LAHAINA - When Garret Tihada watches the Nanakuli High School football team, he sees many of the same traits that make his Lahainaluna team click.
The second-seeded Lunas (8-1) and Golden Hawks (7-4) will play a First Hawaiian Bank/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II semifinal at 4 p.m. Saturday at Aloha Stadium.
Tihada, the Lunas' co-head coach, has seen Nanakuli in person the last two weeks - in a 22-7 loss to Radford in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II championship game, and in the first round of the D-II state tournament when the Golden Hawks came back from a 23-7 second-half deficit to beat third-seeded Konawaena 25-23 last week on the Big Island.
Article Photos
Lahainaluna defensive end Hercules Mataafa is part of a unit that posted six shutouts and allowed only 23 points during the Maui Interscholastic League season.
The Maui News?/ MATTHEW THAYER photo
Nanakuli qualified for its first state football tournament by rallying from a 21-0 third-quarter deficit against top-seeded Kaiser in the OIA semifinals 2 1/2 weeks ago.
"Small in numbers, but they have a lot of heart," Tihada said with a small shake of his head. "We saw them in person and they just don't quit. They just keep playing and playing until the final gun. Against Kaiser they were down 21 points or so, came back. Same like Konawaena, down 23-7 at the half. They just keep fighting and fighting. Even their game against Radford, they should have won that game. If it wasn't for a fumble on the 1-yard line, they probably would have won that game."
The Lunas have been stout on defense like very few Maui Interscholastic League teams ever have. They opened the league season with 5 scoreless games, finished with six shutouts, and allowed 23 points on the season, 20 of those came in an overtime to Division I champion Baldwin.
Fact Box
First Hawaiian Bank State Football
DIVISION I
Friday's Results
First round
Mililani 24, No. 3 Baldwin 13
Farrington 34, No. 4 Kealakehe 25
Friday, Nov. 16
Semifinals At Aloha Stadium
No. 2 Punahou vs. Mililani, 4:30 p.m.
No. 1 Kahuku vs. Farrington, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 23
Championship At Aloha Stadium
Semifinal winners 7 p.m.
DIVISION II
Saturday's Results
First round
Radford 22, No. 4 Kauai 21
Nanakuli 25, No. 3 Konawaena 23
Saturday, Nov. 17
Semifinals At Aloha Stadium
No. 2 Lahainaluna vs. Nanakuli, 4 p.m.
No. 1 Iolani vs. Radford, 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 23
Championship At Aloha Stadium
Semifinal winners, 4 p.m.
The Lunas allowed just 98 yards per game, 73.9 on the ground and 24.1 in the air. Nanakuli has gained 1,836 of its 2,516 total yards on running plays.
"We have got to stop their option attack," Tihada said. "In the second half of the Kona game, that is how they made their comeback. They are just going to continue to run their option out of the shotgun. They had huge chunks of yards they were making."
The Lunas have picked off 19 passes this season, and own a 25-9 takeaway-to-turnover ratio in total.
Tytus Lucas had six interceptions to lead the MIL, Jeffrey Ancog had four, and Semisi Filikitonga and Asi Fatongia had three apiece. Ancog and Filikitonga each returned two for touchdowns. Mark Alamon is a regular at defensive back, Jared Purdy is a free safety, and quarterback Kiko Kohler-Fonohema will also see duty in the secondary.
Tihada emphasized those kinds of numbers wouldn't develop without pressure from the front three - defensive ends Samiuela Filiai and Hercules Mataafa, and a rotation at nose guard of Connor Mowat, Pousima Galoia and Josh Coston.
"You cannot measure how important (the defensive line) is," Tihada said. "You need pressure either way from you defensive line. Everybody plays off everybody. If you don't get pressure on the quarterback, the secondary is going to have a long, long night.
"From what I have noticed this year on our defense, we have good players on every level- the line, linebackers and defensive backs. The main thing is that they play together really, really well."
Tihada said he sees the Nanakuli community behind the Golden Hawks as West Maui follows the Lunas.
"Yeah, definitely, they had a nice little following," Tihada said. "They have only got, like, 30 kids, but they had a nice little following up at their game in Kona. They have a lot of support."
Also like the Lunas, the Golden Hawks spread the football around.
The Golden Hawks are led by running backs Chazz Troutman (555 yards rushing, eight touchdowns), Brandon Felisi (480 yards) and Khade Paris (398 yards, six TDs). Receivers Lansen Liki (15 catches), Felisi (11), and Joseph Shelton (11) have combined for 441 yards and nine touchdowns in the air.
The Lunas will have had three weeks between games when they take Aloha Stadium on Saturday. It will be just their second game since Oct. 13.
"We got everybody healed and then we damaged ourselves in practice," Tihada said. "(Linebacker-running back) Jared Rocha(-Isalas) is going to be out for this game. John Lacuesta will be banged up, but he is day-to-day."
Both are suffering from ankle injuries - Lacuesta was hurt in the game against Baldwin, and Rocha-Isalas was hurt in practice.
The Lunas intercepted seven passes against Kona in a 23-6 win last season in their state opener. The takeaways bring a smile to the face of the Lunas' offensive coordinator, Tihada.
"Priceless," he said. "Priceless."
The Lunas defense is leaving its legacy now. It has been compared to the best the MIL has ever produced, but that is too early, according to Tihada.
"You cannot do anything like that until a few years from now - until we get another team that we can compare to this one," Tihada said.
