Kingsley Ah You
HawaiiDigitalSports.com
Aloha and welcome to HawaiiDigitalSports.com presentation of OIA Football Playoff coverage between the Kahuku Red Raiders and Radford Rams.
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Honolulu StarAdvertiser
By Billy Hull
No. 1 Kahuku opened its postseason playing the same dominating brand of football it has all season.
Aofaga Wily rushed for 129 yards and four touchdowns and Tyrone Brown carried the ball 11 times for 125 yards and a score to lead the Red Raiders over Radford 52-7 last night in the quarterfinals of the Oahu Interscholastic Association Red playoffs at Carleton Weimer Field.
Kahuku (9-0), the top seed out of the East, advances to play the winner of tonight’s game between Leilehua and Castle next weekend at Aloha Stadium.
The two-time defending league champions haven’t lost in the OIA playoffs since 2007, when Kapolei shocked Kahuku in the opening round, ending its season.
Brown, who scored on a 17-yard run to cap a 20-point second quarter, said the team used it as motivation during the week.
“Coach just reminded us that this is our house and not to take anyone lightly from now on,” Brown said.
Wily has stepped up as the clear No. 1 back in Kahuku’s system, getting the lion’s share of carries in recent weeks.
Last night saw both running backs working at their best as they easily topped the 100-yard mark, with Brown averaging more than 11 yards a carry.
“When both of us are clicking like that, everything clicks because our (offensive) line just flows and they are used to us doing that in practice,” Brown said.
The Rams (5-5) had nothing to lose and played like it early. Quarterback Maika Ulufale completed six of his first eight passes, including a 12-yard touchdown to Dorsey Norris to tie the game at 7-all at the end of the first quarter.
The Red Raiders made adjustments on defense and Ulufale completed only 13 of his next 35 throws, including three interceptions that led to three Kahuku touchdowns and 45 unanswered points.
“Our defensive coaches said that our defensive linemen needed to be more disciplined on the bootlegs,” Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. “We switched up some of our blitzes to force them to throw the ball earlier than they wanted to, which set up our interceptions.”
Kawehena Johnson got the first of three, taking his back 30 yards for a touchdown to give Kahuku a 20-7 lead. Brown added his 17-yard scoring run later in the quarter, and Kahuku nearly scored with no time remaining as Shairone Thompson hauled in a 42-yard pass from Evan Moe but was tackled at the 1-yard line.
Wily put the game away with two more rushing touchdowns in the second half, and Moe, who was 10-for-16 for 150 yards, threw his only touchdown pass, a 10-yard strike to Benetton Fonua.
Thompson finished with four catches for 82 yards, and Punga Vea hauled in four passes for 49 yards.
Radford was led by Andrew Togialua, who had six catches for 53 yards, and running back Phil Hogan, who was effective out of the backfield catching five balls for 56 yards.
Kahuku’s defense accounted for a second touchdown when Rashaan Falemalu, brother of University of Hawaii defensive end Paipai Falemalu, returned a fumble 20 yards for a score late in the third quarter.
At Carleton Weimer Field
| Radford (5-5) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | |
| Kahuku (9-0) | 7 | 20 | 25 | 0 | — | 52 |
Kah–Aofaga Wily 1 run (Josh Sorensen kick)
Rad–Dorsey Norris 12 pass from Maika Ulufale (Cayman Conley kick)
Kah–Wily 4 run (Sorensen kick)
Kah–Kawehena Johnson 30 interception return (kick failed)
Kah–Tyrone Brown 17 run (Sorensen kick)
Kah–Wily 1 run (kick failed)
Kah–Benetton Fonua 10 pass from Evan Moe (kick failed)
Kah–Wily 7 run (kick failed)
Kah–Rashaan Falemalu 20 fumble return (Steven Vave kick)
RUSHING–Rad: Jordan Murao 2-19, Phil Hogan 6-5, Jared Asleson 1-(minus 2), Ulufale 7-(minus 13). Kah: Wily 20-129, Brown 11-125, Sterling Moe 1-22, Shawn Pahulu 2-12, Fonoivasa Mataafa 1-3, Viliami Livai 1-0, Moe 3-(minus 16).
PASSING–Rad: Ulufale 19-43-3-214. Kah: Moe 10-16-0-150, Livai 1-1-0-13.
RECEIVING–Rad: Andrew Togialua 6-53, Hogan 5-56, TJ Reid 3-50, EJ Foser 1-14, Norris 1-12, Zach Tinao-Rabellizsa 1-12, Mason Manuma 1-12, Troy Evans 1-5. Kah: Shairone Thompson 4-82, Punga Vea 4-49, Galeai Malufau 2-22, Fonua 1-10.
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