The best of the four OIA Division I playoff games this weekend could be at Kaiser Stadium as the host Cougars (4-3) take on Moanalua (3-4).
Kaiser hasn’t won a Division I playoff game in the state championship era (since 1999) and has lost six in a row to Na Menehune dating back to 2004. Moanalua is coming off a strong effort against No. 2 Mililani, losing 46-28. The winner faces the Trojans next week in a quarterfinal game.
Kaiser, the defending Division II state champions, is 17-3 in its last 20 games.
Kickoff is set for 7:35 p.m.
Moanalua will receive.
FIRST QUARTER
Michael Feliciano gets the start at running back despite being banged up during the week. He goes for 5 yards on the pass from QB Kawika Keama-Jacobe on the first play but Keama=Jacobe is sacked on third down by Nick Lebeck and Moanalua punts.
Kaiser strikes in four plays. Cougars run a reverse pass and Cody Kim finds QB Kalawai’a Judd sneaking out for a 28-yard touchdown pass as Judd tightropes down the sideline. 7-0 Kaiser, 9:28, Q1.
Second straight three-and-out for Moanalua as Parker Higgins makes the tackle for loss on first down and Zeno Choi sacks Keama-Jacobe on second down.
McDaniel fumbles on the first play of the next drive but sophomore OL Vili Fissiahi makes the big recovery. McDaniel scampers for 21 yards then scores on an 8-yard TD run. 14-0 Kaiser.
Moanalua needs to make something happen and does as Keama-Jacobe finds Jason Sharsh for a 65-yard gain. Manase Palu gets Kaiser’s third sack but on third-and-16 from the 22, Keama-Jacobe scrambles and dives for the end zone to score on a 22-yard TD run. 14-7, 5:55, Q1.
McDaniel breaks off a 17-yard run as Kaiser takes over but Zorich Palimo’o gets a huge sack of Judd and Kaiser has to punt.
Keama-Jacobe making it happen with his legs, picking up a couple of first downs on third-down runs. Keama-Jacobe on the run and fires a perfect pass to Karson Cruz coming over the middle deep. Cruz outruns the defense for a touchdown. 66 yards. We’re tied 14-14.
Cougars answer in five quick pass. Judd with a 15-yard flare pass to Jordan Kannys and a 25-yarder to Destin Moss. After two McDaniel runs for 12 yards, Judd to Kannys over the middle for a 23-yard touchdown. Kaiser 21, Moanalua 14, 29.6, Q1.
Michael Feliciano with a 28-yard run and Moanalua is back driving. Lebeck with a huge tackle for loss on Keama-Jacobe on third-and-2. Fourth-and-5 and Moanalua goes for it. Keama-Jacobe trying to get away from tacklers, going backward, and Levi Richards comes up with the sack on fourth down. A 28-yard loss. Huge play for the Cougars defense, which has four sacks already.
Kaiser rolls as McDaniel runs it in from 29 yards out. 28-14, 10:09, Q2. 104 rushing yards already for McDaniel, who is closing in on 1,000 for the season.
Moanalua drives back down and Cruz has an apparent 29-yard touchdown catch on a jump ball but is called for offensive pass interference. Looked like a good call from here. Pass to Sharsh is good for 15 yards. Fourth-and-3 and they go for it. It’s incomplete and Kaiser takes over on its own 29.
Kaiser runs the ball on six of its next seven plays as Judd with a key third-down completion to Dylan Buck. Kaiser faces fourth-and-5 on the Moanalua 39 and lines up to punt but punter Nicolas Tom runs for 9 yards on the fake. A 30-yard TD pass from Judd to Destin Moss makes it 34-14, 4:00, Q2.
Na Menehune quickly gets to midfield but Choi with his second sack of the half and fifth for the Kaiser defense to make it third-and-long. Kaiser takes a timeout with 2:47 to save clock. Keama-Jacobe with a deep ball that’s another great throw but it’s off the fingertips of Sharsh and Moanalua will punt.
Big punt by Cruz of 57 yards that falls dead at the 3-yard line. Cougars ball with 2:27 remaining. Cougars get a first down but let the clock run. No hurry up. But they do try two passes. Judd misses McDaniel out of the backfield on a wheel route that could have gone 80 yards for a TD on a good throw. Instead Kaiser punts and it’s a bad one. Moanalua takes over on the Kaiser 32 with 26 seconds left.
After an incomplete pass, Keama-Jacobe runs for 16 yards to the 16. 13 seconds left. Keama-Jacobe to Sharsh for a 16-yard TD with 5 seconds remaining. 34-21.
Halftime box score
at Kaiser Stadium
Moanalua (3-4) 14 7
Kaiser (4-3) 21 13
Kais—Kalawai’a Judd 28 pass from Cody Kim (Matt Sai kick)
Kais—Jensen McDaniel 8 run (Sai kick)
Moan—Kawika Keama-Jacobe 22 run (Thomas Sheridan kick)
Moan—Karson Cruz 66 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Kais—Jordan Kannys 23 pass from Judd (Sai kick)
Kais—McDaniel 29 run (Sai kick)
Kais—Destin Moss 30 pass from Judd (kick failed)
Moan—Jason Sharsh 16 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Michael Feliciano 5-32, Rodson Kealohi 1-(-3), Keama-Jacobe 11-(-12). Kaiser: McDaniel 17-127, Nicolas Tom 1-9, Judd 3-7, Keith Jones II 1-0, team 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Moanalua: Keama-Jacobe 12-22–0-252. Kaiser: Judd 8-12-0-124, Kim 1-1-0-28.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Sharsh 6-143, Cruz 2-82, Kealohi 2-15, M. Feliciano 2-12. Kaiser: Moss 3-67, Kannys 3-41, Judd 1-28, Justin Ikei 1-8, Dylan Buck 1-8.
Third quarter kickoff set for 9:17 p.m.
Kaiser opens the second half with a 3-yard pass to Kannys followed by four straight runs by McDaniel, who is shaken up after a 5-yard run gives him 160 yards for the game. He is now the first running back this season over 1,000 yards. Third-and-9 and Judd goes deep to Nicolas Tom for a 25-yard touchdown. 2-point conversion is no good. 40-21, 9:40.
Moanalua with one first down on a completion to Isaiah Jackson but a couple of incompletions later and Na Menehune has to punt. They make it instead and Kyle Bender runs for 5 yards and a first down. Manase Palu stops the run for no gain and two more incomplete passes as Kim drops an interception for the Cougars. Now Moanalua punts.
One play and it’s McDaniel for 87 yards and a touchdown. Kaiser now leads 47-21. 247 rushing yards so far for McDaniel. The Kaiser single-game record is 264 by Isaac Saffery.
Keliionuuanu Colton with a big sack and Kim intercepts Keama-Jacobe on the next play.
Moanalua gets it right back as Kea Rodriguez picks off Judd on third down.
Kaiser forces a three-and-out as Moanalua has a big drop on third down that would have gone for a big gain. Moanalua punts and Kaiser takes over at midfield.
Keith Jones II bursts for a 40-yard run as McDaniel is on the sideline. His night might be over. Jones II has to come out for a play and Justin Ikei scores a 2-yard TD run to make it 54-21 with 1:02 left in the third.
Kaiser with its highest-scoring output of the season.
A 10-yard completion from Keama-Jacobe to Michael Feliciano but bad news for Kaiser as stud linebacker Parker Higgins is down on the play. Higgins is able to get up though and walk off under his own power. Hopefully it’s not too serious. Would be a big blow for Kaiser. Na Menehune is in the end zone as Keama-Jacobe scrambles for a 23-yard TD. Two-point pass to Sharsh is good and it’s 54-29 with 11:15 remaining.
Moanalua tries to go onsides kick but Kaiser recovers on its 48.
Kaiser drives down to the 1 but Judd fumbles and Moanalua recovers. Keama-Jacobe with a 25-yard run and then a huge 54-yard pass to Sharsh. Third down and Keama-Jacobe hits Michael Feliciano with a 20-yard touchdown pass. It’s now 54-35 after the 2-point fails.
Kaiser gets the onsides kick at midfield but goes three-and-out as McDaniel is still out sitting on the Kaiser bench.
Moanalua ball first-and-10 on its 35 with 5 minutes left. Keama-Jacobe with a 10-yard run and it looks like Nicolas Tom is down on the field. Another key injury for Kaiser. Looks like we’re going to need an ambulance. Game is delayed 16 minutes as Tom is taken off. Prayers are with him and his family as we try to play out this final 4:20.
Moanalua with first-and-10 at midfield.
Manase Palu with the sixth Kaiser sack of the game. Fourth-and-21 from the 29 and Keama-Jacobe goes 26 yards over the middle to Sharsh for a first down.
Keama-Jacobe with his sixth touchdown of the game. 10 yards to Rodson Kealohi. It’s 54-41.
Kaiser gets the ball back and Ikei runs 54 yards. First-and-goal at the 3 and Kaiser tries an option pitch that Jones drops and Moanalua recovers on its 7.
Brandon Bender catches a TD pass with 22 seconds left. Kaiser 54, Moanalua 48.
Onside kick upcoming. Moanalua kicks it out of bounds and Kaiser has the ball with 14.7 seconds left. And that is the way it will end.
Kaiser 54, Moanalua 48
At Kaiser Stadium
Moanalua (3-5) 14 7 0 27 — 48
Kaiser (5-3) 21 13 20 0 — 54
Kais—Kalawai’a Judd 28 pass from Cody Kim (Matt Sai kick)
Kais—Jensen McDaniel 8 run (Sai kick)
Moan—Kawika Keama-Jacobe 22 run (Thomas Sheridan kick)
Moan—Karson Cruz 66 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Kais—Jordan Kannys 23 pass from Judd (Sai kick)
Kais—McDaniel 29 run (Sai kick)
Kais—Destin Moss 30 pass from Judd (kick failed)
Moan—Jason Sharsh 16 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
Kais—Nicolas Tom 25 pass from Judd (run failed)
Kais—McDaniel 87 run (Sai kick)
Kais—Justin Ikei 2 run (Sai kick)
Moan—Keama-Jacobe 23 run (Sharsh pass from Keama-Jacobe)
Moan—Michael Feliciano 20 pass from Keama-Jacobe (run failed)
Moan—Rodson Kealohi 10 pass from Keama-Jacobe (run failed)
Moan—Brandon Bender 2 pass from Keama-Jacobe (Sheridan kick)
RUSHING—Moanalua: Keama-Jacobe 22-63, M. Feliciano 6-27, Kyle Bender 1-5, Kealohi 2-(minus 3). Kaiser: McDaniel 22-247, Keith Jones II 13-62, Ikei 2-56, Judd 5-27, Nicolas Tom 1-9, Moss 1-1, Team 3-(minus 3).
PASSING—Moanalua: Keama-Jacobe 26-52–0-476. Kaiser: Judd 16-22-1-202, Kim 1-1-0-28.
RECEIVING—Moanalua: Sharsh 12-300, M. Feliciano 5-44, Steve Feliciano 3-27, Cruz 2-82, Kealohi 2-15, Isaiah Jackson 1-6, B. Bender 1-2. Kaiser: Moss 7-105, Kannys 4-44, Judd 1-28, Tom 1-25, Justin Ikei 1-8, Dylan Buck 1-8, Isaiah Pongasi-Adric 1-8, Jones II 1-4.
Moanalua WR Jason Sharsh became the fifth player since 1973 with at least 300 receiving yards in a game. QB Kawika Keama-Jacobe had the sixth-best passing total in state history with 476 yards.
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