounced on it in the end zone, but Phillip Kealoha's PAT was no good as the Bulldogs trailed, 14-13 in the third quarter.

After Nanakuli turned it over on downs, Kaimuki drove 76 yards capped by Keanu Pratt's 1-yard sneak up the middle and Suliveti Nisa's run made it, 21-14 with 3:35 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Golden Hawks received the ball on their own 22 and marched all the way down. Sevellino's pass to Momoa converted a 4th-and-2 to keep the drive alive. Sevellino threw an 18 and 10-yard pass to Momoa and Amaral-Palakiko respectively to get to the Kaimuki 11. Facing a 4th-and-goal, the Kaimuki's Jaren Feary intercepted Sevellino's pass in the end zone, but the defense was called for holding giving the Golden Hawks another chance and setting up the wild finish.

The Golden Hawks had multiple opportunities to score in the red zone throughout the game, but bad snaps and a relentless Bulldog defense pushed them back and created turnovers. They also turned it over on downs four times.

"Our defense was always held it down for us and they believed in us," said Neves.