Ewaliko’s Run in Overtime Lifts Bears over Lunas

Baldwin quarterback Keelan Ewaliko scores the game-winning touchdown from 7 yards away in overtime Saturday to help the Bears beat Lahainaluna, 20-17, before a crowd of about 8,000 at War Memorial Stadium. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

By Rodney S. Yap

Baldwin High School quarterback Keelan Ewaliko scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime Saturday as the Bears answered the bell twice in the closing minutes to turnback upset-minded Lahainaluna, 20-17.

Ewaliko’s 7-yard touchdown run, on first-and-goal, trumped the 27-yard field goal Lahainaluna’s Kiko Kolher-Fonohema kicked to start the overtime session.

Kohler-Fonohema scrambled 24 yards for the Lunas’ go-ahead score with 7 minutes, 46 seconds left to play. The Bears answered the challenge almost five minutes later when Ewaliko spotted slotback Zacharia Coloma-Mariano near the corner of the end zone and hit him with a 9-yard touchdown pass. Coloma-Mariano turned outside, facing the pile on, and into the end zone. Coloma-Mariano’s kick tied the game in regulation, 14-14.

Teammates, including center Justice Castroverde-Moniz (57), hoist quarterback Keelan Ewaliko after he scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to beat Lahainaluna, 20-17, Saturday at War Memorial Stadium. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

At that point, the crowd of more than 8,000 — the largest to witness a football game here since Hawaii and Timmy Chang beat Montana in their 2001 season opener — had already seen everything “The Rematch” was billed to be. Baldwin’s come-from-behind victory means the Wailuku school will house the Times Supermarkets “No Kai Oi” perpetual trophy until the two teams meet again in October next year.

Baldwin clinched its eighth straight MIL Division I championship and the state berth that comes with it. The Bears (5-1 overall and 2-0 in the second round) have won nine of the last 10 MIL titles. Lahainaluna suffered its first loss of the season, falling to 6-1 overall and 2-1 in the second round. The Lunas need one more win, or a loss by King Kekaulike to secure its Division II tournament berth.

Ewaliko finished with a game-high 136 yards rushing on 20 carries. He also threw for 49 yards, 28 going to Baldwin wide receiver Chris Kazanecki to help set-up the touchdown pass from Ewaliko to Coloma-Mariano.

Not only was the game’s scoring identical, the stats on each team were equally similar. The Bears had 264 total net yards, just 13 yards fewer than the 277-yard total the Lunas finished with. In addition to scoring five points, Lahainaluna’s Kolher-Fonhema rushed for 57 yards on 15 carries. The quarterback also threw for 50 yards, including a 12-yard scoring strike to Semisi Filikitonga.

Lahainaluna’s Semisi Filikitonga (43) prepares to bring down Baldwin running back Dusty Flores (43). Tytus Lucas (32) and Hercules Mataafa (back) look on. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

Filikitonga picked up 61 yards on 17 carries and Jared Rocha-Isalas added 67 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Lahainaluna blanked Baldwin 32-0 in their first meeting on Sept. 7. Ewaliko, however, did not play because of a broken-rib injury he suffered a couple of weeks before that against Saint Louis at Aloha Stadium.

It was the first time, since the HHSAA formed a true state tournament in 1999, that an MIL game had to be decided in overtime. Baldwin plays at Kamehameha Maui on Friday, Oct. 19, while Lahainaluna has a bye.

Saturday’s Scoring Summary

Baldwin 7 0 0 7 6—20

Lahainaluna 0 7 0 7 3—17

First Quarter

BHS—Dusty Flores 3 run (Zach Coloma-Mariano kick), 3:57

Second Quarter

LHS—Semisi Filikitonga 12 pass from Kiko Kolher-Fonohema (Kolher-Fonohema kick), 9:41

Fourth Quarter

LHS—Kolher-Fonohema 24 run (Kolher-Fonohema kick), 7:46

BHS—Coloma-Mariano 9 pass from Keelan Ewaliko (Coloma-Mariano kick), 2:16

Overtime

LHS—Kolher-Fonohema, 27 field goal

BHS—Ewaliko 7 run