Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa got in Moanalua’s way.
The Kapolei senior defensive lineman helped the host Hurricanes shut down Moanalua in Friday’s 49-9 win in the OIA Division I quarterfinals. Tagovailoa-Amosa broke up four passes by Moanalua quarterback Alakai Yuen in the win that sent the Hurricanes to the semifinals against Farrington.
“He’s an awesome kid. He’s great,” Kapolei quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa said of his cousin. “The short throws, it’s kind of almost not there for the quarterback. He was a volleyball player sophomore year. I guess that’s where it comes from. It’s a blessing to have him on the D-line.”
Tagovailoa-Amosa also sacked Yuen, had a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry. He was part of the Hurricanes’ defensive unit that kept Yuen, who finished the regular season with more than 2,000 passing yards, in check. Yuen threw for 226 yards but completed just 23 of 50 attempts with one interception. He was sacked five times.
Kapolei’s Leonard Lee broke up two passes and Omar Mareko had seven tackles. Moanalua’s running game was held to minus-26 yards and Na Menehune fell to 0-4 when held to under two touchdowns this season.
“Our defense is a big help for us,” Tagovailoa said. “They held a high-powered offense like Moanalua to nine points today and that really helped us and motivated our offense to score on every drive.”
Lee picked off Yuen late in the second quarter and on the next play, Tagovailoa connected on a short 6-yard pass to Wyatt Perez for a touchdown.
In the third quarter, Dylan Naehu forced a fumble and Kukea Emmsley recovered the ball to give the Hurricanes possession. The Hurricanes later capitalized on the turnover when Tagovailoa found Jaymin Sarono in the end zone to extend Kapolei’s lead to 42-9 with 3:51 left in the third.
I don’t care how many haters hate on June Jones, the Man has always been magic to an offense and this year is no different at Kapolei. Kamehameha needs to HIRE him ASAP, their only chance to compete with STL & Punahou..
people shouldn’t be hating on june jones. It’s just that this state is filled with fair weather fans. JJ is one of the best, if not THE best coach in UH history. He’s definitely the most decorated and experienced coach in the state right now. It’s a blessing that he’s working with the kids in kapolei. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of them.