Kaimuki’s offense was like a dormant volcano that finally erupted.
Ieke Seei-Cleveland scored on a 2-yard run and Elijah Lemalu caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Soloman in the fourth quarter as the Bulldogs beat host Roosevelt 14-6 in an OIA Division II game Friday.
“As the game progresses, no matter where your team starts, you’re always hoping they can warm up and get better,” said Kaimuki coach David Tautofi. “We had too many turnovers at the beginning of the game and too many dropped passes and that plays into the rhythm of the offense.”
Seei-Cleveland’s scoring run with 8:47 remaining capped a six-play, 55-yard drive. Richard Burton‘s PAT kick put the Bulldogs ahead.
“We had to go back to our basics and pound it on the ground,” Tautofi said.
The Solomon-to-Lemalu scoring pass with 3:08 left completed a 12-play, 71-yard drive.
Kaimuki (3-0, 3-1) sealed the victory by sacking Roosevelt’s Shastyn Kekahuna on fourth down at the Bulldogs’ 27 with 1:05 left.
“They came up clutch at the end,” Seei-Cleveland said of his team’s defense. “I’m just thankful they stopped them at the end on fourth down when we needed it.”
The Bulldogs gained 126 of their 225 total yards in the fourth quarter. The Rough Riders finished with 244 yards of total offense.
“We should have put up two more touchdowns, but again, execution,” said Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala.
Kaimuki scored a total of 104 points in their first two league games.
“The defense, they played good,” Kahooilihala said. “Kaimuki, man, they put up points. Tonight I’m proud of our kids. They played balls to the wall.”
Kahooilihala added his defense wasn’t worn down in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t execute some of our stuff that we did this week as far as our schemes,” he said. “A big problem with some of our guys is miscommunication.”
Seei-Cleveland finished with 20 carries for 97 yards.
“It starts with the linemen in the trenches. I just follow the linemen and they make plays,” he said.
Kekahuna, the Roosevelt quarterback, scored on a 2-yard option keeper with 10:54 left before halftime. The conversion run failed. The scoring play was set up by a 37-yard pass from Kekahuna to Chris Molina-Kalamau to the 9.
Roosevelt (1-3, 1-3) had 159 yards of total offense before halftime, while Kaimuki gained 77 yards and lost a pair of fumbles.
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