Moanalua to meet Mililani in battle of unbeatens for first OIA title

Moanalua to meet Mililani in battle of unbeatens for first OIA title

Apr 16, 2025

Moanalua and Mililani will meet on Thursday night in a battle of unbeatens, fighting for the first-ever OIA girls flag football championship. | Photo Credit: Michael Lasquero, HSRN

Moanalua to meet Mililani in battle of unbeatens for first OIA title

BY PAUL BRECHT | HONOLULU
PUBLISHED APRIL 16, 2025

SALT LAKE – And then there were two. 

The inaugural season of girls’ high school flag football in the OIA almost has a champion. The Mililani Trojans (7-0) and Moanalua Na Menehune (7-0) each clinched a spot in the OIA girls flag football title game with hard-fought victories over Campbell (6-2) and Nanakuli (5-2) in Wednesday night’s semifinals. 

Campbell and Nanakuli will meet first on Thursday in the third-place game with the opening snap scheduled for 5:15 p.m. with Mililani and Moanalua to follow immediately after (approx. 7 p.m.). Both games will be played at Mililani High School. 

Campbell v. Mililani (OIA Semifinal #1) 

The Mililani Trojans were the first team to secure a spot in the first-ever OIA championship game, taking down the Campbell Sabers in the league semifinals at Moanalua High School on Wednesday night, 25-14. 

Sophomore QB Zenn Nelson led the way for the Trojans, completing 10-of-19 passes for 86 yards and two scores while rushing 22 times for a game-high 128 yards and two more touchdowns. Nelson was also intercepted twice but had an interception of her own on the other side of the ball. 

Mililani’s Xailey Robinson got the first score of the game with 1:27 left in the opening half, hauling a four-yard pass from Nelson to give the Trojans a 7-0 lead going into the break. Robinson finished the night with three catches for 23 yards in total  

Nelson added the first of her two scores on the ground on the opening drive of the third quarter, twisting through the defense for a two-yard rushing touchdown and following it up on the other side with an interception less than a minute later. 

Needing some momentum, Campbell found sparks after the interception with a pick of their own. Sabers senior QB Maya Gonsalves followed up the stop with a 60-yard bomb of a touchdown pass to sophomore WR Jyzelle Gorion to make it a one-score game with 3:02 left in the third quarter. 

Campbell junior Jaynalyn Sotelo quickly built on that momentum with a pick-six on the first play immediately following the touchdown, giving the Sabers their first lead of the day with under a minute left in the third quarter. 

Nelson fired a laser to the front-left pylon with 7:57 left in regulation, connecting with Nahealani Choy Foo for the first time in the OIA playoffs to push the unbeaten Trojans back ahead for good, 19-14. Nelson added her second rushing touchdown of the game with 1:45 remaining, putting the cherry on top of the semifinal win for Mililani. 

Campbell QB Maya Gonsalves ended the night completing 16-of-32 pass attempts for 178 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Junior WR Aiesha Deweever led the Sabers with five receptions for 39 yards while Jyzelle Gorion finished with 61 yards and a score across three catches. 

Nanakuli – Moanalua (OIA Semifinal #2) 

The second and final spot in the 2025 OIA girls flag football championship game was secured by Moanalua Na Menehune after figuring out a way past a stout Nanakuli Golden Hawks squad on Wednesday at Moanalua High School. 

Nanakuli’s defense managed to do the impossible to begin the game, holding Moanalua’s high-powered offense without a point in the opening quarter – the first time all season Na Menehune entered a second frame without any points.

Star Moanalua quarterback Zaira Sugui finally got Na Menehune on the board with time winding down in the first half, twirling through the Nanakuli defense for a 6-yard rushing touchdown with 1:45 left before the break. The junior followed it up with an interception on the defensive side less than a minute later and then found Kaia Borjes-Peeples with five seconds remaining in the second quarter to send Moanalua into halftime leading 12-0. 

The Nanakuli defense stepped to the task again in the second half, holding Moanalua scoreless throughout the third quarter before Sugui connected with freshman receiver Lofa Simanu on a 23-yard touchdown pass to open up the final quarter. Simanu snagged the two-point conversion as well for Moanalua, putting the top seed from the East up three scores with just over eight minutes to go. 

Na Menehune’s defense clamped down on the Golden Hawks from first to final whistle, allowing 52 yards of total offense to Nanakuli while notching the team’s second shutout of the season. Moanalua also shut out Roosevelt in the opening game of the season. 

Nanakuli freshman QB Charyssa Asinsin finished the night completing 6-of-17 passes for 27 yards and an interception, getting sacked twice as the Golden Hawks offense struggled to get going on the offensive side of the ball. Fellow freshman Styralynn Reyes had 3.0 sacks in the loss as Nanakuli showed off a bright future in a strong effort against one of the state’s top teams. 

Moanalua QB Zaira Sugui went 13-for-20 passing for 154 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while tacking on her third rushing score of the year and leading Na Menehune with 49 rushing yards. Freshman WR Jodie Keo had seven catches for 85 yards to lead Moanalua while Simanu and Borjes-Peeples each hauled in touchdowns in the victory. 

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Leilehua shakes off slow start to cruise past Pearl City

Leilehua shakes off slow start to cruise past Pearl City

Apr 5, 2025

Leilehua QB Cali Moniz-Kealoha gets loose in the open field on a running play against Pearl City. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Leilehua shakes off slow start to cruise past Pearl City

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED APRIL 4, 2025

MILILANI – Complimentary football was on display in win No. 4 for the Leilehua girls flag football team.

The Mules shook off a scoreless first quarter by recycling four interceptions into three scores in a 27-0 win over Pearl City at John Kauinana Stadium Friday night.

It was Leilehua’s second shutout of the OIA season as it improved to 4-0 behind the two-way ability of Madi Powell, who recorded two interceptions and caught two touchdowns. Powell was selected as HSRN’s ‘VIP of the Game,’ presented by Fun Factory Games.

“She’s a baller,” Leilehua coach Bryant Moniz said of Powell. “I was fortunate I had Madi play for me when she was like 12. Even with the boys, she was the best on the team. I’m fortunate to have her.”

Moniz, a former quarterback at the University of Hawai’i, credited his players’ work ethic in the Mules’ wining streak.

“The girls worked hard everyday, whether it’s weights, practice, whatever it is they come out with a ‘yes coach’ attitude every time and they’re relentless,” Moniz said.

Moniz’s daughter, Cali Moniz-Kealoha, is also on the team playing the same position he did during his time on the Mules and Rainbow Warriors. She accounted for three scores in the air and ran in the first TD of the game.

“It’s so awesome. I tell everybody everyday it’s such a blessing. I’m so fortunate just to be able to be on the same field with my daughter,” Moniz said.

“She’s grown up around the sport, she was in diapers when I was at UH so to see it come full circle and seeing her play the position, it’s been a dream.”

Leilehua was unable to score on its opening two possessions and nearly had a score when Aulii Coelho got behind the Pearl City defense.

After not coming up with the grab, Coelho made good on the miscue with an interception on defense early in the second quarter. A catch by Powell took the Mules near the goal line to set up Moniz-Kealoha’s keeper for the first TD. For the conversion, Powell caught a short hitch pass off of an RPO to put Leilehua ahead 7-0.

On the ensuing possession, Powell came up with an interception over the middle to give Leilehua the ball back. After using jet sweeps and short passes for the early part of the game, Moniz-Kealoha uncorked a deep pass down the left sideline to Maci Rivera to give Leilehua a 13-0 lead.

“It was a slow start for us in the beginning but we bounced back,” said Powell.

“On defense, we got two picks to get the ball back and just scored on every opportunity we had. Couple drop balls, but it’s a part of the game and we just pick each other up and go from there.”

An interception by Naia Huest-Hauki gave Leilehua another takeaway to start the second half that led to Powell’s first receiving TD. Powell also caught another score in the fourth quarter and had another interception in the final period of play.

A snap into the back of the end zone resulted in a safety for Leilehua for the final point total of 27-0.

The Chargers (4-0) didn’t quit despite being outmatched, with Mia O’Sullivan coming down with an interception while the Mules were in the red zone.

Kahuku parts ways with football head coach Sterling Carvalho

Kahuku parts ways with football head coach Sterling Carvalho

Apr 2, 2025

Kahuku head coach Sterling Carvalho addresses his team before the 2024 OIA Open Division championship game. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

Kahuku parts ways with football head coach Sterling Carvalho

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED APRIL 2, 2025

Sterling Carvalho was one win away from guiding the Kahuku football team to a fourth consecutive state title in 2024.

He won’t get an opportunity for redemption with the Red Raiders in 2025.

Carvalho, who led Kahuku to three straight Open Division state championships from 2021 to 2023, is no longer the head football coach for the Red Raiders.

In a March 31 letter to parents and guardians of student-athletes of the team that was sent to the Hawai’i Sports Radio Network, Principal Donna Lindsey wrote that: “coach Sterling Carvalho will no longer be serving as head coach of the KHIS (Kahuku High and Intermediate Schools) Football Program.”

Letter dated March 31, 2025 written by Kahuku High and Intermediate schools Principal Donna Lindsey.

Sources with more knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to HSRN early Wednesday morning. Billy Hull of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser was the first to break the story late Tuesday night.

Lindsey also wrote: “plans are in place to ensure continued support and stability for our student-athletes and the football program. An interim head coach will be assigned while we begin the process of selecting a new head coach.”

As of Wednesday morning, no interim coach has been named yet, per a source.

Carvalho coached the varsity squad for six seasons and went 59-18 while reaching the OIA Open Division championship game every year.

Kahuku head coach Sterling Carvalho patrols the sideline during a regular season game against Mililani in 2024. | Photo: Michael Lasquero

With Carvalho at the helm, the Red Raiders won four league titles and three state titles and enjoyed a 32-game winning streak against Hawai’i opponents from 2021 to 2023. During that span they also defeated reigning national champion St. John Bosco, who was ranked No. 3 in the country at the time.

Carvalho also helped bring stability to the program.

Prior to Carvalho getting promoted to head coach in early 2018 after coaching three seasons at the junior varsity level, the Red Raiders had a revolving door at head coach. The school fired Reggie Torres after the 2013 season, Lee Leslie stepped down after one year in 2014, Vavae Tata was the head man for the next two seasons and Makoa Freitas was the interim coach in 2017.

In its current 2025 non-league schedule, Kahuku will take on reigning state champion Saint Louis, travel to Division I state runner-up Konawaena on Hawai’i Island, host Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas and go across the Pacific Ocean to face Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).

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Leilehua explodes for 11 runs in the fifth to defeat visiting Nanakuli

Leilehua explodes for 11 runs in the fifth to defeat visiting Nanakuli

Mar 30, 2025

The Mules greet Arria Vierra at home plate after hitting a three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. | Photo Credit: Brian Bautista

Leilehua explodes for 11 runs in the fifth to defeat visiting Nanakuli

BY MICHAEL LASQUERO | HSRN
PUBLISHED MARCH 30, 2025

WAHIAWA — Patience works.

A defensive showcase between Leilehua and Nanakuli turned into an offensive showcase in the bottom of the fifth when the Mules rattled off 11 runs to pull away for a 12-6 win in an OIA Division-I West softball game at Ka’ala Neighborhood Park Saturday morning.

Leilehua (4-2) trailed 4-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth and was able to take advantage of a couple of walks and errors to prolong the inning. The Mules would take their first lead of the game, 5-4, on Arria Vierra’s three-run homer over the left field fence before finishing the inning with a 12-4 advantage.

“It was right down the middle, it was low too. It was a perfect pitch,” Vierra said of her go-ahead blast.

Vierra, who batted in the six-hole, also had a triple in the fifth to finish with five total RBIs in one inning alone. She also made a handful of strong defensive plays in center field, which included an inning-ending double-play on a throw to home plate that denied the Golden Hawks of a score in the top of the first.

“I’ve never had a play like that so that was my first one,” Vierra said of the double play. “I’ve always tried throwing home but that was the first one that I ever got a girl out at home.”

For her efforts, Vierra was selected as HSRN’s ‘VIP of the Game,” presented by Fun Factory Games.

Arria Vierra celebrates with first-year Leilehua coach Brandi Leong after hitting a triple in the bottom of the fifth inning. | Photo credit: Brian Bautista

Pitcher Ciara Fortuno earned her first complete game win of the year in the win as she improved to 2-0 in the circle. She allowed just three earned runs while striking out two and utilize her defense to make plays to get the needed outs.

“I think she worked hard and she was pitching in all the right places because our defense was able to get the outs. I think she did really good,” Vierra said of Fortuno, who also had a double and drove in two runs at the plate.

Breeann Leong was another standout for the Mules, reaching base in all five plate appearances with four walks drawn and three runs scored. Isabella Mercado and Nevaeh Makaniole also joined Vierra as Leilehua players who finished with multiple hits.

While their record isn’t the best, the Golden Hawks (0-6) are slowly improving. Although it gave up 11 runs in the fifth, Nanakuli was able to force Leilehua to play the full seven innings after getting mercy-ruled in its four previous games. The Golden Hawks also scored in four different innings and had a two-run homer by Jenna Ku in the top of the third to give themselves a 3-0 lead.