With returning MIL Defensive MVP Connor Mowat and all-star lineman
Danny Sulunga-Kahaialii out with injuries, the Lunas went up against MIL
Division II opponent Kamehameha Schools Maui.
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The Lunas won 48-18. Behind the legs and arm of senior quarterback Sione
Filikitonga, the Lunas led 28-0 with 9:02 left in the 2nd quarter.
Ansen Cabanilla drew first blood with a 7 yard touchdown run with 6:24 left in
the 1st quarter. Filikitonga followed shortly thereafter with a 3
yard touchdown run of his own with 4:56 left. Then, in the waning seconds of
the 1st quarter, Filikitonga threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to senior
wideout Scott-Isaac Medeiros-Tangatailoa . Then, with 9:02 left in the second
quarter, Filikitonga connected with Medeiros-Tangatailoa, this time on a
perfect 59 yard bomb for a touchdown. Scotty made a beautiful over-the-shoulder
catch on that one. Too bad I was too close with my Sigma 120-300mm to get it in
frame and in focus. Darn it!
The Warriors managed a scoring drive of their own. Warriors’ quarterback
Chase Newton, who ran for a solid 120 yards on 23 carries, found the endzone
from 2 yards out with 3:46 left in the first half. The Lunas came right back,
storming down the field and scoring a touchdown with 5 seconds left on a
Donovan Defang 5 yard run. Lunas up 35-6.
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In the second half, the Warriors struck first with a 43 yard touchdown pass from Newton to Joshua Hiwatashi to make the score 35-12. The Lunas came back, again finding a way to score in the waning seconds of the quarter when Filikitonga weaved his way through the Warrior defense en route to a 17 yard touchdown run to make it 41-12.
The Warriors were able to punch it in from 1 yard out with 1:35 left in the game to make the score 48-18. While on paper, the Warriors offense did well with 278 total yards and 19 first downs, it was mostly against a Lunas’ team that were without its major starters. With Mowat out, the elusive Newton was able to avoid tackles for losses on numerous occasions. Still, a win is a win whether you win by 40 points or by 1 point. Most importantly, the experience gained by the back-ups will benefit the team in the long run.
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The Warriors were able to punch it in from 1 yard out with 1:35 left in
the game to make the score 48-18. While on paper, the Warriors offense did well
with 278 total yards and 19 first downs, it was mostly against a Lunas’ team
that were without its major starters. With Mowat out, the elusive Newton was
able to avoid tackles for losses on numerous occasions. Still, a win is a win
whether you win by 40 points or by 1 point. Most importantly, the experience
gained by the back-ups will benefit the team in the long run.
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NOTABLES: The Lunas promised to be more of a passing team and this game
showed it. Lunas looked deep often to keep defenses honest. Filikitonga connected with
Medeiros-Tangatailoa on a 59 yard beauty and almost had another long one in the
second half, but it Scotty was unable to hold on to the pass . . . The Lunas
were incredibly efficient with they play-calling and execution on plays at the
end of quarters. Lunas were able to score touchdowns with 9 seconds left in the
1st quarter, 5 seconds left in the 1st half and on the
last play of the third quarter. This is a carry-over from last year. Who could
forget Filikitonga’s perfect bomb down the middle of the field to a streaking
Kaimana Ancog to score a touchdown at the end of the first half in
Lahainaluna’s 48-3 win over Baldwin on OC16?
For more photos, click here.
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