Aiea advances toward
Kahuku with win
After a mediocre regular season, Aiea started its playoff push last night by shutting down Roosevelt 16-0 in front of a sparse crowd at Mililani High School.
With the Oahu Interscholastic Association first-round football victory, Na Alii (5-4) secured a date in the quarterfinals next week against Kahuku, the league's Red East champion.
Aiea (5-4) got it done last night with what coach Wendell Say built the program on -- hard-sticking defense.
"I'm not trying to talk too confidently, but I have total confidence in our defense against Kahuku," said Aiea defensive lineman Rocky Savaiigaea, who had three sacks and a fumble recovery in eliminating the Rough Riders (2-7). "I think we can take them on head on and I believe that 100 percent."
Savaiigaea almost decided to sit out last night. His grandmother -- 80-year-old Asuncion Libed -- had surgery in which doctors removed her stomach.
"I almost didn't play," he said. "She's in ICU and doctors said she had a 50-50 chance to make it through the surgery. I'm really close with her and I didn't want to be playing if she didn't improve."
Next week's Kahuku vs. Aiea matchup pits the defending Division I and II state champions. The Red Raiders are trying for their fourth D-I state title in the past five years. Na Alii moved up to the D-I Red West this season after capturing the D-II state crown a year ago.
"Our defense did what we ask it to -- it kept us in the game," Say said. "To get to the championship, our defense has to do well. But we've got to get better. Roosevelt is a quick-scoring team and that worried us. We were never really comfortably ahead."
Na Alii made their first defensive statement at the end of the Rough Riders' first possession when RJ Kiesel-Kauhane bolted in to block a punt. Aiea then needed to go 11 yards for its first score -- Kala Kuia's 5-yard touchdown pass to Ian Dela Cuesta for a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
"At the beginning of the game, that blocked punt really made a momentum shift," said Roosevelt lefty quarterback Rudy Artuyo, who scrambled around all night and completed 15 of 35 passes for 149 yards. "We couldn't come back from that. We couldn't get any momentum. Their front four put the pressure on and our front five was going both ways and got tired and couldn't execute at the end."
The Rough Riders got deep into Na Alii territory twice in the first half, including one penetration to the 2, but came away with nothing. Then, in the second half, they didn't come close to scoring.
C.J. Tausaga had a huge defensive game for Aiea, with two interceptions. He ran the first one back 37 yards for a TD and a 14-0 lead late in the opening half. Justin Hunt contributed with two sacks, and linebacker Kapena Fonseca made a handful of crushing tackles.
Na Alii got their final points in the third quarter. With heavy pressure, Artuyo threw a pass out of his own end zone and was called for intentional grounding, which resulted in a safety.
The Rough Riders were held to 14 yards rushing and lost the turnover war 3-2. Roosevelt defensive lineman Jonathan Duquette had a sack and recovered a fumble at his own 3 to stop an Aiea second-half threat, while teammate La'akea Moikeha had an interception.
BIIF
Kealakehe 46, Ka'u 0: Jinho Tohara scored the first touchdown on a 9-yard run and added two more touchdowns later in the game to lead the Trojans past the Waveriders. Max Papalii also added two touchdowns.No.10 Hilo 24, Konawaena 20: The Vikings came back from a seven-point deficit with two touchdowns from Shawn Dearing on a 24-yard pass from Elias Allen and a 27-yard run by Royden Nabarro to beat the Wildcats.
Cody Silsley caught a 38-yard pass from Mike Naihe to give the Wildcats the early lead. Naihe and Blake Baraoidan added touchdowns in the second half but it wasn't enough to upset the state's No. 10 team.
