[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kahuku's Hyrum Moors rushed up the middle against Farrington just before halftime last night at Aloha Stadium. Moors rushed for 18 yards with a score as the Red Raiders won easily.
Kahuku runs over
Farrington in OIA
semifinals
Kahuku's running backs come at you like a powerful set of North Shore waves. Some are massive, some are small and fast and -- unless you're good and ready -- they're all hard to catch.
Farrington had it under control in the first quarter, but eventually succumbed 42-18 to the Red Raiders' running-back onslaught last night in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red Conference football semifinals.
Nine Kahuku runners combined to carry the ball 44 times for 271 yards, and quarterback Waika Carvalho added another 162 yards through the air. The Red Raiders play Kailua, which beat Mililani last night, in next Friday's OIA final.
"Every team has four or five running backs, but what we do is coach them to bring them all up to the same level," Red Raiders coach Siuaki Livai said. "That way we can rotate them. Other teams usually have one guy they give it to and don't rotate."
Still, the Governors (5-4-1) grabbed a 12-6 first-quarter lead, and that six-point margin could have been a lot more. Of Farrington's three early scoring drives, only one finished in the end zone to go along with Matt Bell's field goals of 20 and 29 yards.
"Touchdowns in those situations could have been big for us," said Farrington coach Randall Okimoto, who guided the Governors to a first-round upset of Kahuku exactly one year ago.
Early mistakes -- two lost fumbles and the failure to cover Bell's short squib kick -- put the Red Raiders (10-0) in that early hole.
"We weren't too concerned, because we knew exactly the mistakes we were making and how to correct them," Livai said. "We didn't panic, but if it was in the fourth quarter, that would have been a different story."
Toriano Tagalogo's interception and Cy Naki's 30-yard, up-the-middle touchdown run early in the second quarter tied it at 12 and changed the complexion of the game. It was Naki's first carry of the night and it forced Farrington to try to figure out how to deal with the 220-pounder in addition to the elusive 165-pound Dustin Huddy.
"I knew I had to be ready because I knew he (Farrington QB Eti Atonio) would be testing me with receivers one-on-one on my side," said Tagalogo, who finished with two picks and tipped another ball to teammate Kimball Niumatalolo for the team's third interception in the final minutes. "Our inspiration was how we felt in the locker room after we lost to them last year. It was not a good feeling and we didn't want it to happen again."
Hyrum Moors' 5-yard TD run capped a 65-yard drive and put Kahuku up for good -- 18-12 -- with 3:11 to go in the half.
The downhill slide continued for the Governors when they fumbled a reverse on the opening kickoff of the second half. Kahuku's Joshua Wily recovered to set up Carvalho's 4-yard TD run. Huddy added TD runs of 4 and 5 yards, while Michael Garcia legged it into the end zone late in the fourth quarter for a commanding 42-12 lead.
"That reverse was my call, and I take the blame for that," Okimoto said. "It opened the doors for them. You can only hold them off for so long."
Farrington's Fonoti Fetaiagogo finished with two sacks and a fumble recovery, while Daniel Tauaefa forced two fumbles, but Kahuku had a 5-2 edge in total turnovers.
"A lot of people doubt us, but we're going all the way this year," said Huddy, who finished with 73 yards on 10 carries. "We're on top of our game and had a couple of treats for Farrington."
The Governors play the loser of the Trojans-Surfriders matchup in the OIA third-place game next Friday. All four semifinal teams play in the Division I state tournament starting Nov. 21.
At Aloha Stadium
Kah -- Tevita Finau 27 pass from Waika Carvalho (kick failed)
Farrington (5-4-1) 12 0 0 6 -- 18 Kahuku (10-0) 6 12 12 12 -- 42
Far -- Matt Bell FG 20
Far -- Eti Atonio 1 run (kick failed)
Far -- Bell FG 29
Kah -- Cy Naki 30 run (run failed)
Kah -- Hyrum Moors 5 run (pass failed)
Kah -- Carvalho 4 run (run failed)
Kah -- Dustin Huddy 4 run (pass failed)
Kah -- Huddy 5 run (kick failed)
Kah -- Michael Garcia 11 run (kick failed)
Far -- Harrison Harris 25 pass from Eti Atonio (run failed)
RUSHING --Farrington: Bell 12-65, Ameko Vaimasanuu 4-23, Jostin Waialae 3-1, Harris 2-(-4), Atonio 9-(-13). Kahuku: Naki 5-77, Huddy 10-73, Carvalho 10-43, Manu Ngatikaura 4-28, Paea Vaimoui 3-18, Moors 4-18, Michael Garcia 2-10, Bronson Ponciano-Ahue 3-4, Darren Magalogo 3-0.
PASSING --Farrington: Atonio 12-26-3-173. Kahuku: Carvalho 8-13-0-162.
RECEIVING --Farrington: Harris 5-95, Bell 4-39, Alvin Faumui 3-39. Kahuku: Frank Bracewell 1-47, Tevita Finau 2-31, Spencer Hafoka 2-28, Tevita Ofa 1-28, Magalogo 1-16, Jonathan Rickertson 1-12.
