KEAAU — In an ending fit for a movie, Damion Scandrick made his homecoming a game-changing one for his new family and football team — the Leilehua Mules. ADVERTISING KEAAU — In an ending fit for a movie, Damion Scandrick
KEAAU — In an ending fit for a movie, Damion Scandrick made his homecoming a game-changing one for his new family and football team — the Leilehua Mules.
The former Keaau Cougar blocked a go-ahead 39-yard field goal with under two minutes left, and the Mules prevailed over Hilo 26-25 at the HHSAA Division I state tournament on Friday night.
The drought continues for the BIIF, which is now 0-18 in the revamped HHSAA Division I state tournament while Hilo is 0-6.
In a game where both teams gambled at Keaau’s High’s stadium, Leilehua (5-7), the OIA’s No. 7 team, made one more play than the four-time BIIF champion Vikings (8-2).
“I was really nervous. The score was right there. We were one-point ahead,” said Scandrick, who played three years at Keaau. “I’ve done it before. The past couple of game, I couldn’t pull through and get any blocks. But I dug deep.
“This is where it began and where it ends. It’s pretty exciting to be with my new family.”
The Leilehua senior safety also had his own personal cheering section with former Cougar teammates and his family in the stands.
Hilo searched for inspiration everywhere from the recent death of former teammate Skyler Ogata to the return of senior quarterback Ka’ale Tiogangco to hosting a game with 24 seniors.
It was the league’s best shot, so far, to snap the long losing skid at the Division I state tournament.
Hilo is experienced. And technically, Leilehua is the OIA’s No. 7 team, and the best of the best are in the Open state tournament in the HHSAA’s three-tier pilot program.
All of the leagues, except for the BIIF, won at the Division I state tournament: OIA, ILH, MIL and KIF, which has only three teams (Kapaa, Kauai, and Waimea).
Hilo got a huge 10-point momentum swing in the third quarter, with Kalei Tolentino-Perry’s 41-yard field goal and Kahale Huddleston’s 75-yard touchdown run.
The Viks also snuffed out Leilehua’s red-zone opportunity. On fourth-and-6 from the Hilo 17, Rylen Kaniaupio tackled Kawai Phifer for an eight-yard loss.
On the next play, the Mules played run hard, didn’t cover a gap in the middle, and Huddleston blasted through a big hole for a 75-yard score, thrilling the Viking faithful and pushing the lead to 25-13.
Huddleston, a junior running back, had a breakout game on the state stage with 216 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Tiogangco went 9 for 19 for 88 yards while freshman Kyan Miyasato was 6 of 12 for 58 yards with one pick.
However, in the fourth quarter, Leilehua went on a 10-play, 94-yard scoring drive, capped by Kona Andres’ 39-yard touchdown strike to Kawai Phifer, getting within 25-20, with more than 10 minutes remaining.
Andres, a junior QB/RB/WR, was 15 of 24 for 167 yards and two TDs and rushed for 59 yards on nine carries with one score. Phifer had 97 yards on five receptions. Kaleo Aloha Piceno, a senior QB, went 5 of 8 for 58 yards
Then Hilo made its first big gamble and lost. Leilehua made two gambles earlier and it cost the visitors a pair of touchdowns.
On fourth-and-4 from the Leilehua 44, the Mules smelled run, brought everyone in the box, and dropped Tiogangco for a three-yard loss.
The Mules took a 26-25 lead when Andres scored on a seven-yard run to complete a five-play, 47-yard scoring march.
The Mules had a wealth of battle-tested preparation, playing four Open state tournament teams and losing each time: Punahou (70-9), Kahuku (49-15, 63-0), Kapolei (44-13), and Farrington (19-7).
The losses were valuable lessons because it tested Leilehua’s pass coverage against the air attacks of Punahou and Kapolei and the run defense against bulldozers Kahuku and Farrington.
Hilo played only one Open team, Saint Louis, and lost 49-7 in the preseason. Crusader quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sat out the second half after he fired two scoring strikes and ran for a touchdown.
The Mules played without safety Charles Moku Watson, a Washington State commit, who was out with a torn labrum. He’s also a dual threat as a wide receiver.
Leilehua runs a spread and empty-set backfield offense, putting an emphasis to stretch the field by both length and width.
“We throw it 50 times a game,” Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda said. “We like to attack in all phases of the game — offense, defense, special teams. It’s high-risk, high-reward. On defense, our coordinator Mark Kurisu is all about alignment, assignment, and technique. We play a 4-3 and hustle to the ball like heck.”
“We’re relatively young. We’ve got 20 seniors, but next year we’ll have eight back on offense and seven back on defense.”
Long ago, Tokuda played baseball for UHH (1991-95), and he piloted the Mules to a Division I state championship in 2007. That year, the Mules had Andrew Manley at QB and beat Saint Louis 20-16.
Each January, Tokuda helps out the Vuls, emceeing his old school’s Batter’s Up fund-raiser. Last year, June Jones was the guest speaker. This upcoming January, it’ll be Tokuda’s old teammate, Ken Morimoto, who played in the Los Angels Dodgers farm system, as the guest speaker.
“It’s a blessing that Damion could play at his old stadium in front of his family and friends, and it was a good opportunity for him to play here,” Tokuda said. “He has great character and takes care of his grades. He’s a good football player and has a chance to play college ball.”
On the opening kickoff, Leilehua tried to catch Hilo off-guard with a pop fly, but the move backfired when the Viks recovered near midfield. Four plays later, Miyasato scored on a 15-yard run.
In the first quarter, the Mules gambled and gave up a touchdown after going for it on fourth-and-15 from midfield on their next series. The pass completion wasn’t long enough, and Hilo took over with a short field again.
Huddleston ripped off a 40-yard run through a monster hole and later scored on a five-yard jaunt to polish off a quick-strike, four-play, 53-yard drive for a 12-0 lead.
Bridging the first and second quarters, Hilo kept winning the battle at the line of scrimmage, and Huddleston dashed for 36 yards to set up Tolentino-Perry’s 28 field goal, capping an eight-play 68-yard drive for a 15-0 cushion.
In the second quarter, Leilehua used short, ball-control passing and marched on a 12-play, 63-yard scoring drive, capped by Andres’ 10-yard scoring strike to Jerome Holliday.
On Hilo’s ensuing possession, Jacob Schmidt (no relation to Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt) picked off Miyasato, flipping the momentum on the field, at least temporarily.
Then the Mules threw changeups, running to set up short passes, instead of swinging for the fences with deep balls. Kalika Seumanutafa-Bryant, a 5-7, 250-pound junior, rumbled five times during a nine-play, 67-yard scoring march, the last a one-yard endzone plunge.
Leilehua couldn’t attempt a two-point pass when the Viks brought heavy pressure, another battle won at the line of scrimmage. That failed conversion left the Mules behind 15-13 at halftime.
“We just made one more play than them,” Tokuda said. “We came out flat in all three phases. But I’m proud of the guys. They’re resilient. We always stress the positive. It’s secure the football, not don’t fumble. We want to be in the right place at the right time and do the right thing.”
That particularly applies to Scandrick, who batted 3 for 3 on those counts.
Leilehua 0 13 0 13 — 26
Hilo 12 3 10 0 — 25
First quarter
Hilo —Kyan Miyasato 15 run (kick failed), 11:00
Hilo — Kahale Huddleston 5 run (pass failed), 8:56
Second quarter
Hilo —FG Kalei Tolentino-Perry 28, 10:37
Lei — Jerome Holliday 10 pass from Kona Andres (Sunny Kanamu Jr. kick), 5:30
Lei — Kalika Seumanutafa-Bryant 1 run (pass failed), 2:17
Third quarter
Hilo — FG Tolentino-Perry 41, 4:50
Hilo — Huddleston 75 run (Tolentino-Perry kick), 1:26
Fourth quarter
Lei —Kawai Phifer 39 pass from Andres (Kanamu kick), 10:26
Lei — Andres 7 run (run failed), 6:07
