The Kaimuki Bulldogs added a 56-7 victory over McKinley to their winning record on Friday night as senior running back Naomas Asuega-Fualaau pushed himself into the lead in Division II for rushing touchdowns.
Asuega-Fualaau rushed for 159 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs (7-2, 6-1 OIA D-II), who remain in a three-way tie for first place in OIA Division II with Kaiser and Roosevelt.
The Bulldogs used the momentum they gained in their victories over Roosevelt and Pearl City to power them through a confident win on the Tigers’ homecoming night.
Asuega-Fualaau scored the first touchdown of the night on a 12-yard run less than three minutes into the game and followed that up with a 2-yard scoring run halfway through the first quarter.
Asuega-Fualaau was quick to share the praise for his scoring performances with his offensive line, saying “the O-line has really assisted me in every game and they were great up front tonight.”
The Bulldogs closed the first quarter with sophomore QB Jayden Maiava carrying the ball 17 yards untouched to the house. Two minutes into the second quarter, Maiava connected with sophomore WR Sionepaongo Taufa on a 32-yard score, but McKinley immediately responded with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by senior RB Zion Williams.
Halfway through the second quarter, Asuega-Fualaau scored his third touchdown on a 2-yard run, securing his top spot with his 11th rushing TD in league games this season.
“I felt so good,” Asuega-Fualaau said. “I felt really good, especially with the O-line helping me, they did really well.”
Junior WR Koby Moananu added a 6-yard scoring catch on a Maiava pass and senior WR Kaulana Kaluna rushed 9 yards into the end zone to close the first half with Kaimuki ahead 49-7.
Neither team scored in an unusually quick third quarter, and Maiava kept the ball for 1 yard into the end zone in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Maiava finished 14-for-18 passing for 283 yards and three total touchdowns.
With one game left in the regular season, Asuega-Fualaau wants to keep the momentum going. The Bulldogs could likely be involved in a coin flip for the top seed in the OIA D-II playoffs.
“I just want to keep pushing through and keep scoring. Everyone on the team, my coaches, and my family motivate me to keep going,” he said.
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