Kailua rallies
around Gibsons

With a victory finally in hand, the Kailua Surfriders are already talking playoffs.

Backup quarterback Kenny Gibson threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns as the Surfriders finally won their first game of the season, defeating Kaimuki 25-6 last night at Roosevelt in an Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East game..

Marshall Freitas added a 68-yard fumble return for a score as Kailua (1-4, 1-2) held the Bulldogs to 131 total yards.

"We knew we had to win three of our next four, including tonight, to make the playoffs and that's been our goal all season," Kailua coach Gary Rosolowich said.

Gibson, starting for the injured Nathan Alvarado, was forced to throw the ball more than usual as Kaimuki put eight and nine guys in the box to slow down Gibson's brother, Jacob. The OIA Red East's leading rusher finished with only 43 yards on 17 carries.

"I just told him to get mad and push it," Kenny Gibson said of his brother's struggles. "I give it all to him and my linemen for blocking and giving me time to throw."

"If you don't have a balanced attack, people will stack up on the inside and make it hard to run," Rosolowich added. "We're waiting to see how (Alvarado) is doing, but Kenny's a great athlete and did some nice things for us."

The first quarter was a struggle for both teams on offense as they combined for a meager 39 total yards. The Bulldogs nearly scored on a 76-yard punt return by Ikaika Rapozo, but it was called back due to an illegal block in the back.

Kailua turned to its defense to score first as Makana Atisanoe came up the middle on a blitz and forced a fumble by Bulldogs quarterback Stephen Harris that was eventually returned 68 yards by Freitas for a score.

"Makana came through on a blitz and made a big play for us," Rosolowich said. "That was a big emotional lift for us."

That play seemed to fire up both offenses as each team scored on their next possession to end the half. Tusi Taufa hauled in a 12-yard touchdown pass from Harris with 48 seconds left to tie the score at six. But with all three timeouts available, the Surfriders answered back, marching 70 yards in 40 seconds as Kenny Gibson found Shaun Forges in the back of the end zone on a fade route to give Kailua a 12-6 halftime lead.

The halftime break seemed to put both offenses back into a funk as both teams went three and out on their first two possessions. However, Nicholas Tepea's blocked punt gave Kailua the ball on the Bulldogs 20-yard line, where they would take advantage four plays later on a 3-yard touchdown run by Jacob Gibson to increase the Surfriders lead to 12. Gerald Ho would haul in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Gibson for the game's final margin.