Kahuku denies Kapolei to win 31st OIA Football championship

With rain pouring and the wind blowing, this one came down to one final play.

When the final horn sounded, it was Kahuku’s defense that stood tall.

On the last play of the game, Kapolei running back Chazz-Michael Kapahu took the handoff and tried to muscle his way through the right side of the line — but the Red Raiders’ defense swarmed, led by Shaden Niu, Malaki Soliai-Tui and Siale Reid, stopping Kapahu just short of the goal line to preserve a dramatic 12–7 victory to clinch Kahuku’s league-leading 31st OIA championship on a rain-soaked Saturday night at Farrington’s Skippa Diaz Stadium.

The win gives Kahuku its second straight OIA title and fifth in six years. It is also the first for interim head coach Nihoa Pule, who took over the program in late March following the departure of longtime coach Sterling Carvalho.

“It’s a testament to our community, our parents, and definitely our support staff,” Pule said. “It looked rocky at the beginning — it still looks rocky at times — but our kids stayed the course because they come from a good, wholesome community that trusts the process.”

Kapolei held the lead for most of the game until the late stages in the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes then began their final possession from their own 15-yard line with 4:13 on the clock and put together a 16-play drive that spanned 84 yards and included a pair of fourth-down conversions along the way.

Eventually Kapolei reached the one-yard line after Kapahu caught a 15-yard reception from Jacob Ballesteros, prompting Pule to call timeout to regroup his defense.

“At that point, it was on us,” Pule said. “Defensively, we held us in the game tonight, and what better way to win it than on the one-inch line? Our kids showed up.”

After the final stop, the Red Raiders’ sideline erupted as the defense celebrated another signature Kahuku moment — a fitting finish to a gritty, hard-fought championship.

Kapolei head coach Darren Hernandez said there was never a thought to pass on the final play.

“We weren’t gonna throw a slant like the Seahawks,” Hernandez said. “We had to try to run it. We were on the one-foot line. We outweigh them, we’ve got a big O-line, but they just played with incredible tenacity. They’re Kahuku — they find a way to win. They drag you into the mud and make you play their game, and they did that tonight.”

Kahuku’s lone touchdown came with 4:26 remaining in regulation when senior quarterback Troy Mariteragi found Kea Lerner for a 28-yard scoring pass on third-and-14.

Amid steady rain and strong winds, the ball hung in the air before Lerner rose above his defender to make the catch.

“I just saw him throw it up, and I noticed it was going shorter because of the wind,” Lerner said. “I just jumped up and wished for the best.”

It was Lerner’s only catch of the game, and the Red Raiders’ only trip to the end zone.

Mariteragi finished 6-of-17 for 43 yards with three interceptions, including two tipped passes that were picked off by Kapolei’s Brison Miyose in the first half.

Still, Pule praised his senior quarterback for his composure and resilience.

“Troy’s a veteran,” Pule said. “He knows the expectation that comes with being QB1. The lows come with the highs, and at the end of the day it’s about making the right play at the right time.”

Kapolei opened the scoring three minutes into the second quarter when Kapahu connected with Noah Papu-Maiava on a fourth-down jump pass, breaking a scoreless tie. The touchdown came seven plays after Miyose’s second interception set up the Hurricanes in Kahuku territory.

That would be Kapolei’s only trip to the end zone, as the Red Raiders’ defense tightened in the second half, forcing punts and keeping the Hurricanes out of the red zone until the final drive.

Kicker Jadyn Parker was also solid for the Red Raiders to keep them in the game. He drilled a 35-yard field goal just before the end of the first half to make it a 7-3 game at the break and hit another one from 40 yards out late in the third quarter to make it a 7-6 contest heading into the fourth quarter.

With the victory, Kahuku added another chapter to its storied football legacy. Pule became the 11th head coach in program history to lead the Red Raiders to a league title, but he was quick to credit everyone around him.

“The kids just willed us,” Pule said. “They knew what the task was and they did their jobs all night. It wasn’t gonna be a high-scoring game, but our kids trusted each other and got it done.”

PHOTOS BY CJ CARAANG