Kaimuki hangs on to take down Kalani for key league win

Brian Bautista | SL

Kaimuki rallied from a 10 point second quarter deficit, with scores late in the second and third quarters to take the lead, then held on for a narrow 13-12 win over Kalani.

Iosefa Letuli accounted for 222 of the Bulldogs' 309 yards in the game, passing for 152 yards and rushing for 17 more.

The Falcons built up an early double digit lead on a Ryan Bulseco field goal from 49 yards followed by a three yard plunge by Jordan Amalato for another score that came just 38 seconds later, as Kalani's special teams recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff.

The lead narrowed to 10-7 at the half as Iosefa Letuli found Jeremiah White on an eight yard pass completion for a score with 2:07 left until the intermission.

Letuli struck again to end the third quarter, giving the Bulldogs the lead on his second TD toss of the evening, this one an 84 yard bomb to Ezekiel Kulee-Matias. The pass attempt on the point after conversion failed, making it a 13-10 contest.

Kalani's special teams got another big play in the closing minutes of the fourth, coming up with a safety with 1:35 to play to make it a 13-12 game.

But on the first play of the ensuing possession, a Kalani pass attempt was intercepted by Kuiee-Matias, giving the ball back to the Bulldogs, who milked the clock via the run to ice the victory.

Kuiee-Matias had two big receptions for 124 yards and a score in addition to the game-clinching pick.