Moanalua wanted a shot at the playoffs so badly, but Nanakuli just said no.
Nanakuli saw an 18-point halftime lead dwindle before escaping with a 21-17 win over Moanalua on Friday night to clinch the fourth and final playoff seed in OIA Division I on senior night.
Taydin Tote-Travers rushed for 160 yards on 17 carries before leaving in the fourth quarter with an injury.
With 4:10 left, Moanalua stopped Nanakuli RB Cruz Montez on fourth-and-1 for a 1-yard loss at the Golden Hawks’ 37-yard line.
Moanalua drove to the Nanakuli 17-yard line and called time out on fourth-and-1 with 1:43 left. The Golden Hawks stuffed Moanalua QB Azariah Withy-Allen on a sneak attempt for no gain and took over with 1:23 to go. Alapa Watson, battling in the trenches, and Matthew Mauai-Silifaiva, pulling Withy-Allen from behind, led the defensive push.
Nanakuli then ran out the clock after Moanalua burned its final timeout.
“I’m proud of this team. We were dealt a tough hand from the start, a small team, the third-smallest school in the OIA. Hat’s off to Moanalua. They played a heck of a second half,” Nanakuli coach Kili Watson said. “Our guys got banged up, but they’re so resilient. The grass is greener where you water it.”
Nanakuli completed league play 4-3 (5-4 overall) and has a bye week before facing top seed Waipahu in the semifinal round.
“We haven’t had a bye week, so we’re definitely going to utilize the time to heal up and rest up, and get ready for whoever we have looking forward,” Watson said.
Entering the contest, Moanalua had a chance to create chaos in OIA Division I. A Moanalua win plus a potential Aiea win over Farrington on Saturday would have left Moanalua, Farrington and Nanakuli tied for the fourth and final seed at 3-4. With all tiebreakers unresolved, the process would have advanced into coin flips.
Moanalua closed the season 3-7 overall, 2-5 in OIA D-I.
“The boys came out to fight. That was the whole thing the whole year. Getting them to fight for themselves. The last three, four games, they came out and fought. It’s a long process. We don’t have much guys and we’re young,” Moanalua coach Keone Batoon said. “But we learned a lot.”
Moanalua senior Xavier Kaleiwahea-Dilyard was spectacular in the second half with kick returns and two receptions for 97 yards, including a 44-yard TD. He returned from injury in time for their last two games.
Nanakuli held Moanalua to a three-and-out to open the game, then drove 33 yards in nine plays to pay dirt. Allix Yap eluded the pass rush on third-and-8, rolled right and threw back to the middle of the end zone, where Zhyrisen Kahalekai was open for a 10-yard TD with 5:49 left in the opening quarter.
Moanalua turned the ball over on downs at its 43-yard line. On fourth-and-1, running back Titan Teo was stonewalled by a horde of Golden Hawks led by sophomore Pierce Kawai. Six plays later, Yap found ‘Ilikea Hoohuli wide open on a post pattern for a 15-yard TD to open the second quarter. That opened Nanakuli’s lead to 14-0.
Withy-Allen entered the game at QB for Moanalua, which switched from a power-I jumbo package to shotgun trips. Nanakuli stopped Na Menehune on downs at the Moanalua 47-yard line. On the next snap, Yap launched a bomb to Kahalekai for a 47-yard TD.
Nanakuli led 21-0 with 9:02 left in the first half.
Moanalua drove to the Nanakuli 22-yard line but false-started on fourth-and-1. Keolu Markle-Kane them boomed a 46-yard field goal to get Na Menehune on the scoreboard with 5:06 to go before halftime.
Moanalua had 2 rushing yards on 12 attempts in the first half, and 22 yards of total offense. Nanakuli tallied 98 rushing yards and 124 passing yards by intermission.
Moanalua got back-to-back big gains from wide receiver Isaiah Griffin on 18- and 26-yard completions from Withy-Allen. On the next play, Withy-Allen hit Xavier Kaleiwahea-Dilyard with a quick pass, and the wide receiver split three defenders for a 44-yard TD. That brought Moanalua within 21-11 with 9:56 to go.
Nanakuli got a 67-yard run by Tote-Travers, but on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Yap’s end zone pass was picked off by Chazeron Kalamau. Moanalua began possession at its 1-yard line.
On third-and-10, Nanakuli was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct “on the coach,” according to the head official. On the next play, Withy-Allen beat the blitz with a 54-yard completion to Kaleiwahea-Dilyard. Na Menehune completed the 99-yard scoring drive on Withy-Allen’s 5-yard dart to Zaysten Kealoha. That got Moanalua within 21-17 with 6:14 remaining.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL BOX SCORES
NANAKULI 21, MOANALUA 17
At Nanakuli
TEAM
1
2
3
4
FINAL
Moanalua (3-7, 2-5)
0
3
0
14
17
Nanakuli (5-4, 4-3)
7
14
0
0
21
Scoring Summary:
Nan—Zhyrisen Kahalekai 10 pass from Allix Yap (Yap kick)
Nan—‘Ilikea Hoohuli 15 pass from Yap (Yap kick)
Nan—Kahalekai 47 pass from Yap (Yap kick)
Moa—Keolu Markle-Kane FG 46
Moa—Xavier Kaleiwahea-Dilyard 44 pass from Azariah Withy-Allen (Withy-Allen run)
Moa—Zaysten Kealoha 5 pass from Withy-Allen (kick failed)
JV score: Moanalua 38, Nanakuli 21.
Individual Statistics:
RUSHING—Moa: Titan Teo 8-8, Tyler Gines-Hufana 3-5, Azariah Withy-Allen 4-12, Titan Udani-Flood 2-5, Zaysten Kealoha 1-(-7), Jayven Pangelinan-Graupner 3-22. Nan: Taydin Tote-Travers 17-160, Kaiehu Iokia 4-21, Allix Yap 8-20, Duke Mier Jr. 2-4, Cruz Montez 5-4, Mason Mauai 2-1, team 2-(-2).
PASSING—Moa: Tyler Gines-Hufana 3-7-1-29, Azariah Withy-Allen 10-17-0-158. Nan: Allix Yap.
RECEIVING—Moa: Zaysten Kealoha 7-40, Titan Teo 2-6, Isaiah Griffin 2-44, Xavier Kaleiwahea-Dilyard 2-97. Nan: Zhyrisen Kahalekai 6-86, ‘Ilikea Hoohuli 3-23, Duke Mier Jr. 2-5, Mason Mauai 1-15.
WAIANAE 41, RADFORD 6
JJ Kaio completed 12 of 18 passes for 176 yards and three touchdowns, and Maxumus Quon-Kaleiopu rushed 14 times for 159 yards and two scores as the Seariders beat the Rams. Waianae’s Keonakoa Malaia caught three passes for 97 yards and two scores, and Staiyln Stanton-Hernandez also hauled in a touchdown pass. The Seariders also scored on Tyler Perez’s 45-yard punt return. Radford’s Malosi Salanoa completed 12 of 26 passes for 121 yards, and rushed for a score.At Radford
TEAM
1
2
3
4
FINAL
Waianae
14
14
7
6
41
Radford
6
0
0
0
6
Scoring Summary:
WAIN—Keonakoa Malaia 32 pass from JJ Kaio (Tyler Perez kick)
RAD—Malosi Salanoa 10 run (kick failed)
WAIN—Maxumus Quon-Kaleiopu 12 run (Perez kick)
WAIN—Malaia 40 pass from Kaio (Perez kick)
WAIN—Perez 45 punt return (Perez kick)
WAIN—Staiyln Stanton-Hernandez 6 pass from Kaio (Perez kick)
WAIN—Quon-Kaleiopu 12 run (2-point conversion failed)
Individual Statistics:
RUSHING—Waianae: Kaleiopu 14-159, Destin Barona 10-81. Radford: Colby Burgess 12-67, Salanoa 11-64.
PASSING—Waianae: Kaio 12-18-1-176. Radford: Salanoa 12-26-1-121.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Malaia 3-97, Stanton-Hernandez 3-55, Josten Figueroa 2-4, Quon-Kaleiopu 1-12, Makua McKeague 1-12, Barona 1-2, Kaio 1-(minus 6). Radford: Asher Strain 6-51, Burgess 3-41, Henry Harris 3-29.
ALSO
OIA Division I
Waipahu 63, Roosevelt 0BIIF
Kamehameha-Hawaii 43, Honokaa 18
Keaau 32, Kealakehe 0