Leilehua's Plunkett passes for 338 yards, 5 TDs in win
Oct. 21—Leilehua (5-5 ) will play at Waipahu next weekend in the OIA Division I semifinals. The Mules also extended their win streak over Radford to 17. Radford has not beaten Leilehua since 1987.
Hanohano Plunkett passed for 338 yards and five touchdowns, while Cole Northington rushed for 167 yards and one TD on 21 attempts as Leilehua defeated Radford 43-14 in the opening round of the OIA Division I playoffs on Friday night at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.
"I was worried about them, how they were playing against Castle. We tried to create a game plan to slow down 25 (running back Wendell Harrison ) and then if 8 (quarterback Bezeiah Togafau ) gets away, just cover deep and try to rally to him, " Leilehua coach Mark Kurisu said.
Leilehua (5-5 ) will play at Waipahu next weekend in the OIA Division I semifinals. The Mules also extended their win streak over Radford to 17. Radford has not beaten Leilehua since 1987.
Radford closed the season 1-7 overall, but not without a gritty performance on the road against a deeper, bigger team that only recently moved down from the Open Division.
"Our kids played hard. When you have opportunities and they're squandered, it's hard to come back. Leilehua's a well-coached team by Mark Kurisu. We can't let situations that will be in our favor slip away against a playoff team, " Radford coach Fred Salanoa said. "I'm glad that our kids showed up tonight and were able to be in the first half, at least."
The Mules rode their workhorse, Northington, through the first half. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound senior rushed 16 times for 116 yards and one TD. Running back Camren Flemister was used effectively as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, hauling in six passes for 65 yards before halftime.
Timothy Arnold continued his superlative season, finishing with eight catches for 160 yards and two TDs.
Leilehua's offensive balance and stingy defense came through on a night when the Mules committed 16 penalties for 163 yards.
Radford safety Jamon Alama thwarted Leilehua's opening drive with an interception in the end zone.
However, the Mules got on the scoreboard through their defense. Josh Simbre sacked Togafau in the end zone for a safety, giving Leilehua a 2-0 lead with 7 :06 to go in the opening quarter.
A 48-yard kick return by Flemister set Leilehua up at the Radford 27-yard line. It took 11 plays, but Leilehua scored on a 6-yard dash to the left pylon by Northington.
Leilehua marched to pay dirt again, scoring on a leaping catch in the end zone by Arnold from Plunkett. The Mules led 16-0 with 11 :24 left in the first half.
Despite taking a serious hit earlier that briefly knocked him out of the game, Togafau returned to the field in the second quarter. A key fourth-and-1 run for first down by Harrison kept the drive alive, as did a roughing-the-punter penalty on Leilehua. A lateral from Togafau to Jacob Sullivan turned into a stunning 38-yard TD, as the speedy junior slashed and juked through the Mules defense. Radford trailed 16-7 with 7 :30 to go in the first half.
Leilehua answered with a 12-play, 96-yard drive. Plunkett found Flemister open for a 4-yard TD as the Mules opened the lead to 22-7 with 3 :44 remaining in the first half.
The Mules stripped the ball from Togafau as he battled a gang of tacklers for yardage. Kingston Kennedy returned the ball 20 yards to the Radford 10, and on the next play, Plunkett delivered a strike to Logan Peters on a post route for another TD.
The Mules led 29-7 with 37 seconds to go in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was unkind to Leilehua, which suffered back-to-back injuries on the defensive side. Radford drove to the Mules' 4-yard line, but Togafau's fourth-and-goal pass fell incomplete in the end zone.
Arnold was unleashed on the ensuing drive with three receptions for 79 yards. Those included a sensational diving catch for 29 yards down the right sideline, and he capped it with a 24-yard TD.
