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Roosevelt rebounded from heart-breaking news to post a heart-pumping 22-16 football victory over Kaiser last night after two thrilling overtimes at Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

It was the season finale for both teams: Roosevelt finished 2-6 overall and 2-4 in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's Red Conference Eastern Division. Kaiser ended up 0-8, 0-6.

Until Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt appeared headed toward the league playoffs, but things took a sudden and shocking turn when it was announced that last week's 18-0 victory over Moanalua would be forfeited due to an ineligible player. One of the player's teachers alerted Rough Riders athletic director John Chung on Tuesday that he was failing his class, and an investigation later revealed an invalid grade check form.

Roosevelt coach Pat Silva said the ineligible player is a non-starter who played only the final two minutes of the Moanalua game. The forfeit broke a three-way tie for fourth place in the East between the Rough Riders, Farrington and Moanalua, and means the latter two teams -- who play each other this afternoon -- have clinched playoff berths regardless of today's outcome.

Moanalua's record changes from 2-3 to 3-2, and even if Farrington finishes 2-4 in the East, it would own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Roosevelt.

"It's a heartbreaker, especially coming off those two wins (over Castle and Moanalua) where we could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel," Silva said. "(The ineligible player) is a good kid, but he made a bad mistake. It's a life lesson, and we just had to deal with it."

Although both Kaiser and Roosevelt entered last night's game out of playoff contention, they played as if their entire seasons were at stake.

Asten Koki's 15-yard touchdown catch in the back right corner of the end zone from Matt Lono-Holani finally ended a pulsating, exhausting game after two overtimes.

The Rough Riders had taken a 7-0 lead after Darryle Alfapada's 1-yard TD plunge on fourth-and-goal and Benji Menashe's extra point with 2:40 remaining in the first half. On the first play from scrimmage after the ensuing kickoff, Jordan McKay sacked quarterback Sitlimani Latu on a safety blitz and jarred the ball loose. Koki picked it up at the 4-yard line and rambled into the end zone.

The Cougars then blocked the extra point, and closed the score to 13-7 after Josh Gonda's 13-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds remaining in the half.

Kaiser cut it to 13-9 with 8:14 left in the third quarter when Shogo Inagaki and Bret-Maverick Kanoa tackled Ese Tago in the end zone after Tago tried an end run.

The Cougars then took a 16-13 lead after Latu's 24-yard TD strike to Joshua Perry-Kruse with 4:21 remaining in the third quarter. Roosevelt tied it at 16-16 on Menashe's 42-yard field goal with 7:38 left in regulation.

Kaiser advanced to the Rough Riders' 33 with under 30 seconds remaining, but Johnson Delos-Santos made an interception at about the 5-yard line to help send the game into OT.

After the Cougars' 55-yard field goal attempt fell way short, Roosevelt had a chance to win it when Menashe lined up for a 21-yard attempt. But Lopeti Fonokalafi broke through the line and blocked it.

Kaiser then lined up for its own 21-yard field goal attempt in the second overtime, but the snap was low and skipped past holder Kaipo Oelmilda-Scholtz, who scrambled before throwing an incomplete pass to the end zone.

The Rough Riders finally ended it on Lono-Holani's winning throw to Koki on third-and-goal from the 15, after Lono-Holani scrambled to his right under a heavy rush.

"I was just looking for whoever was open," said Lono-Holani, when asked if the play was designed for tight end Koki.

Lono-Holani, a senior two-year starter, said the victory was bittersweet.

"It's very emotional," he said. "We thought we had to win, especially for the seniors, because it's our last game, the last time we'll play together. It feels good ... but it has its down side, too."