Kalaheo Mustangs End State Title Drought With 27-13 Comeback Over Kaiser
Trailing 13-7 at halftime, the Mustangs used a 50-yard scoring run and a late defensive stop to claim their first OIA Division II championship.
By David Marshall ·
The 27-13 final score did not reflect the deficit Kalaheo faced at the midpoint of the game.
Trailing 13-7 at the half, the Mustangs executed a second-half surge to defeat Kaiser and secure the OIA Division II football championship, a title the school had never previously captured.
Senior running back Marquez Mellor anchored the offensive turnaround, finishing with 129 rushing yards on 19 carries. Although he managed only 36 yards on seven attempts in the first half, Mellor found rhythm in the second period. He scored on five-yard and 50-yard touchdown runs, the latter coming off a left-tackle break after a 31-yard punt return by Jayden Carreiro.
The Mustangs’ offensive revival began with a 69-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Loch Moorman to Zayne Farley, which tied the game at 7 with just over five minutes left in the first half. That play followed a busted coverage by the Kaiser defense. Moorman finished the night with 210 passing yards on 11-of-18 passing, including one touchdown pass, and also caught a 17-yard reception himself.
Kaiser, which was seeking its first OIA title since 2021, controlled the early stages of the game. Quarterback Koa Reis threw a 27-yard completion to Leon Martin before scoring on a six-yard run to give the Cougars an early lead. Reis added a 20-yard touchdown pass to Tanner Pada in the final seconds of the first half, extending the Kaiser lead to 13-7.
Kalaheo coach Jaymason Lee credited his team’s resilience and the work of his staff for the victory. "I always expect that out of coach Tim (Seaman)’s team. They’re well coached. He’s a great coach and he has a good staff, too," Lee said. "I knew they were going to play tough, disciplined football. We just had to persevere and fight through adversity."
The game concluded with a defensive stop that sealed the win. With 1:28 remaining, Kaiser faced a second down and 10 at its own two-yard line. Kalaheo’s Nainoa Octubre sacked Reis, forcing a fumble that Caynin Makainai-Maiava recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. The play put Kalaheo ahead 27-13 with 1:07 on the clock, and the Mustangs managed the remaining time to preserve the historic victory.
