Lahainaluna opened the 2013 season with a 42-7 win over Kamehameha Schools Maui. I missed the first half of this game because I was attending a wedding reception Upcountry. I had an earpiece in my ear tuned in to ESPN550 after dinner, as I waited for the appropriate time to cut out and leave early and head back into town. I had made arrangements for my wife to return home with our co-workers so that she could enjoy the rest of the evening. Once the speeches and toasts were done, I rushed down the hill.
Fortunately, the game had started a bit late due to the crazy finish of the JV game. Kamehameha's JV won on a last second touchdown play, 28-27. I had hoped to make it back for the 4th quarter . . . with the late start, I could still catch the entire second half.
The match up with the Warriors was an intriguing one. The Warriors under AD Blaine Gaison hired Cody Nakamura to be head coach over the summer. Nakamura took with him a bunch of the younger assistant coaches at Baldwin to assist him - Jordan Helle, Brian Harris, Trenson Himalaya - so it would be interesting to see if the Warriors would have some of that wide-open offensive mentality that the Bears have had the past several years.
After the Lunas took a 7-0 lead, the Warriors came back and scored, tying it up 7-7. After shutting out almost all their MIL opponents last year, the Warriors' scoring in the first quarter must've come as quite a surprise to Lahainaluna. It was still 7-7 as I drove down the hill.
Unbelievably, in the 20-30 minutes it took for me to drive from Haliimaile to War Memorial Stadium, and to take my camera out of my truck, the Lunas scored 28 points in the second quarter to take a 35-7 lead into halftime! I felt great for the team, but I was upset with myself for missing all these scoring plays!
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| JUST IN TIME FOR THE HALFTIME SHOW |
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| #7 Kaimana Ancog and #5 Kiko Kohler-Fonohema break up a pass |
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| #8 Sione Makoa Filikitonga launches a perfect bomb to #25 Scott-Isaac Medeiros-Tangatailoa |
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| #44 Bronson Kaina puts the wraps on the Warrior running back |
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| #53 Brandon Kaina sacks the Warrior QB Newton |
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| #7 Kaimana Ancog follows the block of #73 Justin Hong |
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| #53 Brandon Kaina and #54 Connor Mowat sack Warriors' QB Chase Newton |
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| #50 Hercules Mataafa sacks #11 Chase Newton |
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| Divided loyalties: Warrior student Kaui Harbottle supports her boyfriend, Lunas #53 Brandon Kaina |
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| Victory |
I managed to shoot the entire second half. The Lunas scored one more time to make it 42-7, on an electrifying 80 yard run from Christian Whitehead. I hate missing any part of a Lahainaluna football game but I am thankful that I was able to at least make it to half of this game.
Notable stats:
- Lunas had 489 total yards to Kamehameha Maui's 112;
- Lunas passing game finally showed some life: Filikitonga was 6-14 for 128 yards, including a 35 yarder to Rocha-Islas, a 20 yarder to Jared Purdy and a long one to Scott-Isaac Medeiros-Tangatailoa.
- Lunas were led by Christian Whitehead (15 carries, 152 yards, 2 TD), Kiko Kohler-Fonohema (7 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD), Sione Makoa Filikitonga (3 carries, 44 yards, 56 yard TD run). Jared Rocha-Islas was an uncharacteristic 10 carries for only 36 yards, but he had 2 touchdown runs of 3 and 1 yard.
- Lunas had 10 different players carry the ball, including Bronson Kaina.
- Lunas held the MIL's leading passer, Chase Newton, to 10-27 passing for 110 yards.
- Lunas committed 4 turnovers (3 fumbles, 3 lost and 1 interception) while only forcing 2 turnovers.
For more photos, click here.
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