[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kapolei's Brandon Pieper tried to get by Kalaheo's Willie Haile in the second quarter last night.
Kapolei gives,
Kapolei takes away
The Kapolei Hurricanes overcame their own generosity early in last night's contest with Kalaheo to roll to a 42-12 victory over the Mustangs in an Oahu Interscholastic Association White Conference clash at Kailua field.
Following three interceptions in the first 10 minutes of the game, the Kapolei defense kept Kalaheo off the scoreboard in the first half and finished with four takeaways of its own, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Roland Mason sparked Kapolei with a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown to open the scoring, while Meki Faumuina closed the game with a 30-yard return to put the finishing touches on the win.
"The defense was tremendous, they gave us a chance to hang in there," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said. "We were making a lot of mistakes offensively, so I was happy with the play with the D overall. But the offense, when they had to step up, they did."
Kapolei improved to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in the OIA White. Kalaheo fell to 3-3 and 3-2 in the conference.
After falling behind 28-0 at halftime, Kalaheo cut the deficit to 28-12 in the fourth quarter. But Kapolei scored twice in the final three minutes to put away the game.
"We just had way too many mental breakdowns," first-year Kalaheo coach Tony Tuioti said. "Emotions were high and Kapolei did a better job than we did of settling down. You have to give it up to Kapolei -- they played better football than we did."
Kapolei's first three possessions of the game ended in interceptions. The first two resulted in Kalaheo punts, the third actually led to the Hurricanes' first score of the game.
Kalaheo moved the ball to the Kapolei 28, but Mason stepped in front of a David Pershin pass and went untouched down the sideline for a touchdown.
After another Mustangs punt, Mason ended a five-play drive with a 5-yard touchdown run. A scoring run by John Dela Rama and a touchdown pass from Jon Medeiros to Charles Recamara gave the Hurricanes control of the ballgame.
Kalaheo got on the scoreboard after a snap over the head of Kapolei punter Kerisiano Tuaniga was recovered at the Hurricanes' 10. Pershin then hit Nate Richards for a touchdown.
The Mustangs moved the ball deep into Kapolei territory on their next possession and faced fourth and goal at the Kapolei 1. But a false-start penalty moved the ball back and Pershin's pass fell incomplete.
Pershin suffered an injured collarbone on the play and did not return to the game.
"It just seemed like that was the whole night," Tuioti said. "As coaches we have to do a better job of settling down our kids. The positive thing is all those things they did tonight are correctable things."
The Mustangs turned to trickery for their next score as Jared Neufeldt completed a pass to Richards behind the line of scrimmage. Richards then lofted a throw deep down the sideline to Sean Tobera for a 39-yard touchdown.
But Medeiros' second touchdown pass and Faumuina's interception return put the game away.
At Kailua H.S. field
Kap -- Roland Mason 75 interception return (Kerisiano Tuaniga kick)
Kapolei (6-0, 5-0) 7 21 0 14 -- 42 Kalaheo (3-3, 3-2) 0 0 6 6 -- 12
Kap -- Mason 5 run (Tuaniga kick)
Kap -- John Dela Rama 7 run (Tuaniga kick)
Kap -- Charles Recamara 32 pass from Jon Medeiros (Tuaniga kick)
Kalh -- Nate Richard 10 pass from David Pershin (run failed)
Kalh -- Sean Tobera 39 pass from Richards (run failed)
Kap -- Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada 29 pass from Medeiros (Tuaniga kick)
Kap -- Meki Faumuina 30 interception return (Tuaniga kick)
RUSHING -- Kapolei: Dela Rama 11-62, Kaheaku-Enhada 5-38, Lokahi Olayan 2-(-8), Mason 1-5, Medeiros 6-(-1), Team 1-(-33). Kalaheo: Jacobe Akiu 9-23, Pershin 8-61, Jared Neufeldt 7-(-2).
PASSING -- Kapolei: Medeiros 9-21-2-120, Kaheaku-Enhada 0-1-1-0. Kalaheo: Pershin 14-26-2-108, Neufeldt 3-5-0-63, Richards 1-3-1-39.
RECEIVING -- Kapolei: Olayan 2-25, Recamara 2-41, Colin Dumlao 1-2, Brandon Pieper 1-6, Dela Rama 1-9, Chaves Gamboa 1-8, Kaheaku-Enhada 1-29. Kalaheo: Akiu 3-3, Shawn Forges 1-1, Neufeldt 7-68, Richards 5-67, Tobera 1-39, Neil Bowers 1-28.
Junior varsity -- Kapolei 55, Kalaheo 7
