Kahuku freshman quarterback Sol-Jay Maiava was 7 of 20 for 107 yards and a touchdown in a win over Leilehua. Steve Erler | SL

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Fri, Aug 12, 2016 @ Leilehua [ 7:30 pm ]

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Kahuku

49

Leilehua

15

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kahuku (11-2-0)	14	14	7	14	49
Leilehua (5-8-0)	0	7	0	8	15

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Konapiliahi Andres 195 yd 1 TD

Sol-Jay Maiava 107 yd 1 TD

Konapiliahi Andres 3 yd 1 TD

Harmon Brown 101 yd 2 TD

Charles Watson 43 yd 1 TD

Sitaleki Tongi 53 yd 1 TD

WAHIAWA – Top-ranked Kahuku scored in every phase of the game – offense, defense and special teams – to knock off Leilehua, 49-15, Friday night at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.

The Red Raiders extended their win streak to 14 dating to last year's unbeaten (13-0) state championship season. Since their non-league game is Sept. 17 at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, the Red Raiders' season debut came in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I crossover game. Kahuku is in the Blue, while Leilehua (0-2 overall, 0-1 OIA D1) is in the Red. The teams will play within their divisions starting next week.

"One and oh," Kahuku coach Vavae Tata said. "That's all we're looking forward to, 1-0)."

Kahuku's offense used its usual wildcat with freshman Sol-Jay Maiava, Harmon Brown and Royce Pao in the first half. Brown rushed for two touchdowns and 101 yards, while Pao ran for one TD and caught one from Maiava.

Defensively, Kahuku scored its second TD of the game when Kesi Ah-Hoy returned a fumble 82 yards for a TD.

On special teams, Stokes Nihipali-Botelho returned a kickoff 94 yards. Nihipali-Botelho also returned a kickoff 72 yards to set up Kahuku's third TD of the game.

Kahuku primarily worked on its passing game in the second half with Maiava, who was 7 of 20 for 107 yards and a TD. Backup passer Cameron Renaud was 2 of 3 for 53 yards and one TD. Though a freshman making his varsity debut, Maiava showed some poise under pressure with his footwork. He was sacked once, but rushed for 58 yards.

"I could've done way better than how I usually do," Maiava said.

Rebounding from a 70-9 loss to Punahou last week, the Mules showed gumption by attempting an onside kick on the opening kickoff, but were penalized for encroachment and followed with a conventional kickoff. They also converted a fourth-and-1 from their own 39 early in the game with Kahuku leading 7-0. Leilehua reached Kahuku's 16, but Ah-Hoy returned the fumble for a TD.

Despite the lopsided score, Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda does not feel the team's two losses are indicative of what is to come this season. After all, the losses were to No. 1Kahuku and No. 3 Punahou.

"No complaints," Tokuda said. "That's the measuring stick; in order to be the best you have to play the best and eventually beat the best, so it just gives us an idea of where we are and where we need to be…good teams will expose all those weaknesses you have, now we have a chance to evaluate it and get better."

The Red Raiders opened their first series looking like last year by running out of the wildcat with Maiava for most of the nine-play series, but also with Brown. But it was Maiava only doing the passing in the series that ended with Royce Pao – the third wildcat in the series – scoring from five yards. Nihipali-Botelho's PAT put Kahuku up 7-0 five minutes, 27 seconds into the game.

Leilehua looked like it was going to return the favor on its ensuing series, but on second-and-4 from the Kahuku 16, running back Kalika Seumanutafa-Bryant was stripped of the ball and Ah-Hoy returned it 82 yards to put Kahuku up 14-0 at 2:24 in the first quarter.

"That opening drive, if we didn't fumble, it would be 7-7," Tokuda said.

Leilehua would lose a fumble on its ensuing series, but Kahuku did not cash in.

But a fumble by Brown after a 20-yard gain at Kahuku's 38 set up the Mules' first score of the game, a 5-yard keeper by QB Konapiliahi Andres to cut Leilehua's deficit in half.

Nihipali-Botelho's 72-yard kickoff return to the Leilehua 27 set up Brown's 11-yard TD run that increased Kahuku's lead to 21-7 with 3:41 left in the half.

After Leilehua punted on its next series, Kahuku got good field position from the Mules 47 to set up Brown's second TD of the game, a 1-yard run to make it 28-7 with 33 seconds in the half.

Nihipali-Botelho's modest 24-yard punt return to the Leilehua 33 made for a short field for the Red Raiders, who scored on Maiava's 23-yard TD pass to Pao with 27 seconds in the third quarter to make it 35-7.

Early in the fourth quarter, an interception by Ah-Hoy to the Mules' 36 set the stage for Renaud's 53-yard catch-and-run by Sitaleki Longi to make it 42-7 with 7:29 in the and set the running clock because of the 35-point differential in the second half.

But the Mules stopped the running clock after a 10-play, 87-yard drive ended with Andres' 19-yard TD pass to Charles Watson with 2:38 left in the game. Andres then hit Vitale Afoa for the 2-point conversion to make it 42-15.

But Nihipali-Botelho returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards to make it 49-15 with 2:23 left.