Pac-Five Airs it Out Against King Kekaulike

King Kekaulike quarterback Kawika Homalon (4) tries to stiff-arm a defender during first-half action Saturday against Pac-Five. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

By Rodney S. Yap

The Pac-Five Wolfpack exploded for 27 unanswered points in the first half en route to a 54-37 non-league win Saturday at King Kekaulike High School.

Host Na Alii actually led 10-0 midway through the first quarter before the Pac-Five pass-catch combination of Kainoa Ferreira and Tsubasa Brennan proved unstoppable once the pair warmed up to the brisk Upcountry air.

Ferreira, only a sophomore, threw for 515 yards and six touchdowns, while Tsubasa caught 19 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns — all new records for a prep wide receiver on the Valley Isle.

A crowd of about 800 battled gusting trade winds and occasional drizzles to witness Pac-Five’s pass-first offense that saw Ferreira throw 44 times in the first half, completing 24 for 350 yards. Tsubasa, a 6-foot-1 senior, hauled in 11 balls in the first half, two for touchdowns of 15 and 52 yards, respectively.

Pac-Five quarterback Kainoa Ferreira (15) looks for an open receiver during first-half action Saturday against King Kekaulike. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

Trailing 34-16 at halftime, Kekaulike trimmed the deficit to 10 early in the third quarter — the result of a safety and 42-yard touchdown reception from Kawika Homalon to Corry Brown — but the Wolfpack managed to match touchdowns in the second half.

“Obviously we have to work some kinks out defensively, but the offense moved the ball pretty well. We have some kinks we have to clean up on that side of the ball as well, but the kids fought hard and they fought all the way through.

“Pac-Five has some very talented athletes so it was a good test for us.”

Sanches said the team had no answer for Tsubasa.

Pac-Five wide receiver Tsubasa Brennan (10) dives for this first-half reception Saturday at King Kekaulike as Na Alii defensive back Corry Brown (22) defends on the play. Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

“We tried a bunch of different adjustments, but the kid is just a hell of an athlete.”

The good news is that it’s unlikely Na Alii will face another team that throws the ball 62 times.

“That’s not the kind of offense we see on a regular basis and our defense we’re running is more suited for the MIL. But I thought it was good for us . . . and it was good for our kids to get that kind of level of competition.”

Handling the quarterback duties, Homalon finished with 129 yards rushing on 20 carries. He also scored three touchdowns rushing and passed for 98 yards and two more scores.

“I didn’t see our kids hanging their heads, they were working,” Sanches said.

King Kekaulike’s Jacob Ramos (21) tries to break free from the grasp of Pac-Five defender Travis Miyashiro (26). Photo by Rodney S. Yap.

King Kekaulike kicks off its Maui Interscholastic League schedule Friday against Lahainaluna at War Memorial Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m.

Homalon is developing into a playmaker and his “tough and scrappy” personality will serve the offense well for the upcoming season.

WOLFPACK 54, NA ALII 37

Saturday’s Scoring Summary

At King Kekaulike Stadium

First Quarter

KK—Joshua Ogata 8 pass from Kawika Homalon (Corey Brown kick), 10:19

KK—Brown 40 FG, 5:23

P5—Jarrod Infante 4 pass from Kainoa Ferreira (Luke Caires kick), 2:36

Second Quarter

P5—Brennan 52 pass from Ferreira (kick failed), 10:10

P5—Sean Kinel 85 pass from Ferreira (kick failed), 5:25

P5—Christian Vasconcellos 1 run (Infante pass from Ferreira), 4:13

KK—Kawika Homalon 1 run (pass failed), 1:31.

Third Quarter

KK—Safety, ball kicked out of end zone, 9:13

KK—Brown 42 pass from Homalon (kick failed), 7:38

P5—Brennan 29 pass from Ferreira (Riley Asuncion kick), 5:37

Fourth Quarter

KK—Homalon 1 run (kick failed), 11:10

P5—Brennan 55 pass from Ferreira (Asuncion kick), 10:57

P5—Trevor Yee 19 run (pass failed), 4:00

KK—Homalon 1 run (Brown kick)

*Individual stats compiled by Rob Collias of The Maui News.

***

Lunas Escape With Win Over Kapaa

Top-ranked Lahainaluna High School quarterback Sione Filikitonga scored on a short run with five seconds remaining to give the Lahainaluna High School football team an 18-16 victory over Kapaa on Saturday in a preseason game at Vidinha Stadium on Kauai.

Filikitonga accounted for all three of the Lunas’ touchdowns – he had another scoring run in the second quarter, and completed a touchdown pass to Jayven Paleka-Wright earlier in the fourth.

Elijah Gouveia-McCarthy gave Kapaa the go-ahead touchdown when he scored on a three-yard run with 3:16 remaining in the game. Kapaa’s other score came in the third quarter on a Rudy Agoot 8-yard run.

Lahainaluna, a semifinalist in last year’s Division II state tournament, begins its MIL season Friday against King Kekaulike at War Memorial Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m.