Pearl City has never won an OIA championship in football. Kaiser’s only OIA title was 34 years ago.
The two teams meet at 4:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium for the OIA White championship. We’ll have live in-game updates here.
First, here’s our preview on the game.
4:02 p.m.: Both teams are on the field getting ready. Pearl City last played here in the 2011 OIA White title game, losing 9-7 to Waipahu. Kaiser has opened its season here for the Father Bray Classic four times in the last eight years, most recently in 2010. Its last postseason game at Aloha Stadium was a 35-0 loss to Waianae in the 1996 OIA quarterfinals.
4:32 p.m.: Kaiser wins the toss and will receive.
4:36 p.m.: Pearl City’s band moves up to the blue section to avoid the rain. Kaiser’s band stays in the orange section to be closer to the field. Advantage: Cougars.
4:40 p.m.: Pearl City with the onside kick to start the game and Jake Bactista recoveres it for the Chargers.
4:41 p.m.: Pearl City opens with a double-reverse pass as Jordan Taamu hits Dominic Maneafiga for 17 yards to the Kaiser 31.
4:48 p.m.: Maneafiga with a nice 11-yard run on third-and-10 for a first down to the Kaiser 7. Blake Cooper runs to the 1 on first down but is drilled in the backfield by Kaiser’s Tommy Fisher for a 1-yard loss. Chargers call timeout before third-and-goal at the 2. Pitch to Cooper who runs through two tacklers for a 2-yard TD run. Extra point is blocked but Chargers take early lead.
4:52 p.m.: Pearl City tries the onside kick again and Nic Tom scoops it up for Kaiser and returns it 50 yards for a TD. Extra point is good. Cougars lead, 7-6.
4:56 p.m.: That’s THREE touchdowns in 30 seconds as Jordan Taamu finds Kierren McGhee for an 82-yard touchdown pass on the next play from scrimmage. Unbelievable. Taamu to Maneafiga for the 2-point conversion and Pearl City leads, 14-7.
4:59 p.m.: Pearl City goes for the onside kick again and Tom has to go high in the air to bring it down, but is hurt on the play.
5:07 p.m.: Kaiser marches right down the field as Thomas Buntenbah-Leong scores on a 24-yard TD run. Extra point is blocked as Pearl City remains in front, 14-13, with 5:55 left in Q1.
5:15 p.m.: Pearl City converts a third-and-19 as Taamu does a nice job scrambling and finding Cooper for 20 yards. Fitou Fisiiahi with two big tackles for loss though to help end the Pearl City drive.
5:18 p.m.: Kaiser opens its drive with an 11-yard pass from Karrattii to Destin Moss but Bryson Galdeira strips the ball free and Pearl City recovers on the Kaiser 37.
5:21 p.m.: Chargers get nothing as Keenan Arroyo bats away a fourth-and-10 pass from Taamu. Karratti to Justin Ikei for 9 yards before the first quarter ends with Pearl City up a point.
5:35 p.m.: Kaiser runs it down Pearl City’s throat on a 15-play, 73-yard drive that took up nearly 6 minutes. Fisiiahi with the 1-yard TD run and Buntenbah-Leong runs in the 2-point conversion to make it 21-14, Kaiser, with 6:36 left in the first half.
5:41 p.m.: Big 310-pound defensive tackle Manase Palu gets a tackle for loss on Justin Dupio as Kaiser forces a three-and-out.
5:51 p.m.: Kaiser with a fourth-and-4 at the Pearl City 19 with 2:04 left in the first half. Cougars call timeout to set up a play. Teams line up and now Pearl City calls a timeout on defense. Let’s try this again. Kaiser runs option and Buntenbah-Leong is stopped for no gain by Cooper. Great play.
5:53 p.m.: Dupio stopped for a 3-yard loss as Derek Costa blows by his guy on the line of scrimmage and makes a tackle for loss. Very impressive play. Kaiser uses its last two timeouts to try and get the ball back as Pearl City has third-and-12 from its own 17. Hard to imagine anything other than a running play here. Maneafiga runs for 2 yards and Pearl City punts. Kaiser ball on the PC 42 with 50 seconds remaining.
5:58 p.m.: Karratti’s first pass is intercepted by Cooper on the Pearl City 34. Taamu scrambles for 15 yards but is hit hard by Isaac Slade-Matautia, who has to come off after getting banged up on the play. Taamu with a 13-yard pass to Matt Dularte and tack on 15 for a roughing-the-passer penalty. Melvin Kahunanui drops an INT and Parker Higgins makes a great play to break up a pass as the time runs out. Referees put a second on the clock. Chargers run one last play and Kahunanui comes up with the interception.
Halftime box score
Kaiser 21, Pearl City 14
At Aloha Stadium
Pearl City (7-3) 14 0
Kaiser (9-1) 13 8
PC—Blake Cooper 2 run (kick blocked)
Kais—Nic Tom 50 kickoff return (Matt Sai kick)
PC—Kierren McGhee 82 pass from Jordan Taamu (Dominic Maneafiga pass from Jordan Taamu)
Kais—Thomas Buntenbah-Leong 24 run (kick blocked)
Kais—Fitou Fisiiahi 1 run (Buntenbah-Leong run)
RUSHING—Pearl City: Taamu 3-20, Dominic Maneafiga 3-19, Cooper 4-1, Kristian Vaana-Kikuyama 1-1, Justin Dupio 3-(minus 4), Travis Joe 1-(minus 4). Kaiser: Buntenbah-Leong 8-70, Fisiiahi 11-42, Kahoalii Karratti 3-13.
PASSING—Pearl City: Taamu 6-19-1-146. Kaiser: Karratti 7-9-1-61.
RECEIVING—Pearl City: Maneafiga 2-29, McGhee 1-82, Cooper 1-20, Matt Dularte 1-13, Timothy Rivera 1-2. Kaiser: Thomas Buntenbah-Leong 3-29, Destin Moss 2-20, Justin Ikei 1-9, Fisiiahi 1-3.
Second-half kickoff approximately 6:20 p.m.
6:38 p.m.: Pearl City is three-and-out on first drive. Kaiser goes for it on fourth-and-2 from the Pearl City 44 and is stopped less than a yard short. Chargers get a 31-yard pass from Taamu to McGhee and Maneafiga goes 27 yards on third-and-1 for a touchdown. Extra point is good and we’re tied, 21-21. Who saw this coming?
6:44 p.m.: Kaiser pounds away with four more runs before Karratti finds Buntenbah-Leong for 24 yards to the Chargers 19. Pearl City’s Bryson Galdeira is banged up on the play. Kaiser with first-and-10 from the 19 and Buntenbah-Leong beats everyone to the outside and scores on a 19-yard TD run. Extra point is blocked for the second time tonight, keeping it 27-21 Cougars, 3:15, Q3.
6:53 p.m.: Disaster for Pearl City. Canaan Saole comes on a blitz and strip sacks Taamu, recovering the fumble. Buntenbah-Leong in from 11 yards on the very next play for his third TD run in the game. Two-point conversion fails. Kaiser leads, 33-21, with 2:14, Q3.
7:00 p.m.: Pearl City facing a third-and-1 from the Kaiser 37 as the fourth quarter begins. Heavy downpour between quarters. Pitch to Cooper is good for 9 yards and a first down. Chargers face a fourth-and-4 at the Kaiser 22 with 10:36 remaining and call timeout. Killer false-start penalty out of the timeout moves Pearl City back 5 yards. Taamu incomplete throwing deep for McGhee and Kaiser takes out in control now.
7:08 p.m.: Seven-yard run by Buntenbah-Leong but a personal foul is whistled after the play on Kaiser. Refs mark it off 18 yards though, so double whammy on Kaiser. Karratti forced a dangerous pass on third-and-long that could have been picked. Cougars punt.
7:21 p.m.: Kaiser puts this to bed as Buntenbah-Leong has an amazing 66-yard run down to the 1. A block-in-the-back penalty was called but he was still credited with 40 yards. Fisiiahi with a 23-yard TD run and Bitanga runs in the fake kick for two points to make it 41-21, with 5:20 left.
Headed down to the field. Will update with final stats when I get back to the press box.
Kaiser 41, Pearl City 21
At Aloha Stadium
Pearl City (7-4) 14 0 7 0 — 21
Kaiser (10-1) 13 8 12 8 — 41
PC—Blake Cooper 2 run (kick blocked)
Kais—Nic Tom 50 kickoff return (Matt Sai kick)
PC—Kierren McGhee 82 pass from Jordan Taamu (Dominic Maneafiga pass from Jordan Taamu)
Kais—Thomas Buntenbah-Leong 24 run (kick blocked)
Kais—Fitou Fisiiahi 1 run (Buntenbah-Leong run)
PC—Maneafiga 27 run (Maneafiga kick)
Kais—Buntenbah-Leong 19 run (kick blocked)
Kais—Buntenbah-Leong 11 run (run failed)
Kais—Fisiiahi 23 run (Jeshua Bitanga run)
RUSHING—Pearl City: Maneafiga 8-45, Cooper 6-14, Taamu 8-6, Reno Abero 1-2, Kristian Vaana-Kikuyama 1-1, Michael-Gjon Keopuhiwa 1-(minus 3), Travis Joe 1-(minus 4), Justin Dupio 4-(minus 5). Kaiser: Buntenbah-Leong 14-154, Fisiiahi 17-80, Kahoalii Karratti 5-18, Melvin Kahunanui 1-4, Kahi Neves 1-3, Bitanga 1-1, team 1-(minus 2).
PASSING—Pearl City: Taamu 11-31-1-216. Kaiser: Karratti 10-15-1-97, Neves 2-2-0-9.
RECEIVING—Pearl City: Maneafiga 3-37, Matt Dularte 3-34, McGhee 2-113, Timothy Rivera 2-12, Cooper 1-20. Kaiser: Buntenbah-Leong 5-61, Destin Moss 2-20, Justin Ikei 2-13, Alex Le 1-12, Fisiiahi 1-3, Kelsey Lewis 1-(minus 3).
Cougars get the OIA’s seeded berth to states and are 10-1. Chargers finish 7-4 but are still moving on in states.
Right on, Kaiser!
From worst to first. Good luck Kaiser. Always liked Miano. Played at Kaiser and return to Kaiser. Played at UH and returned to UH. That’s what loyalty is all about. Not Norm coached at BYU. Should have stayed there.
Miano needs to help UH. Chow made a big mistake with Miano and his excellent walk-on program that we miss.