Leilehua 20, Kailua 14, FINAL
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Raynen Ho-Mook’s desperation pass gets batted down in the end zone. Leilehua escapes with the OT victory.
One snuffed run and two incomplete passes have Kailua facing 4th and 10 from the 20 …
Kailua lets Leilehua off the hook. A huge encroachment penalty on Kailua as Leilehua prepared to line up a 33-yard field goal keeps the drive alive, and Max Nichols finds Jayzon Ramos for a 9-yard TD. Kick fails, though. Kailua ball.
Leilehua ball first in OT from Kailua’s 20.
Neither Leilehua nor Kailua can do anything with it in the final 1:51. Raine Kupahu picks off Max Nichols’ heave on the final play of regulation, gets a good return attempt but is knocked out at about the Mules 25. We’re heading to OT.
TIE GAME. Raynen Ho-Mook fakes the handoff, rolls out to the left and tosses it to tight end John Sniffen for the clutch conversion.
Whoa! A scrambling Ho-Mook heaves it long and finds Kamryn Kahoonei with a perfect over-the-shoulder grab and 36-yard touchdown with 1:51 left. Surfriders call timeout to set up a 2-point conversion try.
Kailua is turned back, as Raynen Ho-Mook is picked off in the end zone by Chad Dilay on 4th and 7. Leilehua is pinned deep, but time is running out. They punt it and Kailua takes it at the Mules 40 with 2:44 to play.
Solomon Farley keeps Kailua in the game with a timely pick of Max Nichols at about the 30, and he returns it to the 14. But a 15-yard penalty pushes Kailua back to the 29.
Surfriders put themselves in position to respond, but a Ho-Mook pass to the end zone on 4th and 3 from the 20 sails long. Leilehua takes over on downs with 7:38 left.
Talk about a sudden change of momentum. Following Chow’s huge blocked extra point, Cody Akagi goes up the gut, breaks a couple tackles, and is GONE 74 yards for a huge touchdown. XP is good, 14-6 Mules late 3Q.
HUGE first down keeper pickup by QB Reynan Ho-Mook on 4th and 4, 28 yard gain to the Mules’ 7. Kailua’s fullback Lahaina Kane punches it in from a yard on the second attempt, BUT Leilehua’s Jaeden Chow bursts up the middle on the extra point attempt and SNUFFS it out. Kailua still trails, 7-6, with time expiring in the third.
Surfriders finally getting some traction running the ball with Samson Rasay. Can they keep it up?
Mules return the favor when Nichols is hurried on third and 14. Surfriders take over from their 26.
Three and out for Surfriders, again. Mules take over on their own 41.
Leilehua gets to midfield on its first possession to the second half, then punts into Surfrider territory. Unless Kailua figures out a way to move the ball, Mules will win win the long game with field position like this.
Third quarter underway. Leilehua ball at its 27.
For Leilehua’s Max Nichols at half: 88 yards, 1 TD on 8-for-20 passing.
Kailua is gonna have to do something to jump-start its offense coming out of the break. Surfriders have just one first down and 3 yards passing (33 yards on the ground).
Leilehua was in prime position to add to its lead, as a Max Nichols ball to Kalei Akagi advances it to the 2 for a first down. A false start erased a would-be TD pass to Akagi and two more Nichols incompletions set up a 25-yard field-goal attempt. One more false start and a bad snap later, the FG attempt is snuffed out and Kailua takes a knee to get into halftime down just a touchdown.
Kailua is just having all kinds of trouble moving the ball right now. It’s another three and out for the Surfriders, Mules take over from midfield looking to build their lead going into half.
Wow, Nichols with a throw under duress to 6-4 WR Jeremy Evans, who now has four of the Mules’ six grabs. This one goes for a 22-yard touchdown when Evans catches it with two Surfriders hanging on him, and he drags them the remaining 10 yards into the end zone. Very impressive play by the receiver. XP is good and it’s 7-0 Mules, 4:41 2Q.
Kailua gets its first natural first down, but that’s followed almost immediately by a pick thrown by Raynen Ho-Mook into the arms of Aaron Kenigton. Mules knocking.
Mules fake a 38-yard field goal, but Kalei Akagi’s pass is picked off by Kailua’s Kase Oshiro at the 14.
2Q: Leilehua turns it over on downs after a couple of incompletions from the Surfrider 36. Kailua, which has another false start, has to punt. Mules’ Dorian Furtado with a huge return to the Kailua 27.
First quarter ends right after Max Nichols makes a nice 16-yard connection with Jeremy Evans. That has Mules on the move as they change ends of the field to begin the 2Q in what’s still a scoreless game.
The defenses have settled in; no one’s picked up a first down in a while. Leilehua takes over on its 25.
Nice gang sack by the Surfriders’ D and Leilehua is pushed back to its own 39. Kailua takes over on its 43 near the end of the 1Q.
Kailua goes three and out, after a couple of runs by Samson Rasay get stuffed. Back to the Mules.
The Surfriders commit a rash of penalties to allow the Mules into nearly the red zone, but Leilehua returns the favor with the flags and backs itself out of scoring position, and punts.
Kailua has 4th and 2 from Leilehua’s 42, but a completion goes for a loss of 3 and Leilehua takes over on downs.
In a battle of teams looking to pick up a win in their first game of Division I league play, Leilehua opens up by kicking off to Kailua. The Surfriders begin with excellent field position, thanks to a return by Solomon Farley to the 35 plus a 15-yard late-hit penalty on Leilehua.
Kailua will start junior Raynen Ho-Mook at quarterback for the second straight week, after he and Cole Weber split duties in a Week 1 44-6 loss at Mililani.
Senior Max Nichols expected to get the nod again for Leilehua, which lost 35-16 at home to Farrington last week.
In the opening JV contest, Leilehua defeats Kailua 28-6. Looks like we’re about right on time for a 7:30 start, or slightly thereafter.
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For Leilehua’s roster, click here.
For Kailua’s roster, click here.
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