Saturday, November 27, 1999
St. Louis,
Kahuku in
title game
They will battle for the first
By Aaron Custodio
state football championship
next week
Special to the Star-BulletinAnd then there were two.
Kahuku and St. Louis last night proved why they were the best teams in the state.
The Red Raiders and the Crusaders dominated their neighbor island opponents at Aloha Stadium and will meet next week for the first Hawaii High School Athletic Association state football title.
Before a crowd of 10,868, Kahuku, the two-time defending Oahu Interscholastic Association champion, defeated the Maui Interscholastic League champion Baldwin Bears, 27-12. Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion St. Louis rolled past Kauai Interscholastic Federation champion Waimea, 56-0.
"I can't feel any better right now to be one of the two schools to play for the first state championship," Kahuku coach Siuaki Livai said. "I am grateful and looking forward to playing St. Louis."
Red Raiders quarterback Vai Funaki threw for three touchdowns, completing 10-of-14 passes for 157 yards. All-purpose back Orlando Wong caught 5 passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
"It was not easy to stop them," Livai said. "Baldwin has a multi-formation offense. Our defense had to find ways to stop them."
Baldwin returned the opening kickoff for an apparent touchdown before being called back on a clipping penalty.
The Red Raiders would strike first. Kahuku scored on Douglas Nawahine's 7-yard touchdown reception from Funaki after Baldwin fumbled the ball on a punt return.
The Bears answered on the next two series. Bears quarterback Steven Hafoka found Ikaika Blackburn on an 8-yard strike and then Nolan Wada on a 5-yard score. However, Baldwin failed to convert on the extra-points.
Kahuku went to a running attack behind Kala Latuselu and Destin Le'i. They combined for 128 yards on 22 carries.
Latuselu's 3-yard touchdown run followed by Wong's 8-yard touchdown reception late in the second quarter put Kahuku ahead, 20-12, at the half.
Then in the second half, Baldwin just ran out of gas.
"Unfortunately our offense couldn't sustain drives," Baldwin coach Joe Balangitao said. "They came out and ran at us, made first downs, kept our defense on the field. Our guys got tired and worn down."
Kahuku ended all hopes of a Baldwin rally when Funaki connected with Wong for a 49-yard touchdown late in the game.
The Chevron State Championship game will be on Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m. at Aloha Stadium.
"St. Louis is no secret -- we know what they can do," Livai said. I just hope that we can slow them down."
"We have to play hard, make no mistakes and execute against St. Louis," Wong said. "We need to work on our penalties, and play the perfect game that we know that we are capable of playing."
The Crusaders were just too big and too good for the Menehunes.
"St. Louis is the best in the state -- they outplayed us and out-coached us," Waimea coach Jon Kobayashi said. "I'm proud of our guys. We were small and undersized but we played football."
St. Louis racked up 656 yards of total offense behind quarterback Timmy Chang, who threw for three touchdowns and 220 yards on 17-of-29 passing.
The Crusaders scored on their first three possessions of the game and then two more times just before the half.
Defensively, St. Louis was led by linebackers Ikaika Curnan and Joseph Lobendahn. Curnan recorded nine tackles, three hurries and two knockdowns; and Lobendahn finished with eight tackles. The Crusaders' defense held the Menehunes to 144 total yards in the game - 102 yards coming in the final nine minutes against St. Louis' scout team.
"St. Louis has tremendous athletes, and we just couldn't keep up with them," Kobayashi said.
"We knew and we found out that their defense was tougher than their offense, they shut us down cold."
"I had a hard time to throw and nobody can run against them," Waimea quarterback Rocky Arignetero said. "Every time I tried to pass there was a (defender) that was there."
Crusaders 56, Menehunes 0
Waimea 0 0 0 0 - 0 St. Louis 21 14 21 0 - 56STL- Damien Cole 1 run (Bento kick)
STL- Gerald Welch 3 pass from Timmy Chang (Haa Bento kick)
STL- Frank Rivers 5 pass from Chang (Bento kick)
STL- Cole 1 run (Bento kick)
STL- Prince Brown 3 run (Bento kick)
STL- John Paul Kanoa 18 pass from Chang (Bento)
STL- Pesefea Fiaseu 3 run (Bento kick)
STL-Cole 1 run (Bento kick)Rushing- Waimea: Jessie Sablan 26-96, Chesley Barba 6-11, Rocky Avigetero 2-4, Isaiah Ulanday 1-3. St. Louis: Cole 13-188, Brown 12-76, Welch 2-26, Bronson Beaver 9-52, Chang 1-10, Fiaseu 4-45.
Passing - Waimea: Avigetero 4-16-2 26. St. Louis: Chang 17-29-1 220, Kelika Higa 6-9-0 39.
Receiving - Waimea: William Parubrub 2-2, Archie Achuara 1-17, Donovan Agan 1-7. St. Louis: Welch 5-51, Isaac Rodrigues 4-61, Rivers 2-16, Ross Dickerson 1-23, Layton Aliviado 2-36, Sanoe Mokahi 1-6, Kanoa 1-18, Davin Nakasato 1-9, Daniel Rodrigues 1-5, Gino Gosiaco 1-11, Kainoa Fernandez 1-12, Blane Dydasco 1- (minus 1), Justin Humalon 1-9, Enoka Pai 1-3.
Red Raiders 27, Bears 12
Kahuku 7 13 0 7 - 27 Baldwin 6 6 0 0 - 12KAH - Nawahine 7 pass from V. Funaki (Lee kick)
BAL - Blackburn 8 pass from Hafoka (Donahoo kick failed)
BAL - Wada 5 pass from Hafoka (Hafoka run failed)
KAH - Latuselu 3 run (Lee kick)
KAH - Wong 8 pass from V. Funaki (Lee kick failed)
KAH - Wong 49 pass from V. Funaki (Lee kick)Rushing - Kahuku: Kala Latuselu 14-69, Destin Lei 8-59, Douglas Nawahine 5-3, Fakaloloma Olevao 1-3, Orlando Wong 2-2, Vai Funaki 1-(minus 1), MarcusSalanoa 6-29, Magic Atuaia 3-7, Inoke Funaki 1-0. Baldwin: Nolan Wada 8-27, Eddie Ferreira 9-56, Steven Hafoka 14-21, Huli Rivera 1-2, Wela Hewahewa 1-8. Total 33-114.
Passing - Kahuku: Vai Funaki 10-14-0 157 3 TDs, Inoke Funaki 1-2-0 4, Fakaloloma Olevao 0-1-0 0. Baldwin: Steven Hafoka 6-15-0 36 2 TDs, Michael Donahoo 1-2-0 (minus 7).
Receiving - Kahuku: Orlando Wong 5-98, Douglas Nawahine 1-7, Adam Kammerer 1-20, Roland Tupola 1-14, Fakaloloma Olevao 2-20, Kala Latuselu 1-2. Baldwin: Ikaika Blackburn 1-8, Nolan Wada 1-(minus 2), Huli Rivera 1-5, Eddie Ferreira 1-11, Timothy Lyons 1-14.
