Kaimuki snaps 18-game losing streak with full team showing over Waialua

KALIHI – Bulldogs bite back.

In Thursday night’s “Bulldog Bowl” at Farrington High School, it was the guys in green that got off a near three-year slide as the Kaimuki Bulldogs used a punishing rushing attack, timely special teams plays and a hat trick of touchdowns from Tieler Sufon to take down the Waialua Bulldogs, 26-14.

Sufon didn’t need many touches to star for a win-starved Kaimuki squad, getting three total carries on the night for 122 yards and three scores. The sophomore also added a pair of tackles and had an interception that was called back after a wild sequence.

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Kaimuki (1-1, 1-0 league) ran for 228 total yards on the ground as a group as six different players finished with 10 or more yards rushing. Sohn Santos added 49 yards on seven carries while Kilifi Koli chipped in four rushes for 21 yards.

It was Waialua (1-1, 0-1 league) that got off to the quicker start, forcing three turnovers in the opening 12 minutes while taking a 7-0 lead behind a Jeremiah Clark 54-yard catch-and-run from QB Konan Riddleberger.

Despite the early turnover woes, Kaimuki’s defense didn’t flinch as it forced a fumble and turnover-on-downs to keep in a one-possession game more than midway through the 2nd quarter.

The Kaimuki offense finally repaid the defenders as halftime approached, seeing Sufon surge through the Waialua defense for a 30-yard touchdown with 3:18 left in the second frame. After an unsportsmanlike penalty against Waialua set up Kaimuki on the 1-and-a-half-yard line, the Bulldogs in green tried to go for two but were stopped after a faulty snap and remained down by a point, 7-6.

Kaimuki would catch Waialua off guard on the ensuing kickoff with an onside recovery, but the Waialua defense forced a fifth turnover of the first half to take the ball right back by the 50.

It looked as though Waialua played the end of the half perfectly, setting up in the middle of the hashmarks from 30 yards out for a field goal attempt with five seconds left before the break.

Then, the Kaimuki special teams unit turned the tide.

The kick was blocked and promptly recovered by Kaimuki’s Zephanaia Flaisek, who picked the ball up and sprinted 70 yards for a touchdown as the first half clock expired, giving Kaimuki its first halftime lead since November 2023.

With a 12-7 advantage in hand, Kaimuki sandwiched scores around the halftime break as Kilifi Koli returned the third quarter opening kick inside Waialua’s 10-yard line and Sufon finished the job with his second score of the evening.

Riding the momentum, Kaimuki’s defense forced a turnover on downs once again and bled the rest of the third quarter clock to push Waialua to the brink.

Kaimuki’s defense celebrates a stop during Thursday’s 26-14 win over Waialua. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

The Division II Bulldogs from the North Shore still showed resilience despite the nightmare stretch of middle quarters, punching back with a quick strike to begin the 4th quarter as Riddleberger connected with Clark for a 41-yard touchdown to make it a one-score game once again.

It didn’t matter much as Sufon sprinted away from the Waialua defense two plays later for an 83-yard touchdown, pushing Kaimuki back ahead by two possessions while deflating the energy that had just returned to the opposing sideline.

Riddleberger tossed his second interception of the night on the next drive, allowing Kaimuki to drain the clock to under a minute before giving the ball back to Waialua.

By then, it was too little, too late for the North Shore Bulldogs.

Waialua QB Konan Riddleberger had an up-and-down night, completing 18-of-33 passes for a career-high 245 yards and two touchdowns while also tossing a pair of interceptions. Junior WR Jeremiah Clark turned in his own impressive night despite the loss, hauling in five catches for a game-best 124 yards and both scores for his squad.

Thursday night marked the first win for Kaimuki since October 28, 2023, against Pearl City, snapping an 18-game losing streak for the Bulldogs. It was also the first career varsity tackle football victory for third-year head coach Kawehi Moefu.

Kaimuki HC Kawehi Moefu looks on during a complete team victory for his Bulldogs. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Waialua will look to re-group before hosting Riverdale (CO) on September 3 on the North Shore. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. HT.

Next up for Kaimuki will be a return trip to Farrington High School, hosting PAC-5 on September 4 with kickoff slated for 5:30 p.m. HT.