KEAAU – By late in the fourth quarter, everyone knew who was getting the ball for Ka‘u. Still, Pahoa had little chance of stopping Evan Manoha.
KEAAU – By late in the fourth quarter, everyone knew who was getting the ball for Ka‘u. Still, Pahoa had little chance of stopping Evan Manoha.
Manoha ran for five second-half touchdowns Thursday night, including the go-ahead score from 1 yard out with four seconds left, rushing for 302 yards to carry the Trojans to a wild 54-48 victory in eight-man BIIF football.
The Daggers had rallied to tie the game on Lava Benn’s fourth touchdown pass and a two-point conversion throw to Joaquin Ridgway with just more than a minute remaining.
Ka’u quarterback Kamaehu DeRamos found Kainalu Medeiros–Dancel for a 22-yard gain and ran 11 yards to set up the game-winner for Manoha, who also helped spearhead his team’s defense with two sacks.
He opened the third quarter with a 72-yard touchdown scamper.
Seeking its first eight-man victory, Pahoa (0-1 BIIF, 0-1) was much improved coming off a winless season, but it lost four fumbles, and the Trojans (1-1, 1-1) turned each into a touchdown.
Benn threw for 270 yards and ran for a score. Ridgway caught six passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
While Pahoa lost the turnover margin, it won what was a battle of onside kicks, recovering two to Ka’u’s one.
There were five lead changes in the second half.
Kaniala Harris’ second touchdown, this one a catch, and two-point conversion reception put Pahoa back on top 34-30 in the third quarter, and the Daggers recovered the onside kick and took a two-score lead when Ridgway caught a slant and raced 43 yards for a score on fourth down.
But Manoha took over for the Trojans, picking up yardage in big chunks, even taking snaps in place of DeRamos.
John Kalahiki’s nifty catch set up Manoha’s 10-yard scoring run, and Ka’u went on a long 76-yard march that ate up almost half the clock in the fourth quarter, with Manoha plowing into the end zone again.
Manoha’s third consecutive touchdown run came after the teams exchanged fumbles. The Trojans missed a two-point conversion that could have put the game away.
DeRamos threw for 158 yards and two scores.
Ka‘u 16 6 14 18 —54
Pahoa 14 12 14 8 —48
First quarter
Pahoa – Joaquin Ridgway 24 pass from Lava Benn (Damien Bartolome-Mercado pass from Benn), 7:19
Ka‘u – John Kalahiki 43 pass from Kamaehua DeRamos (Gregory Ysawa run), 6:55
Ka‘u— Kainalu Medeiros-Dancel 39 pass from DeRamos (Evan Manoha run), 6:15
Pahoa – Benn 3 run (run failed), 1:36
Second quarter
Ka‘u –Kalamakoa Waiwaiole 4 run (run failed), 8:19
Pahoa – Kaniala Harris 5 run (run failed), 3:12
Pahoa – Dyson Gacutan 3 run (pass failed), :34
Third quarter
Ka‘u – Manoha 72 run (Waiwaiola run), 8:26
Pahoa – Harris 20 pass from Benn (Harris pass from Benn), 8:07
Pahoa – Ridgway 43 pass from Benn (pass failed), 6:45
Ka‘u – Manoha 10 run (run failed), 3:43
Fourth quarter
Ka’u – Manoha 12 run (run failed), 7:30
Ka‘u – Manoha 6 run (run failed), 2:25
Pahoa – Duane Correa 7 pass from Benn (Ridgway pass from Benn), 1:06
Ka‘u – Manoa 1 run (run failed), :04