Farrington rallies in 2nd half to get past Kailua, 18-7

Farrington RB Abraham Silva carries the ball into the endzone for a score against Kailua. Johnny Wilson | Special to SL

KAILUA -- Farrington overcame a 7-6 halftime deficit and rushed for 148 yards in the final two quarters Friday night en route to an 18-7 O'ahu Interscholastic Association victory over upset-minded Kailua.

The victory improved the Governors to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in the OIA Red Conference Eastern Division. They can finish second in the Red East and earn a first-round bye in the upcoming league playoffs if Kahuku defeats Moanalua tonight.The Surfriders fell to 2-6, 2-4; they are the East's No. 5 seed will begin first-round play next week against the West No. 4 seed, which will be determined Saturday.

For much of Friday's game, Kailua showed it could be a surprise team in the playoffs, controlling the clock and playing solid defense against Farrington's vaunted rushing attack.

The Surfriders opened the game with a 13-play, 74-yard drive capped by Kahaku Iaea's 20-yard pass to Micah Kaimana, who stretched out to make a lunging catch in the back left corner of the end zone. Perhaps just as importantly, they muched seven minutes and 34 seconds off the clock.

"That probably was our best drive of the season," Kailua coach Gary Rosolowich said.

Lily Berry Liftee's extra point made it 7-0, but Farrington later closed to 7-6 on Montana Liana's 16-yard touchdown pass to James Hashimoto on third-and-9 with 4:33 remaining in the half.

The PAT attempt failed, and that's how the score stood at the break as the Surfriders limited the Govs to just 43 yards on the ground. Amo Silva, the state's leading Division I rusher was held to 19 yards on eight carries and Tyler Taumua, last year's state rushing champion, had just 20 yards on six carries.

"We did a great job on defense, we had those guys bottled up," Rosolowich said. "But in the second half, our offense stalled and the difference was in the red zone."

Farrington took a 12-7 lead on Silva's 10-yard TD run with 59 seconds left in the third quarter, but the two-point conversion pass failed and Thomas Leong returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards to the Governors' 39. On the very next play, Iaea and Kaimana conneced on a 33-yard pass to the Farrington 6.

But Kailua could not move the ball and lost the ball on downs at the 7.

"That was the ball game right there," Rosolowich said. "If we score there, then that shoots our energy level up . But Farrington's defense did a great job stopping us."

The Govs then drove 93 yards in nine plays -- all on the ground -- capped by Silva's 13-yard ramble into the end zone with 6:08 remaining in the game.

The two-point conversion run failed, but it did not matter as the Surfriders could not advance the ball past midfield on their final two possessions.

Silva finished with 93 yards on 20 carries, and Taumua added 66 yards on 13 rushes.