[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
BARRY MARKOWITZ / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN.COM
Kahuku defender Shosei Yamauchi tried to strip the ball from Waianae running back Chris Lave last night.
Kahuku overwhelms
Waianae with the run
Kahuku began its postseason much the same way the Red Raiders finished their regular season: in dominating fashion.
Quarterback Waika Carvalho threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Red Raiders scored on all five of their first-half possessions en route to a 41-8 victory over the Waianae Seariders in an Oahu Interscholastic Association quarterfinal matchup at Kahuku.
Behind the blocking of its mammoth offensive line (Jeremy Perry, Desmond Enesa, Quentin Beaver, Maveu Heimuli and Ernest Reid), Kahuku put together first-half scoring drives that covered 66, 68, 39, 79 and 52 yards to take a 35-0 lead at intermission. And while the Red Raiders relied heavily on their running game, their success on the ground repeatedly set the table for big pass plays.
"It was one of the best games our line has had this season," Carvalho said. "They worked hard in practice all week. We had a junk practice during the week of the Kailua game, so I told them we had to pick it up. Everything depends on the line. If they block good, we're going to have a good night."
Added Perry: "We executed and pushed hard up front. We practiced hard all week, and the way you practice is the way you'll play."
Carvalho, who threw only six passes in the first half, had two go for scores. He connected with Spencer Hafoka for a 68-yard score on a screen pass with 1:18 to play in the first quarter and hit Dennis Sevelio in stride on a fly pattern (to make it 21-0) from 39 yards out on the second play of the second quarter.
By the time Sevelio hauled in his touchdown pass, the Red Raiders were already ahead 21-0.
Kahuku (9-0) finished with 323 total yards, including 207 through the air, and 14 first downs for the night.
Cy Naki opened the scoring with a 5-yard run at the 8:05 mark of the first half. Hyrum Moors added a 15-yard rushing touchdown with 4:33 to play before the half, and the Red Raiders tacked on another score 18 seconds before the break when Bronson Ponciano-Ahue came on in place of Carvalho to collaborate with Ikaika Woolsey on a 52-yard score.
The Red Raiders also stood tall on the defensive side of the ball. After conceding Waianae (3-6) 50 yards on its first possession, which ended in a missed 40-yard field goal, the visitors were kept out of the red zone for the rest of the half. The Kahuku defense also added to the Red Raiders' lead in the fourth quarter when Al Afalava recovered a fumble in the end zone after a snap sailed over the head of Searider punter Joshua Woodard.
Waianae averted a shutout when Chris Lave scored on a 1-yard run with 23 seconds remaining. Uilau Faliuga added the 2-point conversion run to close the scoring.
At Kahuku H.S. Field
Kah--Cy Naki 5 run (kick failed)
Waianae (3-6) 0 0 0 8 -- 8 Kahuku (9-0) 14 21 0 6 -- 41
Kah--Spencer Hafoka 68 pass from Waika Carvalho (Simote Vea kick)
Kah--Dennis Savelio 39 pass from Carvalho (Vea kick)
Kah--Hyrum Moors 15 run (Vea kick)
Kah--Ikaika Woolsey 52 pass from Ponciano-Ahue (Vea kick)
Kah--Al Afalava recovered fumble in end zone (kick failed)
Wain--Chris Lave 1 run (Uilau Faliuga run)
