Kahuku RB Elvis Vakapuna looks for running room against Moanalua. Vakapuna rushed for a season-high 179 yards in the Red Raiders' shutout win. Pete Caldwell | SL

Purchase image 1 of 1

Sat, Sep 24, 2016 @ Moanalua [ 6:30 pm ]

---

Kahuku

42

Moanalua

0

Final	1	2	3	4	T
Kahuku (11-2-0)	0	28	14	0	42
Moanalua (5-7-0)	0	0	0	0	0

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Alakai Yuen 84 yd

Sol-Jay Maiava 15 yd

Alakai Yuen 9 yd

Elvis Vakapuna 179 yd 1 TD

Ryan Ramones 46 yd

Steven Lombard 8 yd

SALT LAKE – No. 1 Kahuku could not win on the ninth island, but returned to form in continuing its domination of the eight islands with a 42-0 win at host Moanalua Saturday night.

The Red Raiders clinched the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I Blue title and secured a first-round bye to the 12-team OIA tournament and earned a state tournament berth. Quarterfinal winners advance to the Open Division state tournament, while the losers will fall to the Division I tournament. Kahuku improved to 6-1 overall and 6-0 in the Blue, this after falling to the nation's No. 1 team, Bishop Gorman, at Las Vegas (also known as the ninth island because of so many visitors from here) last week.

Meanwhile, Moanalua fell to 3-4 and 2-4 in the Blue.

"It was a major key for us to bounce back and show that (the loss) was one game," Kahuku all-purpose player Stokes Nihipali-Botelho said. "It was good for us to come back and have this win."

The Red Raiders were true to form, scoring on offense, defense and special teams in a contest that went into the 35-point differential mercy rule running clock 19 seconds into the second half on Nihipahi-Botelho's 98-yard kickoff return for a TD.

Kahuku showed no let down from the Gorman loss, nor any jet lag. It played with energy.

"As a team, we just got over it," multi-purpose player Kesi Ah Hoy said. "We just got over everything. We just wanted the bounce back mentality, so there was a lot of mental toughness during this week. We wanted to make a statement in this game, let the state know that nothing's changed."

Indeed.

Kahuku amassed 459 yards of offense, 444 by rushing. Elvis Vakapuna led with 179 yards on 22 carries with one TD followed by Harmon Brown with 152 yards on 18 rushes, all in the first half. Kesi Ah Hoy touched the ball just three times for 76 yards, including a 5-yard TD run.

Defensively, Kekaula Kaniho returned an interception 30 yards for another TD.

Nihipali-Botelho, a one-man wrecking crew, kicked six touchbacks and six PATs, but electrified

Kahuku closes the regular season at Kaiser on Friday. Moanalua hosts Aiea next Friday.

After scoreless first quarter, the Red Raiders scored four times in the second to take a commanding 28-0 lead at the half.

A Vakapuna fumbled was returned by Roland Rodrigues 32 yards to the Kahuku 13 just before the end of the first quarter. But the drive ended at the Kahuku 5. Eight plays later, running back Steven Lombard barreled into the end zone to make it 7-0 with 10:01 in the half.

After Nihipali-Botelho's kickoff went for a touchback, Kaniho intercepted an Alakai Yuen pass and returned it 30 yards for a TD to make it 14-0 in a matter of 12 seconds.

Kahuku scored on its next series that started at the 50. After Brown had an apparent 9-yard TD run nullified by a holding call, RB Jen Paul Kefu scored on a 2-yard run three plays later to make it 21-0.

Jeremy Rodriguez intercepted a Cameron Renaud pass, but Moanalua was unable to recycle a score. Instead, Na Menehune punted and Kahuku scored on a 72-yard drive with Ah Hoy scoring on a 5-yard run after gains of 51 and 20 yards the previous three play to make it 28-0.

Kahuku received the second-half kickoff that Nihipali-Botelho had to scramble back to the 2-yard line to pick up the ball. He then found gaps and out-ran Na Menehune for the 98-yard return.

"It just came down the blocking," he said. "Everybody was able to do their job, so I did mine."

Kahuku capped its scoring shortly after on a 5-yard TD run by Vakapuna.

It was a tough night all around for Moanalua. Players were falling to injuries throughout the game. Linebackers Jacob Ramelb and Jeremy Rodriguez and safeties Roland (Kea) Rodrigues and Brandon Bender did not finish the game for precautionary reasons for various injuries.

"A lot of it was attributed to inexperience and the constant wear and tear," Moanalua coach Savaii Eselu said.

Eselu was proud of the way their replacements played and might bode well for future games.

"We saw how strong and deep our depth is," Eselu said. "You can see that our 2s (second team players) can play. Not that we knew they could or couldn't, but they have a lot of faith in themselves as well.

"We just have to close it out now that we know everyone can contribute and just go from there."

Kahuku closes the regular season at Kaiser, while Moanalua will host Aiea. Both games are Friday.