OIA RED WEST
Aiea holds its ground for win
The difference between jubilation and heartbreak came down to a precious few inches.
In the end, Aiea was able to defend just enough territory to preserve a dramatic 21-20 victory over No. 7 Campbell last night, stopping the Sabers on a 2-point conversion attempt with less than a minute remaining that left both sides emotionally spent.
"The first regular-season game, I don't know if I can take more of this," Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "Campbell is a real good team and this is going to be a tough season. Every week is going to be a dogfight like this."
In their Oahu Interscholastic Association Red West opener, Aiea and Campbell took turns leading in the fourth quarter, with Aiea managing a 21-14 advantage when Aldodius Colquitt took a screen pass and raced 69 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.
Campbell responded with a 13-play, 85-yard drive and closed to within a point when Jesse Lee scampered around the left side for a 5-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left.
The Sabers elected to go for 2 rather than the tie with quarterback Obadiah Mataio trying to punch it in on the left side. But the Aiea defense rallied to the ball and stopped Mataio just short of the goal line.
Aiea then recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the victory.
"We wanted the win," Campbell coach Tumoana Kenessey said of the decision to go for 2. "The kids battled hard to get back into it and I already told the coaches we were going for 2, and we weren't going to go for the tie. The kids worked too hard for this moment. They all wanted to go for it, we believed we could, we fell inches short."
Aiea quarterback Alfredo Higa completed 22 of 34 pass attempts for 318 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. His last throw -- on a 2-point conversion -- proved to be the difference in the game.
The Sabers took the lead on a 1-yard run by Lee, followed by Martin Kodama's PAT kick.
On the second play of Aiea's next possession, Higa hit Colquitt with a short pass on the left side. Colquitt, led by a wall of blockers, sprinted down the sideline for the 69-yard score. Higa then connected with Bryan Echalas on the 2-point conversion to give Aiea the 21-13 cushion with 6:51 left.
No. 10 Leilehua 37, Radford 19
Bryant Moniz threw three touchdown passes for the No. 10 Mules, who led wire-to-wire against the Rams.
Leilehua raced out to a 17-0 lead in the first half and never looked back. Martin Iosefo caught six passes for 46 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
OIA WHITE
Kaimuki 13, Kaiser 12
Kapono Kaiwi-Barrenuebo passed for 174 yards to help the Bulldogs edge the Cougars.
With the game tied at 6 going into the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs recovered a Cougar fumble at Kaiser's 20-yard line. With 5:00 to play, Kaiwi-Barrenuebo ran in a 1-yard score. After the successful extra point, the Cougars countered with a 45-yard touchdown pass from Skyler Chan to Kalua Noa with 3:00 left. But their tying extra-point attempt was snuffed out by the outstretched hand of lineman Keone Reyes.
BIIF
Honokaa 29, Kamehameha-Hawaii 28
Kaipo Stender ran in three touchdowns in the second half as the Dragons came from behind to defeat the Warriors.
With 8:04 left in the fourth quarter, Stender ran for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Dragons their first lead of the game.
MIL
King Kekaulike 40, Maui 20
Shannon Kamakaokalani scored four touchdowns as Na Alii defeated the Sabers.
Kamakaokalani extended King Kekaulike's lead by scoring on an 88-yard kickoff return and a 40-yard punt return in the third quarter.