Nanakuli's Richard Federico hauls in a 35-yard TD pass to give the Golden Hawks a 31-6 lead at the 4:29 mark of the third quarter. Michael Lasquero | SL

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Nanakuli's Richard Federico hauls in a 35-yard TD pass to give the Golden Hawks a 31-6 lead at the 4:29 mark of the third quarter. Michael Lasquero | SL

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MAKIKI — The Nanakuli Golden Hawks were in a funk to start the game.

A lost fumble on their first play from scrimmage.

A turnover on downs at the goal line on their next possession.

It just wasn't working early on.

But the Golden Hawks settled down before turning it around to spoil Kaimuki's homecoming Saturday night.

Nanakuli scored 31 straight points across three quarters to pull away from the Bulldogs, 42-20, in an OIA Division II contest at Roosevelt's Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium.

Senior quarterback Hansen Salausa-Kaawa accounted for five total touchdowns in the win to help the Golden Hawks lock up the league's No. 1 seed in the playoffs as they improved to 6-1 overall and 6-0 in league play with one game remaining in the regular season.

Salausa-Kaawa was picked off on a low screen pass in the second quarter, but bounced back to throw four TDs after halftime. His third TD pass of the night — a 35-yard strike down the left sideline to Richard Federico — capped the Golden Hawks' 31-point run at the 4:29 mark of the third quarter.

The senior QB finished the night completing 16 of 22 passes for 229 yards. He was also a capable runner with six carries for 50 yards. Salausa-Kaawa had a 20-yard carry to set up Christian Asinsin's 2-yard TD run late in the first quarter and also scored on a 7-yard keeper around left end to convert on fourth-and-1 right before halftime.

"Hansen did an incredible job, he's a great leader," Nanakuli coach Kili Watson said of his quarterback. "Rough start, but for him to bounce back in the second half and lead the offense was awesome. It really was taking what we get. In the first half we trying to force too many things."

Nanakuli QB Hansen Salausa-Kaawa had himself a night against Kaimuki, accounting for five total TDs in a 42-20 win.

He threw for 229 yards and four scores and added 50 yards on the ground with a 7-yard TD run to convert on fourth down.@GHawkAthletic pic.twitter.com/JAPuK1uNmz

— Michael Lasquero (@MichaelLasquero) October 2, 2022

David Kalili was the top target for Salausa-Kaawa with four receptions for 103 yards and two TDs. He scored on a nifty 36-yard catch-and-run for the first TD of the second half and added a 40-yard reception over the middle to score the Golden Hawks' final TD of the night.

Blaze Baltazar-Sonselva also caught a TD pass, scoring on a 20-yard reception between the seams midway through the third quarter. Kicker Chance Asinsin was just 1 of 4 on PATs, but he knocked a 25-yard field goal with 2:37 left in regulation for the final points of the game.

The Bulldogs (3-4, 3-3) scored first after Jinoby Paul recovered the fumble on Nanakuli's opening play. The change of possession led to Iosefa Letuli's 8-yard TD pass to Josiah Hicks to give Kaimuki the early 6-0 lead at the 8:12 mark of the first quarter. The Bulldogs would hold the lead until the 0:42 mark of the period.

Kaimuki would not reach the end zone again until there was 1:33 left in the third quarter. Avin Tanioka took the shotgun snap and found Donovan Mckeown opened in the corner of the end zone to make the score a 31-12.

Letuli ran in a 3-yard TD and the following 2-point try to snap Nanakuli's lead to 31-20 in the fourth quarter, but the Golden Hawks scored the final 11 points of the game to put Kaimuki away.

The Bulldogs were without leading rusher Ofa Vehikite (93 carries, 981 yards, nine TDs) in the game. He dislocated his left elbow in last week's game against Kaiser.