Kaiser offense, Kalani defense lead way in season opening wins

Rayden Aoki | SL

Kaiser got four total touchdowns from freshman quarterback Hatesa Sopoaga to post a 26-21 win over Kailua in a back-and-forth affair at Kaiser Stadium.

Sopoaga connected with Kayci Gakiya for the game opening score, then made it a 14-0 contest with a quarterback keeper. The Surfriders responded with a pair of scores, one a rushing touchdown by QB Sarai Maiava and then other a pass from Maiava to Marlee Tonkin to tie things up at 14-all.

Kaiser took the lead back on a pass from Sopoaga to Gakiya, the second of the game, but a missed extra point made it a 20-14 game. Kailua took the lead with a second Maiava to Tonkin connection and tacked on the extra point via the same duo who scored to push the Surfriders ahead 21-20.

The Cougars got the go-ahead score on a connection between Sopoaga and Skyy Smith with 1:42 left to play to make it 26-20, and the Cougars ultimately held on for the win.

In the first game of the day, Kalani and Kalaheo did not manage an offensive score, with the difference maker being an interception by Lilyanne Florendo taken back the other way for the only points scored in the contest.