Aiea motors past Kaimuki in opener, 53-6

'Aiea's Kamakana Apelu attempts to get past a Kaimuki defender. Eric Alcantara | SL

AIEA - The Na Alii were clicking on all cylinders as they drove past the visiting Kaimuki Bulldogs Friday night, led by Kamakana Apelu, who put on a highlight reel performance that included a 70-yard kickoff return and a 87 yard TD reception to help lead Aiea to a 53-6 victory.

"It feels pretty good," said Apelu. "We prepared hard for Kaimuki. We practiced and executed well. "

"It was a good win," said Aiea coach Wendell Say. "Fortunate to be on the winning side."

Aiea set the tone of the game during their first drive, driving down the field with ease. The drive was sealed with a 1 yard run for a touchdown by junior Mana Kaahanui.

"Mana is a good player," said Say. "We just want to utilize him as much as we can."

The second score for the Na Alii came off the hand of quarterback Isaiah Hernandez-Fonoti. The senior found a wide open Johnathan Gray for a 31 yard touchdown.

"(Isaiah Hernandez-Fonoti) stayed in the pocket and was patient." said Say. "He did a real good job tonight."

Kaimuki caught a break during the first quarter with a bit of confusion by the Aiea defense. The miscommunication allowed for a 63 yard touchdown thrown by Kainalu Spencer to Fano Tuisila.

"I'm proud of the effort our boys put forth," said Kaimuki coach Clint Onigama. "This team has a lot of potential."

The Na Alii responded instantly with a kick-off return for a touchdown. Kamakana Apelu navigated his way through the Kaimuki defenders for a 70 yard return.

"Without my boys, I wouldn’t have done what I did," said Apelu. " It’s a teamwork thing," the junior continued.

Aiea added one more score before the end of the first quarter. Hernandez-Fonoti connected with Apelu for an 87 yard touchdown, ending the first quarter with a score of 26-6.

"(Apelu) has that ability," said Say. "He did real well."

A few plays into the second quarter gave Aiea another score, but this time, from the defense. Senior AJ Aleaga returned an interception back for a 30 yard touchdown for the Na Alii. The defense for Aiea held strong throughout the entire game. Besides a couple miscommunication issues, the Na Alii forced the Bulldogs into three and outs nearly every drive.

"AJ is a good safety, good defensive back," said Say. "His speed has been getting better; we’ve always believed he was going to be a real good one."

Aiea’s Jalen Medeiros also added to the already huge lead with a 19 yard reception, making the score 39 to 6.

The final score before the half was a 49 yard run by senior Jarrel Chaviera. Maneuvering his way through the defense, Chaviera’s score gave Aiea a 46-6 lead going into halftime.

"We didn’t know what to expect against Kaimuki," said Say. "We had to show the kids we could play."

Reach Aven Santiago at [email protected].