Kahuku squeezes past Mililani to reach fourth straight Open Division final

Rayden Aoki | SL

For the fourth consecutive season, the Red Raiders are headed back to the 'ship.

Aiden Manutai returned a blocked field goal 70 yards for a score and the Kahuku defense got a crucial stop on the point after touchdown to perserve an 8-6 win over Mililani in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Divsiion Football Championship semifinals.

Mililani was set up with excellent field position after a muffed catch on a punt put the ball on the Kahuku 43 for the Trojans at 4:14 mark of 2nd, but three plays later the home team was forced to settle for a 38 yard field goal attempt.

The result of that play was an 11 point swing, as Manutai was able to shed his block and laid out to block the kick and had the wherewithal to scoop the ball up and race back the other way 70 yards for the game's first points.

"I give credit to the defense for making that opportunity possible, we took advantage of that opportunity," said Manutai. "It's just more of a repetition, it just opened up, and it just happened.

On the conversion attempt, Chauncy Alo was able to punch it on off the left side to make it 8-0 in favor of Kahuku with 1:57 to play, a point of difference that would loom large in the final outcome.

Mililani had their chances at putting points on the board through the third and into the fourth, driving on at least three occasions inside the Red Raiders' 30, but each drive stalled out, most notably an interception by Falealii Atuaia with just under 4:20 in regulation that seemed to all but shut the door for the home team.

But the Trojans' defense held once again, forcing a punt with just over two minutes to play, and one final chance at a possible tie.

And Kini McMillan did just that, engineering a ten play, 50 yard drive that took 1:51 of clock, capped off by nine yard pass to Tana Togafau-Tavui to put the Trojans in the position to tie the contest.

But on the ensuing attempt, the Red Raiders' defense pressured McMillan, as they had all game long, forcing an off-balanced throw that was ultimately tipped by Noa Bridges to put the defending state champs on the cusp.

"All credit to the D-line, this whole entire game they made us look good and our backers look good," said Manutai. "They are the key to our defense, all credit to them."

Mililani's last gasp at getting the ball on the kickoff was snuffed out by Carvalho, of course, who calmly scooped up the bouncing football to make it academic.

The Red Raiders were outgained by the Trojans' 245 to 149, but benefitted from key plays on special teams, including a fake punt by Kaimana Carvalho that went for 16 yards to keep a drive alive and another run on a fourth down and four play that went for 23 more yards, also by Carvalho.

"Special teams is one of the biggest things for us, a lot of high school teams don't focus on special teams," said Carvalho. "If you don't want to play 100% of the game then we will take advantage of that and make plays."

Standing in the way of Kahuku's fourth straight Open Division championship will be the winner of Campbell-Saint Louis. The two teams will face off at TC Ching Stadium on Nov 29 at 7 p.m.