ESPN550.com
The opening weekend of the MIL football season produced a pair of major surprises as Maui High finally won and Baldwin finally lost.
After nearly three years without tasting a victory, Maui High made it two in a row. And if the previous week's win over Waimea was sweet, ending a 25-game drought, Friday night's 19-6 MIL-opening conquest of Lahainaluna was even sweeter.
Not since Sept. 9, 2006 had the Sabers ended up with the higher number on the scoreboard in an MIL game – a 37-7 romp past Pac-3, a team that no longer exists.
Maui High overcame 14 penalties for 130 yards before halting a string of 21 MIL setbacks thanks, largely, to limiting the Lunas to just 80 yards in total offense. Lahainaluna fell to 0-2 for the season and suffered their first defeat against Maui High since 1990, which also happens to be the last time the Sabers won an MIL title.
On Saturday, Kekaulike ended Baldwin's 37-game MIL unbeaten run by stunning the visiting Bears 14-7. Baldwin had not lost a league game since 2004, that setback also coming against Na Alii.
Ha'aheo Falelii scored on an 18-yard reverse in the second quarter to give Na Alii an early lead. Baldwin evened things up on Brock Shisido's 11-yard hookup pass to JR Dedios in the third period. Na Alii secured the victory thanks to 25-yard pass from Aarone Santos to Wayne Nahahoe with 5:03 left in the game.
This week, Maui High hosts Kamehameha on Friday. The Warriors last played four weeks ago. On Saturday, Kekaulike faces the Lunas.
In junior varsity action over the weekend, the Lunas beat Maui High 23-6 and Baldwin crushed King Kekaulike 53-0.
HAWAII WINS: Much too close for comfort: That's the only way to describe Hawaii's season-opener. Beating a Division-I-AA team in the waning minutes at home did little to lessen my concerns about this year's UH football team.
Hawaii had to rally from a 14-7 halftime deficit to post a 25-20 victory over Central Arkansas before a crowd of 33,298 at Aloha Stadium.
The winning points came on quarterback Greg Alexander's 8-yard scoring pass to Rodney Bradley with 1:22 remaining.
There were a few bright spots for UH. Once he settled down, Alexander closed on a positive note, completing 21 of 32 attempts for 305 yards and three scores to go with one pick and pair of fumbles.
Moving Greg Salas from wideout and into the slot appears to be a good move. Salas had seven catches for 180 yards and a TD. His 66-yard hookup with Alexander set the stage for the game-winning play.
Linebacker Blaze Soares is fully recovered from a calf injury that forced him to miss all of last season. Mana Silva was a human tackling machine, posting 10 stops from his safety position.
But still, this was a D-I-AA team UH was facing. Things will only get tougher for Hawaii as it plays its next three games on the road over a span of four weeks, starting with visits to Washington State and UNLV and, after a week's layoff, a WAC-opening game at Louisiana Tech.
Washington State opened with a 39-13 loss at Stanford, UNLV defeated Sacramento State 38-3 and LaTech lost 37-13 at Auburn.
Hawaii will not play at home again until Oct. 10 against bitter rival Fresno State.
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