Lahainaluna quarterback Makoa Filikitonga accounted for three touchdowns – including the game-winner with five seconds left in regulation – to lead the Lunas to a thrilling 18-16 victory over Kapaa Saturday night at Vidinha Stadium. The Lunas, ranked No. 1 in the ScoringLive/OC16 Division II Power Rankings, improve their record to 1-0 while the third-ranked Warriors dropped to 0-1.

“It was a pretty big win especially since they were ranked pretty high,” said Lahainaluna co-head coach Garrett Tihada Sunday night. “They did a good job. Kapaa, they are tough.”

It was a seesaw type of game that resulted in five different lead changes. Kapaa drew first blood with Noah LaMadrid’s 34-yard field goal just as time expired in the first quarter. 

Lahainaluna took its first lead of the game midway into the second quarter with Filikitonga’s five-yard scamper. Jared Rocha-Isalas kick was no good, leaving the Lunas with a 6-3 lead at the break. 

The Warriors struck back early in the third quarter with an eight-yard keeper around right end by quarterback Rudy Agoot. LaMadrid’s PAT was good making the score 10-6 in favor of Kapaa with 8:25 to go in the third. 

A third quarter play-action touchdown pass between Filikitonga and tight end Jayven Paleka-Wright had the Lunas taking a 12-10 lead heading into the final stanza.

Kapaa’s final touchdown of the night came on a three-yard plunge from running back Elijah Gouveia-McCarthy. This gave Kapaa a 16-12 lead with 3:16 remaining in regulation. 

The Warriors’ defense held their own in the Lunas’ final series but costly penalties ultimately extended the drive, allowing the road team to come from behind for the last second touchdown.

“Mental errors got us in the end,” Kapaa coach Phillip Rapozo told ScoringLive Sunday afternoon.  “We had an unsportsmanlike conduct on one play to keep (Lahainaluna’s) drive alive. We hit the quarterback out of bounds and it was on third-and-long.”

Kapaa also had an offsides penalty while Lahainaluna was facing a fourth-and-short situation. 

“We were really lucky,” said Tihada. “We shouldn’t have come out with the win. (Kapaa) shot themselves in the foot.”

Regardless of how the victory was obtained, Tihada was pleased with the way the Lunas played. 

“Extremely proud with them. We didn’t play a very good game. We didn’t do a very good job – but at the same time, good teams find a way to get it done. I told the kids at the end of the game ‘the bottom line is that we won.’ (The game) could have gone either way, but our kids did not stop fighting.”

Lunas’ defensive lineman Connor Mowat was also instrumental in the Lahainaluna victory. Mowat registered a 10-plus tackle performance on the night.

Lahainaluna opens up Maui Interscholastic League play against King Kekaulike (0-1) next Friday. Kapaa will have a week off before taking on Waimea (1-0) in its Kauai Interscholastic Federation season-opener.