OIA Football
Kaimuki bounces back to beat Waialua


Michael Lasquero | ScoringLive
August 25, 2023, 12:57am

  


Thu, Aug 24, 2023 @ Farrington [ 7:00 pm ]

Waialua

20

Kaimuki

36

Final 1 2 3 4 T
Waialua (3-6-0) 6 0 0 1420
Kaimuki (5-7-0) 13 13 7 336
Iosefa Letuli 234 yd 3 TD
Emery Abilla 48 yd 1 TD
Zechariah Kuratsu-Cook 48 yd 1 TD
Makoakai Fierro 125 yd 1 TD
Jeremiah White 128 yd 2 TD
Jayvie Arellano 40 yd 1 TD

KALIHI — Back on track.

Kaimuki scored on its first four possessions and never looked back to win its first game of the season, 36-20, over Waialua in an OIA Division II matchup at Skippa Diaz Stadium at Kusunoki Field Thursday night.

Senior quarterback Iosefa Letuli completed 11 of his 16 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns while his favorite target and fellow senior Jeremiah White finished with six receptions for 128 yards and two scores to power the Bulldogs (1-2 overall, 1-1 league) in the victory. White also kicked a 22-yard field goal and three PATs to account for 18 total points.

The victors' efficiency against Waialua (1-2, 1-2) was a far cry from their previous outing when multiple penalties and bad snaps held them back in last Friday's 28-13 loss to Roosevelt.

"Ultimately it's a testament to the senior leadership keeping the guys intact," said Kaimuki coach Reid Yoshikawa. "Even though there's been a lot of adversity these first couple of weeks, I just tip my hat off to these kids. They've been showing some heart, Kaimuki football all the way."

The Bulldogs' turnaround started with a shift in their offensive identity. Kaimuki employed a full house package with three backs in a pistol formation for most of the night that helped shorten the game for a squad that has multiple players playing multiple positions. This also helped open passing lanes for Letuli and one-on-one opportunities for White on the perimeter.

"Last year we had a really good running attack, but we understand this year we don't have a breakaway back in Ofa Vehikite (103 carries, 1032 yards, nine TDs in 2022) so we know that we're going to have to churn out possessions and yardage," said Yoshikawa.

Kaimuki QB Iosefa Letuli drags a Waialua defender in the first quarter of an OIA Division II game. Michael Lasquero | SL    Purchase image

Yoshikawa also gave credit to Letuli's willingness to sacrifice his passing attempts in a run-first offense.

"It's funny because Sefa, he's very open to those kind of things. He's not the guy that's selfish that wants to throw it 30 times a game. He'll do anything for the team. We kind of asked him about it because he didn't have the best games the past couple of weeks, but he said ‘anything to get the team going.'"

Letuli, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 pounds, ran the ball just nine times for 28 yards, but got the yardage needed whenever the Bulldogs needed to move the chains. He converted fourth down three times with his legs, with one of those conversions going for a 4-yard TD to give Kaimuki the lead for good before the end of the first quarter.

"God blessed me with this big body do I was able to get the first downs that we needed," said Letuli. "I give all the credit to the O-line and the running backs."

Letuli also showcased his arm on more than one occasion. He found White in the back of the end zone for a 20-yard score on the Bulldogs' opening series and hit Ezekiel Kuiee-Matias in the right seam for a 90-yard TD pass for the first score of the second half.

Kaimuki's defense was also solid with three interceptions and forcing a number of turnover on downs.

"Defense is the one that that I say is about pride and effort," said Yoshikawa. "It's about your attitude, reading the right keys."

Kaimuki edge Kanoa Nahinu celebrates after getting a sack in the first quarter against Waialua. Michael Lasquero | SL    Purchase image

Kanoa Nahinu was one of the standouts defensively for the Bulldogs. He had a third-down sack while Waialua was in the red zone on its second series and had another takedown behind the line of scrimmage to force a fourth-and-8 situation. In the third quarter Nahinu also teamed up with Iosua Letuli for a tackle-for-loss on fourth down on Waialua's first possession of the second half.

"He's like the firecracker," Yoshikawa said of Nahinu. "If he gets going, he's the guy that's going to dictate some things."

Lukela Hicks, Hinano Kahawai and Zechariah Kuratsu-Cook recorded the interceptions for Kaimuki. Hicks also brook up two passes and had the pick that set up the Bulldogs' final TD of the first half.

It was a score that wasn't even planned.

After Hicks' interception, Iosefa Letuli threw a short hitch route to White near the Kaimuki sideline. White then spun around and got loose down the right sideline for a 57-yard TD with 20 seconds left in the first half.

"That's just Jeremiah White right there, he's going to make a play out of nothing," said Letuli. "It was less than a minute left in the half, all we needed was a hitch to get into halftime, but Jeremiah White wanted to take it to the house. It's all glory to God."

Kaimuki led 36-6 at the 6:28 mark of the fourth quarter after White's 22-yard field goal.

Waialua scored two TDs in the final two minutes of the game to make the score respectable. Makoakai Fierro was the key cog in the offense with 21 carries for 125 yards and a 5-yard TD run.


Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].




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