GAME NIGHT 10/28: Kahuku/Farrington

It’s title night in the OIA at Aloha Stadium with the Division I and Division II OIA championship games taking place.

No. 1 Kahuku (9-1) and No. 4 Farrington (8-2) meet for the fourth time in the OIA championship game. The Red Raiders have won the previous three meetings and are looking for their 25th OIA crown. Farrington won its only OIA championship in 1990.

No. 1 Kahuku 44, No. 4 Farrington 8

Game is called at 11:15 p.m. with 5:07 remaining on the game clock after injury to Farrington WR Mosi Afe.

Farrington coach Randall Okimoto after the game: “We threw an interception and one of the players did a blindside block on Mosi (Afe). Those blindside blocks, that’s why they put the rule in. Those are dangerous, but I think he’ll be ok. He was moving and he was talking so that’s two good signs already.”

at Aloha Stadium
Farrington (8-3) 6 2 0 — 8
Kahuku (10-1) 17 14 6 7 — 44
Kah—Sol-Jay Maiava 11 run (Stokes Nihipali-Botelho kick)
Kah—FG Nihipali-Botelho 35
Far—Challen Faamatau 9 run (kick failed)
Kah—Maiava 65 run (Nihipali-Botelho kick)
Kah—Pua Falemalu 8 pass from Maiava (Nihipali-Botelho kick)
Kah—Royce Pao 52 pass from Maiava (Sekope Latu kick)
Far—Safety, punt snapped out of end zone
Kah—Kekaula Kaniho 40 interception return (kick failed)
Kah—Elvis Vakapuna 5 run (Latu kick)

RUSHING—Farrington: Faamatau 17-52, Blessing Umaga 2-11, Bishop Rapoza 4-(minus 12), Justin Uahinui 4-(minus 13). Kahuku: Vakapuna 16-158, Maiava 6-79, Harmon Brown 16-55, Steven Lombard 4-15, Jean Paul Kefu 1-2, team 1-(minus 18).
PASSING—Farrington: Uahinui 5-14-1-82, Rapoza 8-21–1-49. Kahuku: Maiava 6-10–0-128, Kesi Ah-Hoy 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Farrington: Kingston Moses-Sanchez 3-54, Umaga 3-38, Iosefo Ah Ching 3-15, Kingsley Moses-Sanchez 1-13, Mosi Afe 1-6, Faamatau 1-3, Tainano Gaulua 1-2. Kahuku: Pao 2-79, Falemalu 2-28, Latu 1-13, Vakapuna 1-8.

FOURTH QUARTER

DB Na’a Toara’a gets a pick for Kahuku. Long injury timeout for Farrington WR Mosi Afe. The game is called with 5:07 remaining as medical staff tends to Afe.

Cameron Renaud in at QB. Vakapuna’s first run of the second half is 23 yards to the 5. Vakapuna 5-yard TD run. 44-8.

Defensive pass interference wipes out a Kesi Ah-Hoy pick-six to start the fourth quarter. Kahuku recovers a Farrington fumble. LB Miki Ah You injured on the play for Kahuku.

THIRD QUARTER

Kahuku went play-action pass on third-and-1 but Faasisina Masalosalo with the sack for the Govs.

Second sack of the game for Samson Reed. Govs punt coming up with 3:31 left in third.

HE DOES IT AGAIN!. Reigning USA Today Top Star Kekaula Kaniho with a 40-yard INT return for TD. Fourth pick-six in last five games. 37-8, 6:17.

Maiava to Pao for 27 yards on third down. Nice throw. Gaulua with another TFL to set up third-and-10. Maiava runs for 7 and slides to make it fourth-and-3. Maiava sacked for a loss of 5 and Farrington takes over.

Govs will start on their 39. Govs punt after one first down. Quarterbacks are a combined 6-for-25. Umaga has trouble with the punt snap and tries to run it but gets only 12. Kahuku ball.

HALFTIME BOX
at Aloha Stadium
Farrington (8-2) 6 2
Kahuku (9-1) 17 14
Kah—Sol-Jay Maiava 11 run (Stokes Nihipali-Botelho kick)
Kah—FG Nihipali-Botelho 35
Far—Challen Faamatau 9 run (kick failed)
Kah—Maiava 65 run (Nihipali-Botelho kick)
Kah—Pua Falemalu 8 pass from Maiava (Nihipali-Botelho kick)
Kah—Royce Pao 52 pass from Maiava (Sekope Latu kick)
Far—Safety, punt snapped out of end zone

RUSHING—Farrington: Faamatau 8-29, Blessing Umaga 1-(minus 1), Justin Uahinui 2-(minus 5), Bishop Rapoza 3-(minus 11). Kahuku: Elvis Vakapuna 14-130, Maiava 3-82, Harmon Brown 12-52, Steven Lombard 1-5, Jean Paul Kefu 1-2, team 1-(minus 18).
PASSING—Farrington: Uahinui 2-9-0-48, Rapoza 3-13–0-26. Kahuku: Maiava 4-8-0-81, Kesi Ah-Hoy 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Farrington: Kingston Moses-Sanchez 1-35, Kingsley Moses-Sanchez 1-13, Umaga 1-13, Iosefo Ah Ching 1-10, Faamatau 1-3. Kahuku: Pao 1-52, Latu 1-13, Falemalu 1-8, Vakapuna 1-8.

SECOND QUARTER

Samson Reed sacks Uahinui for a loss of 6 after the Govs returned the kick to the 49.

Maiava with three straight incompletions. Bad punt snap rolls out of the back of the end zone for a Farrington safety.

First sack of the night for Aliki Vimahi. Uahinui with a big play in the passing game as he converts a third-and-16 with a 35-yard pass to Kingston Moses-Sanchez. Deep ball on third-and-10 to Faamatau and interference will be called on Kahuku. Rapoza hits Iosefo Ah Ching for 10 yards and a first down. Govs sneak Blessing Umaga out of the backfield for a 13-yard pass on third-and-10. Mosi Afe has a 10-yard TD catch slip out of his hands at the last second. Fourth-and-7 from the 10. Govs timeout with 47 seconds left in the half. Rapoza drops back to throw and the ball falls out of his hands. Kahuku ball anyway but Sioeli Naupoto credited with the fumble recovery for Kahuku.

Kahuku ball on its 36. Maiava to Royce Pao for a 52-yard TD. 31-6. Kahuku with 352 total yards.

OL Matekitonga Potauaine injured on a running play for the Govs. Farrington three-and-out. Kahuku runs into the kicker to take away a punt return TD.

Kahuku ball on the 20. Gaulua with a tackle for loss but then Brown picks up 10. Sekope Latu catches his first pass for 13 yards. Vakapuna picks up 20 yards to the 8. Maiava to Pua Falemalu for an 8-yard TD pass. 24-6, 6:57.

Farrington’s first completed pass is a 13-yarder from Uahinui to Kingsley Moses-Sanchez. Moses-Sanchez hurt on the play. He’s been favoring his shoulder from the first play. Drive stalls out and Farrington will punt as Kaniho nearly had a pick. He is on the hunt tonight.

FIRST QUARTER

Uncharacteristic first quarter in terms of penalties for Kahuku. BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER. SOL-JAY MAIAVA IS GONE. 65-yard TD run on first play of drive. 17-6 to end the quarter. Kahuku with 222 rushing yards at the 9-minute mark.

Farrington forces a Vakapuna fumble and Tainano Gaulua recovers on the 13. Not sure who forced it. Rapoza is picked off by Kaniho in the end zone but pass interference is called on Kahuku. Second-and-6 and Faamatau goes wildcat QB and he’s in. Faamatau 9-yard TD run. Second TD in last 31 quarters allowed by Kahuku.

Farrington on its 20. Faamatau runs for 12 to pick up Farrington’s first first down. Faamatau with 20 rushing yards on first three carries. A pass interference call on Kahuku moves the ball to the 49. That’s all as the Govs punt from midfield. Rapoza and Uahinui a combined 0-for-5 passing.

Kahuku starts on own 27. Vakapuna breaks off runs of 14 and 38 to the Farrington 21. Govs finally with a stop as Brown loses 2. Third-and-7 and Maiava keeps it, rolls to his right and overthrows a receiver. Stokes Nihipali-Botelho tries a 35-yard field goal and drills it. 10-0, 3:30.

Rapoza in at QB as the Govs start from their 20. RB Challen Faamatau gets his first touch and takes it 6 yards to set up third-and-4. Uahinui in and he throws up a nice deep ball that just is beyond the outstretched hands of the receiver. Three-and-out.

Kahuku begins on its 31. Harmon Brown in at RB for second drive and carries twice for 13 yards. Kahuku averaging 5.4 yards on its first six carries. Govs going to have to do better. That number will go up as Vakapuna runs for 10 and then 11 on consecutive carries. Kahuku pounds and pounds and then Maiava keeps for an 11-yard TD run. Great block by the receiver, Royce Pao. 7-0, 6:06. All runs on the drive. Kahuku 79 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

Govs start on their 25. Justin Uahinui starts at QB. First pass is low and incomplete. RB Blessing Umaga stopped for a loss of 1. Bishop Rapoza in at QB and he is flushed out of the pocket. Tries to throw it, looks like he lost it. Kahuku recovers but it’s called an incomplete pass. Three-and-out.

Kahuku will receive. Red Raiders start on own 32. First play is a trick play as they pitch it to Kesi Ah-Hoy who then throws deep but Farrington had it well covered. RB Elvis Vakapuna runs for 5 yards to set up third-and-5. Kahuku goes four wide but doesn’t get the play off. Delay of game. Same formation and QB Sol-Jay Maiava rolls out to his right. Pass is complete to Vakapuna for 8 yards. Kahuku goes three-and-out.

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TEAM CAPTAINS
Farrington: Iosefo Ah Ching, Challen Faamatau, Bishop Rapoza, Freedom Alualu
Kahuku: Aliki Vimahi, Kesi Ah-Hoy, Vili Fisiiahi, Kekaula Kaniho

The numbers put up by Kahuku’s defense are just silly this year. Six shutouts and one touchdown allowed in the last 30 quarters against Hawaii teams is just ridiculous. Farrington has the state’s leading rusher in senior Challen Faamtau (1,135 yards, 15 TD), but he’s going to need help against a defense that includes defensive back Kekaula Kaniho, who was voted USA Today’s Top star this week, and defensive lineman Aliki Vimahi, who picked up a scholarship offer from USC.

This is the 19th consecutive season Kahuku and Farrington have played at least once.

HISTORY: Kahuku leads the series 35-14 in the Prep Bowl and state championship eras and has won 19 of the last 21 meetings.