OIA Football
Chargers hold off late Kaimuki push, 17-15


Michael Lasquero | ScoringLive
September 16, 2017, 10:17pm

  

Sat, Sep 16, 2017 @ Farrington [ 6:30 pm ]

Pearl City

17

Kaimuki

15

Final 1 2 3 4 T
Pearl City (7-3-0) 7 0 3 717
Kaimuki (5-4-0) 7 0 0 815
Jordan Solomon 92 yd 2 TD
Isaiah Asinsin 103 yd
Elijah Lemalu 27 yd 1 TD
Chase Cudiamat 76 yd



KALIHI — The battle between two unbeaten league teams went down to the wire.

Zion Tupuola-Fetui blocked the potential game-winning field goal from 25 yards out with 16 seconds left in regulation to help preserve Pearl City's 17-15 win over Kaimuki at Edward ‘Skippa' Diaz Stadium at Henry Kusunoki Field Saturday night.

The Chargers, ranked fourth in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Football Power Rankings, held the lead throughout most of the second half before withstanding the Bulldogs' late rally to improve to 5-1 overall and 5-0 in the Oahu Interscholastic Association D2 standings.

"This was a great team win at the end of the day," said Tupuola-Fetui. "Every aspect of the game came to play. It was a low scoring game, but we're just happy for the outcome."

Makoa Cooper carried the ball 19 times for 148 of the Chargers' total 219 yards on the ground to spearhead the Pearl City offense.

The 5-foot-8, 155-pound senior running back had runs of 30 and 37 yards on the Chargers' first two plays of the second half to set up Zameer Khan's 31-yard field goal to put Pearl City ahead for good, 10-7, at the 9:50 mark of the third quarter.

"He's a great running back," Pearl City coach Robin Kami said of Cooper. "He reads the hole well and he runs hard. He has that drive that he wants to play. I try to take him out of the game, but he says ‘no coach, I can get back in there.'"

Quarterback Isaiah Asinsin bookend the Chargers' scoring with a pair of 1-yard sneaks, which came at the 5:10 mark of the first quarter and the 9:15 mark of the final period of play. He also completed six passes for 103 yards in the win.

For eight-ranked Kaimuki (4-2, 4-1), the formula on offense was practically the same as the Chargers. Ieke Seei-Cleveland rumbled for 146 yards on 28 carries and junior quarterback Jordan Solomon was able to use his legs to throw two TD passes.

"We had enough opportunities to shut this game down and take it, but we didn't," said Kaimuki coach David Tautofi. "It was a night that these guys (Pearl City) won. It was a great game, it was a heckuva of a game. This is why we coach."

The difference however was in the blocked field goal.

Kaimuki had a first-and-goal situation at the Chargers' 4-yard line with 1:01 left to play, but went nowhere after a 3-yard loss on a shovel pass and two runs by Seei-Cleveland for no gain to set up fourth down with Kaimuki kicker Richard Burton.

The Bulldogs mishandled the snap on Burton's 25-yard field goal attempt, which allowed Tupuola-Fetui enough time to get through the gap and jump up in front of Burton's kick to ice the game.

"We just tried to open up some gaps, whatever is there," said Tupuola-Fetui. "My number was called this time. I'm happy I could come through for my team."

Pearl City's victory sets up a showdown for first place in the league with when it travels to unbeaten Waipahu (5-0, 4-0) next Friday in the second-ranked Marauders' homecoming game.

Kaimuki will have a week off before taking on Waipahu on Sept. 30.


Reach Michael Lasquero at [email protected].




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