Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Waianae's Jurick Valdez rushed for a team-high 63 yards in a win over Baldwin in the opening round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I Football Championships. Jim Lebeau | Special to SL

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Waianae took the ball out of Baldwin's hands to secure a 21-6 win in the opening round of the First Hawaiian Bank Division I football state tournament Friday nigh at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

The Seariders (9-3), sixth in the Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings, will play No. 2 Kahuku (11-0) in Friday's 4:30 p.m. semifinal at the stadium. It is a rematch of a regular-season meeting on Oct. 3, won by the Red Raiders, 30-0, also held at Aloha Stadium.

"I feel we can (do better)," Waianae quarterback Jaren Ulu said of the rematch. "We just have to make big corrections. "Offensively, we have to (execute against) all of the blitzes, making audibles off of that."

The No. 10 Bears (8-3) end their season having lost their third consecutive state appearance in four seasons.

"Some mistakes here and there, but all in all, we played hell of a game, I think," Baldwin all-purpose player Laakea Kahoohanohano-Davis said. 

The game was within reach for the Bears through most of the game. But the Bears punted twice, lost the ball on downs twice and time ran out on their final series. Waianae did not fare much better, punting twice and losing the ball on downs. The only difference was the Seariders scored on their first series of the second half to increase its lead.

"Our mantra is take care of the ball, cut down on penalties," Baldwin coach Pohai Lee said. "Our defense did a good job tonight."

The Bears were penalized 10 times for 87 yards to the Seariders' 7 for 55.

"We just needed to play harder," said Waianae LB Jaylen Gonzales, who tied for the team lead with 5.5 total tackles in the game. "First half, we gave them some plays, but we knew we could come back second half."

The Seariders intercepted Baldwin's sophomore quarterback Chayce Akaka twice in the first half, one each by Chavison Kalamau and Mosiah Brame. But a fumble by Akaka that was forced by LB Brandon Hattori and recovered by Noah Kealoha at the Baldwin 35. It was the only turnover recycled by Waianae for a score, Ulu's 21-yard TD pass to Royce Carrick, who caught the ball at the 1 and backed his way against a defender into the end zone.

Akaka, who entered the game having thrown three interceptions, tossed two in the first half. But Lee said it was a learning moment for his young signal caller.

"It's part of the growing process," Lee said of Akaka's turnovers. "It's something to build on."

Akaka finished the game 12 of 30 for 163 yards with two interceptions. His favorite target was Jonovan-Taje Akaka, who had nine catches for game-leading 139 yards.

Although the game played out in typical Waianae fashion – it rushed the ball 54 times for 239 yards – the Seariders opened their first series after the opening kickoff went out of bounds and set at their 35 with 19-yard pass from Ulu to Kade Ambrocio. Waianae then ran five consecutive running plays, the last on Ambrocio's nine-yard run when he went wide right en route to the end zone. Tate Ebel's PAT gave Waianae a 7-0 lead just 2:29 into the game.

Baldwin wasted a 36-yard kickoff return by Kahoohanohano-Davis to the Bears' 49 when Akaka was picked off by Kalamau.

Waianae ended up punting and Baldwin took over from its 35. When it reached Waianae's 35, it faced fourth-and-19, but while escaping a heavy rush, Hattori forced the fumble that Waianae recovered at the Bears' 35. Five plays later, the Seariders Ulu's TD pass increased their lead to 14-0 with 2:36 in the first quarter.

Waianae's ensuing onside kick was covered by the Bears at their 31. They then went 69 yards in six plays, the last being Akaka's 33-yard TD pass to Jonovan-Taje Akaka. Baldwin 2-point try on a pass play failed to keep the scored, 14-6 with 55 seconds left in the first period.

The teams later exchanged turnovers, first with a Baldwin fumble, then on an interception by Baldwin's Damien Awai. But Baldwin squandered that opportunity on Brame's interception.

Baldwin started the second half by losing the ball on downs at the Waianae 36. The Seariders had their final scoring drive – eight plays, covering 64 yards – with RB Javen Towne scoring on a 19-yard run to make it 21-6 with 6:04 in the third period.

About a minute before the end of the third quarter, Waianae punted from its 34 and started rolling and later wobbling at the Baldwin 29, where Kahoohanohano-Davis picked up the ball and started running toward the end zone unscathed, as teammates and Waianae players thought the ball was dead. But the officials did in fact rule the ball dead at the 29.

Long-time official Lloyd Hisaka, an evaluator of officials these days, said officials are taught that once players yell ‘poison, poison' (or don't touch the ball) to blow the play dead for safety issues. He said he heard ‘poison' being called.

"I didn't see anyone touch it so I thought I could just pick it up and go," Kahoohanohano-Davis said. "But they called it a dead ball."

Neither team could score from that point on.

Waianae gave the ball to nine different running backs. Towne led the way with 67 yards on nine carries. Jurick Valdez followed with 58 yards on 12 carries.