Moanalua’s Kaneshiro on record pace

If there is a quarterback putting up big numbers under the radar this season, it’s Moanalua’s Micah Kaneshiro.

Last Saturday against Kaimuki, Kaneshiro quietly became the second Na Menehune quarterback in the past 40 years to put up a 400-yard passing game when he finished 29-for-48 for 417 yards and six touchdowns in a 40-13 victory.

According to the official stats sent to the Star-Advertiser on Wednesday, Kaneshiro joined Ric Fukushima, who holds the school record with 441 passing yards in a 61-0 win over Kalani on Oct. 26, 2001, as the only Moanalua quarterbacks to reach that 400-yard mark.

The 5-foot-7, 170-pound senior has posted four of the 10 best passing performances in Moanalua history this year for Na Menehune, who have won two of their last three games after starting the season 0-3.

Kaneshiro has thrown 17 touchdown passes in six games and is completing 54.8 percent (143-for-261) of his passes for 1,652 yards, trailing only Kalani’s Noah Brum in passing yardage this season.

Since he was held to 128 pass yards in the season opener against Mililani, Kaneshiro has thrown for at least 258 yards in the five games since.

His three main targets are seniors Donald Lambert (6-1, 180) and Chad Aragon (5-8, 145) and junior Jason Sharsh (5-9, 152), who have combined for over 100 catches.

Aragaon leads the group in receptions with 42 for 487 yards and six touchdowns. His 177 receiving yards against Kaimuki is the fifth-highest total in a game by a Moanalua player in the last 40 years.

Sharsh is tops among the trio with 590 receiving yards and has posted three 100-yard receiving games.

Lambert is tied with Aragon with six receiving touchdowns and has caught 33 balls for 316 yards.

At 2-2 in league play, Moanalua closes the regular season with home games against Farrington and Castle. In an OIA Red East conference that is considerably down from previous years, Moanalua has the passing attack to potentially make a run at a possible state berth come playoff time.