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Kalani Takase | ScoringLiveMay 3, 2025, 1:33am
Fri, May 2, 2025 @ Mililani [ 7:30 pm ]
MILILANI — The Leilehua Mules will look to make history Saturday night.
Cali Moniz-Kealoha factored into two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score, and Madi Powell recorded a game-sealing interception in the final minutes to lead Leilehua to an 18-12 win over Punahou Friday night.
The victory puts the Mules (10-2) into the title game of the inaugural Hawaii Dental Service/HHSAA Girls Flag Football State Championships Saturday, where they will face off against Campbell at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Mililani's John Kauinana Stadium.
Moniz-Kealoha, a sophomore quarterback, threw for 116 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-21 passing. She also ran six times for 17 yards and another score.
Her 3-yard TD run with about three minutes left in the second quarter broke a 6-all tie. After Punahou eventually evened the score on a long touchdown pass midway through the third quarter, Moniz-Kealoha gave her team the lead for good with her 18-yard scoring strike to Aulii Coelho a few minutes into the final quarter.
"We did have a slow start, just finding our groove it was a little bit rough. We didn't know (anything) about this team, we only had last night to figure out what they do," Moniz-Kealoha said of the Buffanblu (9-3).
"I think we had a hard time adjusting at first, but once we got our groove we were good," she said.
After Leilehua opened the game by going three-and-out, Punahou needed just one play to get on the board. Quarterback Maryah Puletasi slipped three would-be flag pulls on her way to a 40-yard scamper to the end zone to put the Buffanblu up, 6-0, less than minutes into the contest.
Following another three-and-out, the Mules were able to orchestrate a seven-play, 45-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 9-yard TD pass from Powell to Maci Rivera. On the scoring play — which came on fourth-and-goal — Powell took a handoff from Moniz-Kealoha on a jet sweep. As she was about to turn the corner and get upfield, Powell pulled up and fired a well-placed pass to an open Rivera, who was a yard deep in the end zone near the right pylon.
Powell disclosed that she was planning to keep the ball and run with it, but heard Moniz-Kealoha call out that Rivera was free in the secondary.
"I was gonna run it and then Cali said, ‘Look, Maci,' and I just chucked it. I threw it and Maci was there and I couldn't be more happy," Powell said of her first passing touchdown of the year.
Leilehua's defense then forced a three-and-out and a punt by the Buffanblu before its offense took possession of the ball near midfield. A pass interference penalty against Punahou on third-and-3 extended the drive and three plays later, Moniz-Kealoha scooted into the end zone from three yards out to put her team ahead. The scoring play was set up by a 28-yard pitch-and-catch from Moniz-Kealoha to Powell one play prior.
The Mules' 12-6 lead held until the 6:36 mark of the third quarter, when Punahou again went quick strike when Puletasi hit Halia Hoapili on a deep crossing route and Hoapili went untouched to the end zone for a 61-yard touchdown. The ensuing one-point conversion pass fell incomplete to keep the score tied at 12.
The teams remained deadlocked through the end of three quarters, but Leilehua got the go-ahead score four plays into the final stanza on Moniz-Kealoha's 18-yard TD pass to Coelho. Moniz-Kealoha was able to evade an oncoming pass rusher before she located Coelho in the back of the end zone.
"I felt the girl rushing but once I escaped her I knew I had a lot of time to look at the field, look at who's open and just scan it and that's when I saw two of my receivers versus one (defensive back) — one was shallow and was getting covered and the other one was wide open right behind her — so I just launched it and I just trusted her to be able to get that catch," Moniz-Kealoha said.
The Buffanblu penetrated the red zone on their ensuing possession, which included a 26-yard pick up on a Puletasi-to-Hoapili pass play — plus a 10-yard penalty against the Mules for defensive holding — but on third-and-goal from the 18, Puletasi was picked off by Moniz-Kealoha.
Punahou's defense held and forced a punt by Rivera. Its offense eventually got the ball back with two minutes to play on its own 33-yard line. Puletasi and Hoapili connected for a 27-yard completion on the first play of the drive, but the very next play saw the sophomore quarterback target Alethea Hayashi only for Powell to snatch it away from the freshman wideout.
"I knew coming into this game that she was her No. 1 target and coach just put all his trust in me and told me to man her all game and I did and I knew that she was gonna run out routes or flats, so it was just my break on that and she kind of juggled it a little bit and I just hauled it in and went down," Powell said of her fourth interception in two days.
Leilehua coach Bryant Moniz praised Powell for coming up with the timely takeaway.
"She does whatever it takes to win and I mean, she's banged up a little bit, but when you see those 50-50 balls there's no question that she's gonna take it and she just plays with heart, toughness, grit and she's one heck of a player," Moniz said.
Early in the second half, Powell was tended to by athletic trainers after she injured her foot on a punt return.
"I caught the ball and I was going to return it and the girl actually stepped on the top of my foot, which I already had a bad injury to coming into this game, so it was hurting really bad; I was just in pain," Powell said.
She was able to walk off the field on her own power and missed only a few plays before she returned to the game. Powell had a key 14-yard run to convert a third-and-12, which led to Moniz-Kealoha's TD pass to Coelho one play later.
Following Powell's pick the Mules were able to run out the final 1:45 of the contest.
Punahou coach Justin Chun spoke highly of Powell and her play-making ability.
"She's a magnificent player; She's tenacious. When she's going for balls like that that are so up in the air that it kind of could go either way, you know, that's the kind of player that you want on your team," Chun said.
Moniz credited the Mules' defensive players for overcoming the Buffanblu's pair of one-play scoring drives.
"Yeah, I think we just had to settle down. Settle down and the adjustment was to make them earn it, right. We don't want to give them a one-play touchdown, we gotta make them drive the field and then hope for turnovers throughout that time, but other than that we did a great job," Moniz said. "Other than those big strikes and we tightened up and it was good."
Powell tallied a game-high six flag pulls and a pair of pass break-ups. She also finished with eight receptions for 78 yards.
Minei Haiola-Borges had a couple of sacks for the Mules.
Punahou finished with 208 yards of total offense, including 162 through the air from Puletasi. However, she completed just nine of her 22 passes.
Hoapili caught four passes for 117 yards in the loss.
Alethea Hayashi and Brooke Asato each pulled four flags and broke up a pass for the Buffanblu.
"I think we had them every step of the way. A couple calls didn't go our way, but we don't want to play where it comes down to a couple calls. I definitely felt like they were a good team, but I felt like it could have gone either way and I'm proud of where we are as opposed to where we came from," Chun said.
Punahou will play Mililani for third place at 6 p.m. Saturday at Kauinana Stadium.
"Punahou came and they fought, put up a great fight and they made plays and we just made a few more plays than them tonight," Moniz said.
The Mules turn their attention now to the Sabers, who secured their spot in Saturday's state final by virtue of their 14-0 win over Mililani in the first semifinal Friday.
"We worked so hard for this and to be able to have this moment with my team, we deserve it, my dad deserves it, our coaches deserve it. Our players, we all put in work day in and day out and I'm just so proud of us and how far we've come together as a team," Moniz-Kealoha said.
It will be the first meeting between Leilehua and Campbell.
Earlier in the day, Waianae will play Waimea for the consolation championship at 3 p.m. and Kamehameha will square off against Moanalua for fifth place at 4:30 p.m.
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