(Bruce Asato / Star-Advertiser)
McKinley earned itself a “home” playoff game with a 35-14 win over Kailua on Thursday night in the first game of an OIA doubleheader at Aloha Stadium.
Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta had a huge first half, rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown on six carries and throwing a touchdown pass as the Tigers built a 28-7 lead at the break.
OIA Red East standings
| Team | Conf. | Overall |
|---|---|---|
| Farrington | 6-0 | 9-4 |
| Kahuku | 5-1 | 6-5 |
| McKinley | 3-3 | 5-5 |
| Moanalua | 3-3 | 3-6 |
| Castle | 2-4 | 3-6 |
| Kailua | 2-4 | 2-7 |
| Kaimuki | 0-6 | 1-7 |
McKinley’s Gerime Bradley returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.
Bradley put the game away in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown run with 3:13 left to give the Tigers a 21-point lead.
With the win, McKinley finished 3-3 in league play, tying Moanalua for third place in the OIA Red East. The Tigers won the head-to-head matchup, meaning they will host the West No. 6 seed, likely at Roosevelt, in next week’s opening round of the OIA Red playoffs.
McKinley will play the loser of Friday night’s game between Leilehua and Waipahu.
Quarterback Noah Auld threw touchdown passes of 16 yards to tight end Christian Mejia and Koolauloa Gaspar for Kailua, which finishes 2-4 in league play.
The Surfriders will be the East’s No. 5 seed, meaning they will go on the road next weekend. Kailua will play at Kapolei, Campbell or Leilehua depending upon how Friday’s games turn out.
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