No. 8 Kailua has a chance to start the season 3-0 with a victory over Nanakuli.
NANAKULI GOLDEN HAWKS (1-2, 1-1 OIA Red)
Head coach: Kili Watson
2017 Golden Hawks roster
VS.
NO. 8 KAILUA SURFRIDERS (2-0, 1-0)
Head coach: Joseph Wong
2017 Surfriders roster
No. 8 Kailua 40, Nanakuli 14, FINAL
10:08 p.m.: One more pick for Kipi, his third, this time snared by Shane Kalawaia Jr. Kailua takes a knee and that’s it.
No. 8 Kailua 40, Nanakuli 14, 3:44 4Q
9:57 p.m.: It’s penalty central here at Alex Kane Stadium. Nanakuli moves the ball with the yellow flags against Kailua’s backups, and running back Po‘okela Pi‘ilani scores on a 7-yard rush. 2-point conversion fails. Nanakuli’s first score since their first drive.
9:49 p.m.: The Surfriders have their backups in and are in clock-draining mode.
No. 8 Kailua 40, Nanakuli 8, 9:22 4Q
9:42 p.m.: Poor Kipi is taking a beating as he hangs back in the pocket looking for openings. Two straight sacks, the latter by Justus Rogers-Makaniai, and he’s down for a safety.
9:36 p.m.: Kailua punts, and good sign for Nanakuli. Kipi is back out there.
9:30 p.m.: Third quarter ends with Kailua marching again. Chauncy Gonsalves-Bell just went over the 100-yard rushing mark.
9:22 p.m.: Kailua gives Nanakuli some life when a Golden Hawks punt bounces off the helmet of a Surfrider, back into the hands of a Hawk. Nanakuli’s drive just stalled out on fourth and long, but Nahum Kipi got leveled on a late hit, personal foul. Pretty blatant play by Kailua. Nanakuli with a fresh set of downs on the Kailua 12.
Correction, not a fresh set of downs. Clyde Enos comes in as backup QB and goes incomplete, ball back to Kailua.
No. 8 Kailua 38, Nanakuli 8, 4:47 3Q
9:13 p.m.: Lots of time left, but this might just about do it. Nanakuli fumbles on the kickoff return, Kailua recovers on the Golden Hawks’ 40, and the Surfriders need just two plays to score — a 10-yard keeper by Mejia. XP no good again, but a 30-point game. Things getting more chippy as Kailua has scored 32 unanswered.
No. 8 Kailua 32, Nanakuli 8, 5:10 3Q
9:09 p.m.: A time-consuming drive by Kailua results in a 20-yard scamper score by Cameron Dudoit-Kamai, and the Surfriders are on the cusp of closing this thing out. Play getting a bit chippy out there. XP no good.
8:58 p.m.: Nanakuli crosses midfield to open the third quarter but turns it over on downs at the Kailua 44.
8:47 p.m.: Nanakuli’s Nahum Kipi is actually the game’s passing leader at halftime, thanks to that 90-yard connection on the Golden Hawks’ first series. He’s got 107 at the break to Aaron Mejia’s 93. However, Mejia has two TD passes and no picks while Kipi has a TD and two picks. Mejia also has six rushes for 49 yards. Kailua’s Samson Rasay leads all rushers with 64 yards on eight attempts.
No. 8 Kailua 26, Nanakuli 8, HALF
8:35 p.m.: Mejia takes a couple of heaves deep from midfield but can’t find a man. Kailua’s happy to take a 18-point lead into the break, though.
8:28 p.m.: A couple first downs this time from the Golden Hawks, but they must punt it before they get out of their territory with about a minute left in the half. Kipi had Reno Curtis — the author of the 90-yard first-quarter touchdown — streaking to the posts past his man, but Curtis couldn’t hang on to this one.
No. 8 Kailua 26, Nanakuli 8, 3:35 2Q
8:23 p.m.: Coming out of the timeout, Kolo Hanawahine-Wong lines up at QB and takes the snap. He jets to his left and beats the D to the pylon for the 6-yard touchdown. The extra point is no good, however.
8:17 p.m.: It’s getting dicey for Nanakuli. Kipi has his second pass of the night picked, this time by Dakota Kadooka over the middle with a 14-yard return. Kailua is knocking again with 3:41 left in the half. It calls timeout from the Nanakuli 6 on third down.
No. 8 Kailua 20, Nanakuli 8, 6:20 2Q
8:12 p.m.: No messing around that time for Kailua. Mejia is patient in the pocket and slots the first-down ball over the middle to Gaege Kupahu for the 25-yard TD strike. Alika Teramoto puts the extra point through the uprights.
8:10 p.m.: Nanakuli can’t do anything with it and punts it right back. Bad punt though, outstanding position for Kailua at the Hawks’ 25.
8:08 p.m.: Well, that drive got derailed for the Surfriders after advacing to the Hawks’ 40. A holding call, plus a sack of Mejia by Charleston Mahoe forces Kailua to punt.
8:02 p.m.: Nanakuli goes three and out and Kailua nearly came up with another pick. As it is, they let the punt fall at the Surfriders’ 45. Kailua can seize the direction of the game here with a solid drive.
No. 8 Kailua 13, Nanakuli 8, 10:52 2Q
7:57 p.m.: PICK SIX ALERT. Kipi gets a little to casual with a pass toward the left sideline and Dylan Kurahashi-Choy Foo snares it and runs 30 yards untouched to the house. Extra point is good and Kailua is back on top.
7:52 p.m.: First quarter ends with Kailua backed up, facing a first and 28. They’ve advanced to the 40 with a nice throw on the run from Mejia to Wright, but there’s a lot of work to do for the first down. … Pass incomplete on third and 15 and Kailua must punt.
7:42 p.m.: Kipi fumbles and recovers on third down and punts it himself on fourth from midfield. He pins Kailua at its 7.
7:39 p.m.: Kailua goes three and out and the momentum has shifted totally behind the Leeward Coast visitors.
Nanakuli 8, No. 8 Kailua 6, 7:08 1Q
7:34 p.m.: What an answer by Nanakuli. The Golden Hawks get backed up to their 10 with a personal foul, then QB Nahum Kipi finds senior receiver Reno Curtis in stride and he is GONE 90 yards in an absolute hurry. Chayce Morgan tacks on a 2-point run for good measure. Kailua fans suddenly very quiet.
No. 8 Kailua 6, Nanakuli 0, 8:12 1Q
7:28 p.m.: The setback is only temporary for the Surfriders. After getting backed up to the 22, Mejia finds 6-foot-4 Tanner Wright on a crossing pattern and he bulls his way into the end zone for the score. Kailua’s 2-point attempt is a busted play that goes nowhere.
7:22 p.m.: Kailua hits the ground running and advances into Golden Hawk territory behind QB Aaron Mejia and RB Samson Rasay. Mejia just had a 37-yard keeper TD run negated by penalty, moves Kailua back to the 17.
7:17 p.m.: Nanakuli will kick off to Kailua to start the game … touchback.
6:42 p.m.: JV final — Kailua 44, Nanakuli 14
6:23 p.m.: The JV game got off to a delayed start because of traffic for Nanakuli traversing the island to the Windward side. Looking like varsity kickoff will take place after 7 p.m., possibly 7:15.
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NOTES: Nanakuli hasn’t beaten Kailua since 1986, a span of five straight games, and hasn’t won in Kailua since 1981. Kailua leads the series 8-4-1.
Kailua passing vs. Nanakuli: Kelroy Kohatsu with 155 in 2003
Kailua rushing vs. Nanakuli: Keone Brown with 288 in 1998
Kailua receiving vs. Nanakuli: Alex Halemanu with 103 in 1983.
Nanakuli passing vs. Kailua: Nainoa Banks with 157 last year.
Nanakuli rushing vs. Kailua: Chazz Troutmann with 203 in 2013.
Nanakuli receiving vs. Kailua: Chyson Morgan with 142 last year
Kailua hasnt had a 100-yard receiver since Koolau Gaspar in 2015, a span of 11 games. Kailua is looking to start a season 3-0 for the second time in three years. Before this, it hadn’t done so since 2002-03. Nanakuli quarterback Nahum Kipi is third on Oahu is passing yards despite completing only half his passes. Kailua’s Samson Rasay leads Oahu’s Division I teams with 281 rushing yards and teammate Cameron Dudoit-Kami is fourth.
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