Strickland, Hafoka
propel Red Raiders
Kahuku seniors Micah Strickland and Spencer Hafoka ensured that their final homecoming game wasn't stuck in the mud, combining for five touchdowns as the top-ranked Red Raiders made short work of visiting Roosevelt 67-21.
With a start time pushed back due to a homecoming float that got stuck in the rain-muddied Kahuku High School track, the Red Raiders (6-1, 5-0 Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East) gave the capacity crowd at Carleton E. Weimer Field a lot to cheer about, amassing more than 500 yards of total offense.
Strickland, an all-state back at Punahou last year, carried 14 times for 305 yards, while Hafoka made eight receptions for 172 yards and also returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown to propel the Red Raiders.
Kahuku's offense looked razor sharp out of the gates, scoring on each of its first three opportunities.
Hafoka and Strickland set up the first score, accounting for all but one of the 73 yards Kahuku covered on the way to a 6-0 lead. Hafoka contributed 34 yards on a wide-receiver screen, while Strickland gained 29 yards on two carries. Senior fullback Jonathan Rickertsen did the rest, bulling in from a yard out.
The versatile Hafoka gave Kahuku a two-touchdown lead just a few moments later when he scored on his punt return.
Hyrum Moors went off-tackle for a 25-yard touchdown run on the Red Raiders' next possession to extend Kahuku's lead. Strickland again carried the load, picking up 57 yards on the drive.
Kahuku's attack began to misfire in the second quarter, as the Red Raiders committed four turnovers in four tries, with the Rough Riders (2-5, 2-3) recording two interceptions and two fumble recoveries to keep them in the game.
After watching Kahuku turn the ball over on its first two drives of the quarter, Strickland and Hafoka got the Raiders back on track. Strickland broke free on a handoff and sprinted 85 yards to pay dirt. On the very next possession, Hafoka hauled in a 26-yard toss from Jacob Kahawaii on a play-action pass to extend Kahuku's lead to 33-0.
Roosevelt cracked the scoreboard on Tui Richter's 15-yard touchdown catch on a corner fade following a Rough Rider fumble recovery on the Kahuku 15-yard line.
Another turnover contributed to Roosevelt's next score, as Laakea Moikeha picked a Kahawaii pass with a second remaining before halftime and raced 93 yards to the opposite end zone as time expired.
Kahuku rebounded in the second half, as Al Afalava returned the opening kick 60 yards to the Roosevelt 25-yard line. Moors broke free up the middle on the first snap to put Kahuku up 40-14.
The Red Raiders kept the pressure on, as Joshua Wily's interception set up a Strickland scoring run from 40 yards out.
