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With Kalaheo's Jesse Carney - the state's leading rusher - hampered by strep throat and a swarming Kaua'i High School defense, Red Raiders senior running back Darren Acoba stole the show at Vidinha Stadium in Lihue last Saturday evening.

Acoba gained 153 yards on 14 carries and scored two second-half touchdowns to help Kaua'i rally past the Mustangs, 17-13, in the first round of the First Hawaiian Bank/Hawai'i High School Athletic Association Division II Football State Championships. The Red Raiders improved to 8-1 and advanced to this Saturday's 2:30 p.m. semifinal against No. 1 seed and three-time defending champion 'Iolani (7-3) at Eddie Hamada Field.

After Shea Shimabukuro's 23-yard field goal two seconds before halftime cut Kalaheo's lead to 7-3, Kaua'i's Jake Leake returned the second-half kickoff 53 yards to the Mustangs' 34. Two plays later, Acoba took a handoff and found a seam through the right side of the line and scampered 30 yards to the end zone.

Shimabukuro's extra point put the Red Raiders ahead, 10-7, but Kalaheo took the lead back on Justin Pagan's 11-yard TD pass to Nainoa Frank with 1:50 remaining in the third quarter. The PAT attempt failed, leaving the score at 13-10.

It didn't last long, as Acoba struck again four plays after the ensuing kickoff on a 29-yard scoring run down the left sideline, shaking off a couple tacklers along the way.

Shimabukuro's extra point made it 17-13, and Kaua'i held on in the fourth quarter for the victory.


BIRDS SAFE

Two Newell Shearwater birds were spotted by Kaua'i County and school officials flying near Vidinha Stadium in the second half, but neither bird fell to the ground and no other birds were spotted until the lights were turned off at around 7:30 p.m.

The Shearwaters are considered an endangered species because fledglings have been known in past years to mistake stadium lights for the moon and get disoriented while trying to fly toward the ocean.

With the threat of heavy fines if more birds die after crashing to the ground in or near Vidinha, all games since late September had been scheduled for 2 p.m.

A special court waiver was needed to allow Saturday's game to kick off at 4:30 p.m., and the lights were turned on for the second half.�