For the third time in the state championship era and second time in as many years, the Division II state final will take place between two teams not on Oahu.
BIIF champion Konawaena and MIL champion Lahainaluna will clash with the Lunas looking to become just the third team to repeat as state champions, joining ‘Iolani and Kahuku.
VIDEO: Konawaena coach Brad Uemoto
GAMEDAY: Konawaena vs. Lahainaluna
A live blog of the game will follow below.
Lahainaluna 75, Konawaena 69, 7OT
at Aloha Stadium
Konawaena (9-2) 0 6 7 18 7 7 7 7 7 3 0 — 69
Lahainaluna (10-1) 7 14 7 3 7 7 7 7 7 3 6 — 75
Lah—William Kai Bookland 66 pass from Nainoa Irish (Pablo Rico kick)
Lah—Bookland 31 pass from Irish (Rico kick)
Kona—Austin Ewing 8 run (kick blocked)
Lah—Koa Evalu-Robinson 7 fumble return (Pico kick)
Kona—Chauncey Mariani-Louis 5 pass from Ewing (Harry Hill kick)
Lah—Joshua Tihada 7 run (Rico kick)
Kona—Mariani-Louis 1 run (Hill kick)
Kona—FG Hill 25
Lah—FG Rico 43
Kona—Mariani-Louis 3 run (Hunter Wehrsig pass from Ewing)
Kona—Wehrsig 12 pass from Ewing (Hill kick)
Lah—Tihada 1 run (Rico kick)
Lah—Tihada 1 run (Rico kick)
Kona—Mariani-Louis 6 run (Hill kick)
Kona—Tyler Libarios 10 pass from Ewing (Hill kick)
Lah—Tihada 7 run (Rico kick)
Lah—Elijah Ragudo 2 run (Rico kick)
Kona—Ewing 7 run (Hill kick)
Kona—Mariani-Louis 2 run (Hill kick)
Lah—Bookland 20 pass from Irish (Rico kick)
Lah—FG Rico 27
Kona—FG Hill 32
Lah—Tihada 4 run
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (7OT): Tihada with a 5-yard run. Tihada picks up 5 more and it’s first-and-goal from the 10. Tihada pushes the pile to the 4. Joshua Tihada with a 4-yard TD run and Lahainaluna has defeated Konawaena, 75-69, in SEVEN overtimes.
KONAWAENA DRIVE (7OT): Mariani-Louis converts a third-and-1. Kona takes a timeout and Ewing fumbles on a QB sneak from the 1. Kamalei Watson recovers for Lahainaluna.
KONAWAENA DRIVE (6OT): Derek Perez with a great jump on a pass to the end zone to break up the winning TD for Kona. Third-and-11. Screen to Mariani-Louis for 10 yards to the 11. Fourth-and-1. Kona will go for it. No. Timeout. Wildcats will go for it. Play-action and Ewing with a ball over the defense and Libarios catches it off the shoestrings. HOLY SMOKES> First-and-goal. Ewing tackles for a loss and now Mariani-Louis tackled for a loss. Ball at the 15. Middle screen goes for a yard. Kona will have to try a field goal. Harry Hill‘s 32-yard field goal is…..GOOOOOOOD. Konawaena 69, Lahainaluna 69, 7OT.
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (6OT): Lunas digging deep, Double reverse pass on second-and-11 is good for 15 yards. Tihada stopped for a loss of 3 on first-and-goal from the 6. Ragudo runs for 4 yards to the 5. Third-and-goal. False start on the Lunas. Third-and-goal from the 10. Irish stopped by Banagan-Brock for a loss of 1. Lunas will kick it and a line-drive kick JUST goes over the crossbar. Pablo Rico 27-yard FG is good. 69-66.
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (5OT): Lunas draw up a pass on the first play and it’s a 20-yard TD from Irish to Bookland. Third passing TD hookup between the two. 66-66. We go to a SIXTH overtime.
KONAWAENA DRIVE (5OT): Mariani-Louis with a 17-yard run to the 3. Everybody looks completely gassed. Mariani-Louis 2-yard TD run. Fifth TD for him. PAT good.
KONAWAENA DRIVE (4OT): Ball is tipped into the air. THREE Lunas have a chance at it. INCOMPLETE. All three get a finger on it but nobody can bring it in. Third-and-13. Pass is wide of the receiver. Fourth down. Here we go. Could be the last play of the game. Kona calls timeout. This game kicked off 3 hours, 37 minutes ago. EWING SCAMBLES. FOURTH-AND-13. PASS TO WEHRSIG RIGHT AT THE 10. FIRST DOWN. He was tackled right at the 10. So close. Ewing 7-yard TD run. Lahainaluna calls timeout before the PAT. Hill’s PAT is….GOOD. 59-59, 5OT.
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (4OT): Ragudo 7 run. Irish keeps for 2 yards. Third-and-1. Ragudo off the left side picks up 3 yards to the 8. Tihada on the sweep play down to the 2. Ragudo 2-yard TD run. Rico kick good. 59-52
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (3OT): Ragudo runs for 13 yards to the 7. Tihada 7-yard TD run. PAT is good.
KONAWAENA DRIVE (3OT): Mariani-Louis pounds his way for 10 yards to the 10. First-and-goal. Lunas with two big stops and it’s third-and-goal from the 10. Ewing rolls out to his right and finds Libarios for a 10-yard TD. Hill’s PAT is good.
KONAWAENA DRIVE (2OT): Mariani-Louis runs for 6. Mariani-Louis for 8 to the 6. First-and-goal. Mariani-Louis 6-yard TD run. Timeout Kona. Will the Wildcats go for it? Hill on the field to kick. KICK IS GOOD. We go to a third overtime.
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (2OT): After much deliberation, Lunas will start drive on the 10 after taking the penalty from the PAT. Ragudo for 8 yards and is thrown out of bounds at the 2. Tihada stopped at the 1. Tihada 1-yard TD run. Third TD run of the game for Tihada.
LAHAINALUNA DRIVE (OT): Galoia drops back to pass but he nearly loses the ball as he goes to throw it. Muti with the hit but Galoia SOMEHOW holds on to the ball. Now a false start on Lahaina. Another false start on the Lunas. Hafoka back in the game and they go deep to him but it’s overthrown a tad. Incomplete. Third-and-28 and Tihada goes up AND MAKES AN INCREDIBLE CATCH FROM IRISH. 32 YARDS to the 6. FIRST DOWN. Galoia runs to the 3. Third-and-goal after an incomplete pass. Handoff to Ragudo who DIVES for the end zone. He hits the pylon? NO. He is stopped an inch short. Fourth-and-goal at the 1-inch line. Lunas call timeout. Tihada with a 1-yard TD run. Lunas miss the kick but offsides on Kona. Now do you go for 2? Nope. Rico PAT is good. Lunas decline the penalty on Kona. We go to OT No. 2
KONA DRIVE (OT): Mariani-Louis off the right side for 8 yards to the 12. Austin Ewing with a 12-yard TD pass to Hunter Wehrsig on the second play of OT for the Kona TD. Hill’s PAT is good.
Wildcats will start on offense. This is college rules for OT. Ball will be placed on the 20.
This is the first OT game in a state final and second in state tournament history. Castle and McKinley played a 3-OT game in 2002.
(:45) Lunas ball on the 20. Banagan-Brock with a sack as Konawaena brought seven on the blitz. Lunas gonna let this run down. Overtime.
Tying 2-pointer 31-31. pic.twitter.com/TprSxujxNU
— Hawaii Prep World (@HawaiiPrepWorld) November 19, 2017
Here’s the fourth-and-6 conversion:
Fourth and six, down 31-23, season on the line. Konawaena's Austin Ewing in the clutch pic.twitter.com/doy5DKA2x6
— Christian Shimabuku (@c_shimabuku) November 19, 2017
(3:34) Ball on the 20 for Kona with a state title on the line. Wildcats need a TD and a two-point conversion to force OT. Ewing with a pass to Libarios, a tipped pass that is complete to Mariani-Louis and then 12 yards to Libarios to move the chains. Double move and Ewing hits Libarios for 22 yards to the 31. Clock hits 2 minutes. Ewing with a throw off his back foot into double coverage and it’s batted down. He’s lucky that wasn’t picked. Third-and-8 from the 29. Kona has to call timeout as the pass goes for 7 yards. Fourth-and-1 at the 22. 1:28 on the clock. Run to Mariani-Louis goes for 10 yards to the 12 but a flag goes up as soon as the ball is snapped. Illegal formation. Kona coach Brad Uemoto is halfway on the field upset at the call. Lahaina calls a timeout as it’s fourth-and-6. Ewing has to scramble. He throws one up and Cacal comes down with it at the 6. What a play to save the game for now. First-and-goal at the 6. Mariani-Louis to the 3. Mariani-Louis with a 3-yard TD run with 45 seconds to go. Wildcats MUST go for 2. Ewing drops back, throw is to Hunter Wehrsig, who knocks it into the air and he then catches it! HOLY SMOKES. Kona has tied this game with 45 seconds to go.
Lahainaluna goes to the air on its first play and Irish hits Ragudo for 36 yards into Kona territory. Third-and-7 at the 22 with 4 minutes on the clock. Irish is sacked by Amor and Kolu Alani. Hill might have got there first. Timeout Kona with 3:39 on the clock. Ball is on the 26. Lahainaluna’s Pablo Rico calmly drills a 42-yard field goal with PLENTY of room to spare. Lahainaluna 31, Konawaena 23, 3:34, Q4.
(8:13) Kona ball on the Lahainaluna 47. Fourth-and-5 at the 42. Kona is going to line up to go for it. Lunas move early. It’s not going to be enough to move the chains though. Fourth-and-inches. NO. They give them the first down. Mariani-Louis now over 100 yards rushing. Mariani-Louis gets 3 on third-and-2 and the chains move. Nope. They will measure first. Ball on the 27. Clock is under 7 minutes. First down. Jeriah Cacal gets his first catch in a big spot. 13 yards over the middle to the 14. Mariani-Louis to the 9. Third-and-5. Incomplete as Ewing throws into traffic. Decision time. Kona elects to go for a 25-yard field goal by Hill. Kick is good. 28-23, 6:14, Q4.
(10:46) Even after a penalty, Hill still kicks for a touchback. Lunas start on their 20. Critical third-and-5 and Pihda is dropped for a loss by Santiago and Amor. Lunas have to punt from their 22. Short punt and Kona will start in Lunas territory.
(0:15) Wildcats ball on their 20. Quarter ends with Basa on the receiving end of a 10-yard pass from Ewing to move the chains. Ewing takes a late hit for 15 yards and then a nice pass up the sideline to Libarios for 15 yards inside the Lunas’ 40. Mariani-Louis with an 11-yard run and then he gets his late. First-and-10 at the 12. Lunas call timeout. Third-and-goal and Ewing tries to stretch for the goal line as he hits the 1. Dangerous play but he holds onto the ball. He’s short, but Mariani-Louis is in for a 1-yard TD run. 28-20, 10:46, Q4.
Siale Hafoka is out for Lahainaluna. “Took a shot to his back and heard a pop.” Questionable to return.
(2:04) Kona manages to hold the Lunas to 7 yards on three runs. Rico’s 27-yard field goal bounces off the right upright. No good.
(3:14) Kona ball on its 20. Ugly three-and-out filled with penalties results in Kona punting from its 16. Bad snap and all the punter can do is kick it out at the 17. A 1-yard punt.
(8:18) Lunas start from their 20. Taai Galoia with a 28-yard pass to Tihada after a hold made it first-and-20. Lunas don’t throw it much but getting huge gains when they do. Just when you think you’ve seen all the running variations Lahainaluna has, it breaks off a new one. Ragudo makes it happen with an 18-yard carry to the 32. Siale Hafoka getting in on the action with a carry on a double reverse. Galoia runs over tackles with a 9-yard carry to the 5. Joshua Tihada with a 7-yard TD run and Lahainaluna with a big answer. 28-13, 3:14.
(8:51) Ewing with the longest play of the game for the Kona offense, a 23-yard pass to Mariani-Louis. Ewing then scrambles for 13 yards to the 5. Sudden change and Kona has something going. Ewing to Mariani-Louis for a 5-yard TD. Kona gets the early score in the second half it needed. 21-13 after PAT is good. 8:20, Q3.
(9:58) Lunas ball on their 48. Kona catches a break as a low snap is fumbled and Kala’i Santiago picks it up for the Wildcats at the Lunas’ 41.
(12:00) Wildcats start on their 20. Kona runs it well five straight plays but then on third-and-1, Ewing is thrown down for a loss by Evalu-Robinson. Fourth-down pass incomplete and it’s a turnover on downs.
Wildcats will receive to start second half.
HALFTIME BOX SCORE
at Aloha Stadium
Konawaena (9-2) 0 6
Lahainaluna (10-1) 7 14
Lah—William Kai Bookland 66 pass from Nainoa Irish (Pablo Rico kick)
Lah—Bookland 31 pass from Irish (Rico kick)
Kona—Austin Ewing 8 run (kick blocked)
Lah—Koa Evalu-Robinson 7 fumble return (Pico kick)
RUSHING—Konawaena: Chauncey Mariani-Louis 14-63, Ewing 13-34, team 1-(minus 1). Lahainaluna: Joshua Tihada 10-41, Elijah Ragudo 5-9, Irish 6-13, Aliksa Pihda 2-3, Taai Galoia 1-1.
PASSING—Konawaena: Ewing 9-18–0-59. Lahainaluna: Irish 3-3–0-100, Etuati Storer 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Konawaena: Tyler Libarios 3-26, Mariani-Louis 3-13, Marc Basa 2-16, Herman Kihe 1-4. Lahainaluna: Bookland 2-97, Ragudo 1-3
(0:48) Wildcats on their 24. Ewing completes a pass for 7 yards but great job by Lahaina to come up and make the tackle in bounds. Ewing takes off on a scramble and is hit after crossing midfield and fumbles. Lunas recover but then fumble it back to the Wildcats with 2 ticks on the clock. Kona ball on a new drive. Laakea Shim had the forced fumble. Kona takes a knee.
(2:49) Lahainaluna ball on its 48. Lunas with two nice runs to the 34 but clock is under 1:30. Holding call backs up Lahainaluna. Kona’s Alex Muti and Michael Banangan-Brock team up on a sack of Irish with 1:06 to go. Second-and-34. Incomplete pass on the screen. Little surprised Lunas trying to air it out here up 15 before the half. Still 1:01 remaining. Seau Amor with a TFL and Kona uses its final timeout to force the punt with 55 seconds on the clock.
(4:04) Wildcats start on their 20. Kona goes three-and-out.
(5:17) Wildcats ball on their 23. Wildcats stopped short on third down but Lunas jump as Kona lines up quick in its hurry-up offense and Lahaina gives up a cheap first down. Elijah Oliveira-Kalalau is having a monster game as he gets the sack and forced fumble on Ewing and Koa Evalu-Robinson picks it up for a 7-yard fumble return for a TD. 21-6 Lunas, 4:04.
(7:37) Cacoulidis with a TFL for Kona. Third-and-4 and Ragudo is stopped a yard short by two Kona defenders out near the sideline. Lunas line up to punt.
(11:18) Wildcats on their 20. Ewing scrambles for 6 yards on third-and-2 to get a first down. Ewing just 2-for-7 for 13 yards so far passing. Fourth-and-5 at the Lunas 35. Ewing hits Tyler Libarios for 12 yards to the 23. Derek Perez looks like he has a diving INT for Lahainaluna but they say the ball hit the ground. Lunas call timeout with Kona facing third-and-13 at the 26. Fourth-and-8 and Kona goes for it. Pass over the middle is low but a flag comes out. PI on the defense. Kona first-and-goal at the 11. Austin Ewing with an 8-yard TD run and Kona cashes in on the penalty. PAT is blocked. 14-6, 7:37.
(12:00) Lahainalauna will start on the Wildcats’ 34. After a short pass, the same play as the first TD strikes again. Irish to Bookland for a 31-yard TD. 14-0 Lunas.
FIRST QUARTER STATS
at Aloha Stadium
Konawaena (9-2) 0
Lahainaluna (10-1) 7
Lah—William Kai Bookland 66 pass from Nainoa Irish (Pablo Rico kick)
RUSHING—Konawaena: Chauncey Mariani-Louis 5-31, Austin Ewing 8-37. Lahainaluna: Joshua Tihada 6-35, Elijah Ragudo 4-7, Irish 3-7, Aliksa Pihda 1-6, Taai Galoia 1-1.
PASSING—Konawaena: Ewing 1-5-0-9. Lahainaluna: Irish 1-1-0-66.
RECEIVING—Konawaena: Marc Basa 1-9. Lahainaluna: Bookland 1-66.
(0:39) Wildcats start on their 20. Final play of first quarter and Ewing fumbles. Mystic Kauhaahaa on the recovery. Elijah Moritz with the forced fumble.
(4:15) Lunas will start on their 43. Third-and-4 after two runs. Tihada stumbles forward for a first down. Lunas try a 42-yard field goal by Pablo Rico and it’s wide left.
(5:20) Wildcats start on their 43. Quickly third-and-11 and Ewing is sacked by Elijah Oliveira-Kalalau. Punt, but not before a snap infraction. Kona racking up a penalty a minute here.
(8:39). Lunas start on their 29. Lunas move early. Five penalties already on the Wildcats. Third-and-3 after a Paka Cacoulidis TFL. RB Joshua Tihada breaks off a 21-yard run. Fourth-and-4 at the 37 and Lunas go for it. Lahainaluna tries to go quick but LB Michael Banagan-Brock comes flying in and makes the tackle for loss.
(10:49) Kona with a holding penalty on its first offensive snap. Wildcats pick up the first down anyway as QB Austin Ewing runs for 9, Chauncey Mariani-Louis runs a backwards pass for 10 yards and Ewing keeps for 4 yards. Kona has 65 rushing yards on its first seven attempts but three holding penalties have slowed this drive. Kona timeout third-and-12 at Lunas 35. 9:16. Draw play to Mariani-Louis for 11 yards. Fourth-and-1 and Kona moves early. Wildcats go for it. Ewing has to scramble to his right and the throw is high. Turnover on downs.
Nainoa Irish starts at QB. First carry is 3 yards for Elijah Ragudo. Third play of the game and it’s a deep ball from Irish to William Kai Bookland for a 66-yard TD. 7-0 Lunas.
Kona wins the toss and will defer. Lunas get the ball first.
TEAM CAPTAINS>
Konawaena: Austin Ewing, Kolu Alani, Paka Cacoulidis, Seau Amor
Lahainaluna: Bailey Honda, Elijah Ragudo, Laakea Shim, Dalton Lins
Let’s see some good tackling out there today giving up alot of yards (NO LEG’S NO PLAY!!!:) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLldjE6vvFs
Go Lunas
is this the JV state championship game? Our culture of having multiple divisions and state championships so that everybody gets a participation trophy is what’s making this country and hawaii high school football weak. Lucky for us, Kahuku doesn’t have this problem. RRFL!
Great game. All tied up at 31. The psycho multi personality lurking. This fool acts like a RRFL but is an ILH baby.
Coach C = Education First. Go peddle your Kahuku hate somewhere else, hater. RRFL!
It is overtime wih Lahainaluna vs. Konawaena tight now. 11/28/2017.
God bless these two teams.
High school, college, NFL. I no care.
This Konawaena vs. Lahainaluna game is TRUE football!
That would be 11/18/2017.
4th and goal for Lahainaluna.
Get ready for 2nd overtime for Konawaena vs. Lahainaluna, folks.
Uh. What’s the last game tonight? 😏
Overtime # 3, Konawaena vs. Lahainaluna.
Saints vs. Red Raiders simply needs to be great to follow this N.I. match-up. No make shame, “main game.” 🙄
52-45 right now. Yes. 3rd OT
Uh.
4th overtime now. Konawaena vs. Lahainaluna.
This just in from Time Travel news: St. Louis/Kahuku game was NOT as good as Lahainaluna vs. Konawaena.
Apparently, no two point rule for high scho overtime in Hawaii.
OT
5
😳
# 6. Not joking.
66-66.
This has GOT to be mentioned by ESPN.
I need to order more food. And drink.
Garuntee Kahuku vs St. Louis rescheduled to next Friday. Ain’t no way the State going let a high school football game start at 10pm… Who ever came up with the idea to have all 3 championship games on one day needs the be fired.
88, St. Louis vs. Kahuku will NOT be rescheduled for Friday. Stadium prep must be done for the UH vs. BYU game on 11/24.
Maybe another day during the week (yeah, good luck with Thankagiving on Thursday and all).
Overall, ain’t going be rescheduled. Too much freeze in the first place. The will play this game at 3am Sunday if they have to.
Looks like OT # 7 coming up, Konawaena vs. Lahainaluna.
D2 no defense.
Lunas win! 😊
Irraz right now. The best game will be so late and the kids will be tired to really give it there all.
Konawaena chocked as hell they at the 1 yard and then fumble it. They was about to win the State championship. Instead Lahainaluna won the State championship again congrats on them.
Finally. Lahainaluna 75-69. WTH. Will HHSAA take another look at how D2 teams are chosen. These two teams sand bagged. They should have been in D1 bracket.
Excuse me, Austin. Konawaena hardly “choked.”
Both teams played well. Played their hearts out.
One team has to lose in a championship game.
Try to remember that these are high school kids, O.K.? They play with more heart than some of these overpaid NFL (and in some cases, college players) athletes, who STILL get paid a pretty penny even if they “choke”!!!
Thanks for showing that fans like you are alive and well 🙄.
This game should be played on a Wednesday afternoon at 3pm at a school field. Totally messed up the schedule for the real games yesterday. Other then family members and maybe the schools, does anyone even care about this game?
RRFL