Football
A classic finish in Hawaii's 42-36 OT victory


Stacy Kaneshiro | ScoringLive
January 13, 2019, 9:02am

 


HALAWA — Saint Louis senior Chance Beyer made an incredible 25-yard touchdown reception from Farrington's Chris Ale-Alaivanu in overtime and Hawaii Fire downed Amerika Samoa, 42-36, Saturday night to capture the Junior Prep Sports Paradise Football Classic IV all-star championship.

A friends and family gathering of about 500 saw Beyer make a leaping catch and falling on his back in the back right side of the end zone at Hawaiian Financial FCU Field at Aloha Stadium.

The catch was reviewed and confirmed by the officials. Even Beyer could not believe he caught the ball.

"I just watched the ball as much as I could, watched it to my hands," Beyer said. "It was a heck of a defense. I didn't even know I caught the ball until I was on the ground. I said, ‘What the heck?' I was shocked myself."

The reception was Beyer's third of the game and second TD pass by Afe-Alaivanu, who finished with 152 passing yards on 7-of-11 passing.

"I saw the mismatch with Chance," Are-Alaivanu said. "I just threw it, gave it up to him…Chance is one of the best receivers in Hawaii. Plays like that really didn't surprise me because he can make plays like that."


It was a classic end to a not-so-classic game, which saw eight ejections, including five from the Fire. Four players — three players Hawaii and one from Amerika Samoa — were ejected after a second-quarter skirmish. Hawaii was penalized 19 times for 190 yards; Amerika Samoa was called eight times for 90 yards. 

In OT, Fire won the toss and elected to go on defense first. Amerika Samoa faced fourth-and-11 from its 26 and QB Francisco Mauigoa came up two yards short of a first down and turned the ball over to Hawaii, which scored on third-and-10 from its 25 to end the game.

Hawaii saw a 21-20 halftime lead dissipate in the third quarter, when Amerika Samoa took a 36-21 lead after a 7-yard TD run by Ben Tuimaseve and a 2-point conversion run by Iverson Taase, who later scored on a 1-yard run that was followed by a 2-point conversion pass from Mauigoa to Manu Jr. Faoa-Danielson, the latter coming with 2:33 left in the third period.

But Hawaii came back with TD runs one 1 and 3 yards by Mililani's Darius Muasau, a linebacker and short yardage rusher. Fire pulled to 36-29 after Campbell's Kaniala Kalaola's 2-point conversion pass to Kamehameha's Kalani Kamakawiwoole. After the second TD, Hawaii opted to kick the PAT which was made by Mililani's Reichel Vegas that tied the game at 36 with 2:24 left in regulation.

Amerika Samoa's Steven Fiso (Fagaitua '19), a University of Hawaii signee, had an early welcome party to Aloha Stadium with a 25-yard TD reception and an interception in the final minute of regulation. John Lujan | SL    Purchase image

On Amerika Samoa's ensuing possession, it lost a fumble at its 36, but Steven Fiso, a University of Hawaii commit, intercepted a Kalaola pass with 1:08 left, but Amerika Samoa could not score, sending the game into OT.

Besides Beyer, Moanalua's Ezra Grace and Vegas each caught a TD pass for Hawaii.

Amerika Samoa was led by QB Mauigoa, who was 12 of 23 for 136 passing yards and three TDs, including one to Fiso. Panapa Filoialii and Iosefa Mauga also caught TD passes.

"We just had to capitalize and everybody had to do their job," Beyer said of the rally. "I'm glad I got to score on my last play (of my high school career). It's something I can look forward to tell the younger generations."

The all-star game was played with modified NCAA rules. Each quarter was 10 minutes, instead of 12 as in high school. It was both teams' second game in three days.


CALIFORNIA 32,  HAWAII SURF 27


California rallied from a 19-7 halftime deficit to down Hawaii Surf in the third-place game of the JPS Paradise Football Classic IV Saturday at Hawaiian Financial FCU Field at Aloha Stadium.

California scored 25 consecutive points in the second half before the Surf answered with a late TD to pull to within a score. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the PAT plus another before the ensuing kickoff forced Hawaii to kick off from its 10. California had field position from its 42 and ran out the final three minutes, 59 seconds.

Quarterback Malik Stewart rushed for two of the California's five rushing touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Campbell players had a hand in all of the scoring for the Surf. Sabers' freshman QB Blaine Hipa threw TD passes of 4 yards to Farrington's Raymond Millare and 10 yards to Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala in the first half. Titus Mokiao-Atimalala caught a 48-yard TD pass from Kailua's Cameron Friel. Friel also threw a late 7-yard TD pass to Campbell's Pokii Adkins-Kupukaa.

Titus Mokiao-Atimalala had a game-high 172 receiving yards.

Friel completed 8 of 12 passes for 136 yards, while Hipa was 8 of 17 for 127 yards, plus two interceptions.

Surf was made up of underclassmen.

In the first round on Jan. 10, Amerika Samoa defeated California, 20-7, and Hawaii Fire beat Hawaii Surf, 34-12.


Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at [email protected].




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