Kaiser Cougars Head Coach Rich Miano stood in front of his newly crowned 2013 Oahu Interscholastic Association White Conference Football Championship team with pride and jubilation after defeating a tough Pearl City Chargers team 41-21 last night at Aloha Stadium.
As was the case in the first meeting won by Kaiser 30-6 four weeks ago, the Cougars needed to get down to business to start the second half and preceded to do what they do best, 'pound it out on the ground' and wear down the opposition, upfront, and in the trenches.
The Cougars running game pounded out 256 yards on the ground behind Thomas Leong's 157 yards on 14 carries with 3 touchdowns. Teammate Fitou Fisiiahi picked up 81 yards on 16 carries with 2 touchdowns. Leong also caught 5 passes for 61 yards.
The Chargers defense kept the Kaiser air attack in check holding Cougar QB Kahoalii Karratti to 94 yards completing 11 of 16 passes with 1 interception.
Pearl City QB Jordan Taamu threw for 215 yards completing 11 of 16 with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Taamu struck gold on an 82 yard touchdown pass to Chargers wide receiver Kierren McGhee with 9:02 on clock in the first quarter that put the Chargers up 13-7.
Blake Cooper had another outstanding performance for the Chargers scoring the game’s first touchdown on a 2 yard run with 9:32 on the clock in the first quarter that gave the Chargers an early 6-0 lead. The touchdown was set up by an offset kick recovered by the Chargers to open the game. Cooper was also a force on defense and special teams with key stops on defense, an interception, and two blocked PAT's on special teams. Cooper was named the player of the game for the Chargers by the OC 16 television broadcast team.
Dominic Maneafiga also contributed on the scoreboard for the Chargers scoring on a 27 yard touchdown run with 5:21 on the clock in the third quarter. Maneafiga followed his TD run with a successful PAT that tied the game at 21-21.
The Cougars shut down the Chargers offense and went on to score 20 unanswered points to capture their first OIA White Conference championship. Kaiser running back Thomas Leong was instrumental down the stretch in the second half scoring two of his three touchdowns on the night in the third quarter that created separation on the scoreboard as the Cougars increased their lead over the Chargers heading to the fourth and final quarter. Fitou Fisiiahi scored the Cougars final touchdown on a 23 yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Jeshua Bitanga scored on a fake PAT around the right end of the Chargers defense to put the Cougars up 41-21.
Kaiser head coach Rich Miano was pleased at his team’s OIA championship clinching performance and gave the Chargers high praise for their performance while in battle against Cougars during the championship match-up.
"They performed well, said Coach Miano. “It was a tough one, and Pearl City did a great job. I love the way they coach their kids up. I love the way they scrap, and love the way they play with emotion. Our kids, hopefully sooner or later, feel like their conditioning and their technique will prevail and it did finally, but it took it a great defensive play, and it took some offensive explosiveness because they were taking away normally what we do on special teams for our field position. It was as hard fought as we've had this year. They did the same thing as the last game, .but they just continue to do it well, and they understand our tendencies and we just have to counter some of that stuff. Our hats go off to Robin and his whole staff."
Pearl City Chargers head coach Robin Kami couldn't be prouder of his team and coaching staff following the Chargers hard fought loss to the Cougars. Kami has molded the Chargers into a team that plays hard and aggressive from the first whistle to the last tick on the game clock.
"I think our kids played the best they could," said Coach Kami. "We tried to give them the best chance and we had some good special trick plays to see if we could score early and get the momentum and hang on. The Cougars didn't do anything different from our first game. They are strong, fast, and explosive, but our team battled this time around."
Both teams move on to the first round of the HHSAA DII State Football Championship Tournament that gets underway next weekend. Kaiser comes in as the championship #4 seed and will play Konawaena on Saturday, November 9, 7:00pm at Kaiser High School.
Pearl City travels to Kauai to take on #3 seed Kauai High School on Saturday, November 9, 2:00pm at Vidinha Stadium in Lihue.
GO CHARGERS!
@ Aloha Stadium
Pearl City (7-4, 7-3) 14 0 7 0 21
Kaiser (10-1, 10-0) 13 8 12 8 41
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kaiser head coach Rich Miano and Pearl City head coach Robin Kami congratulate each other at midfield.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
OIA Football Coordinator and Farrington High School Athletics Director Harold Tanaka presents
Coach Miano and the Kaiser football team with the 2013 OIA White Conference Championship plaque.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City's Blake Cooper scores the game’s first touchdown on a 2 yard run with 9:32
on the clock in the first quarter. The Chargers took an early 6-0 lead. The PAT was missed.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kaiser's Nick Tom heads into the end zone after picking off a Chargers onside kick attempt and returning
it 50 yards to tie the game at 6-6 early in the 1st qtr. The Cougars took the lead at 7-6 on Matt Sai's PAT.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Pearl City wide receiver Kierren McGhee speeds down the sideline on his way to a 82 yard touchdown
reception from QB Jordan Taamu in the first quarter. After converting the two-point conversion on
a pass from Taamu to Dominic Maneafiga, the Chargers took a 14-7 lead over the Cougars.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Thomas Leong scores on a 24 yard touchdown run to pull within one point of the Chargers at 14-13 with
5:55 on the clock in the first quarter. The PAT by Matt Sai was blocked by Pearl City's Blake Cooper.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Kaiser's Fitou Fisiiahi scores a one yard touchdown run to give the Cougars a 19-14 lead with 6:36 on the
clock in the second quarter. The Cougars went up 21-14 on a two point conversion run by Thomas Leong.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Thomas Leong scores the two point conversion following the one yard touchdown run by Fitou Fisiiahi.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Dominic Maneafiga fights for the end zone with Kaiser defensive back Makaio Hopeau-Lampitac
hanging on. Maneafiga scored on the play on a 27 yard touchdown run with 5:21 remaining on clock
in the third quarter. Maneafiga also converted the PAT to tie the game at 21-21.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Dominic Maneafiga watches his PAT kick out of the hold of Timothy Rivera sail through the uprights.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Thomas Leong holds his arms in the air after scoring on a 19 yard touchdown run at 3:15 in the third
quarter that broke a 21-21 tie and put the Cougars up 20-14. Pearl City's Blake Cooper blocked the PAT.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
The Kaiser holder looks up on the Cougars PAT kick following Thomas Leong's touchdown as
Pearl City's Blake Cooper is about to break through and block his second PAT of the ball game.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Blake Cooper heads back to the Chargers sideline in the third quarter after blocking his second PAT.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Thomas Leong scores his third touchdown of the game on an 11 yard run with 2:14 on the
clock in the third quarter. Kaiser took a 33-21 lead. The two point conversion run by Leong failed.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Leong is brought down short of the goal line in the Cougars two point conversion attempt.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
#6 Fitou Fisiiahi is congratulated after scoring the Cougars final touchdown on a 23 yard yard run with 5:20
to go in the fourth quarter. The Cougars scored the two point conversion to increase their lead to 41-21.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]
Jeshua Bitanga takes the ball to the end zone on a fake PAT following Fitou Fisiiahi's touchdown.
Bitanga scored the two point conversion as the rain came down on the Aloha Stadium turf.
Photo by Barry Villamil | [email protected]