KAHUKU — A week after being shut out by Kamehameha, Kahuku returned to form with a 28-14 win over Kailua last night in the O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red East football opener for both teams.

A crowd of about 450 at Carleton Weimer Field saw the Red Raiders improve to 1-1, 1-0 in the Red East. Kailua, in its season opener, fell to 0-1.

"It was a great win. Kailua is tough," Kahuku coach Reggie Torres said. "We had to go back to some of our basic football, fix some of our inside plays, but overall the kids came out a lot better (than last week), a lot more fired up. The loss to Kamehameha (35-0) made us a lot better."

Kahuku opened the scoring, driving 61 yards on its first possession, capped by a 4-yard quarterback keeper by Allan Kubota.

The Surfriders answered late in the first quarter on a 1-yard scoring run by Clinton Aina, that was set up by a blocked Kahuku punt by Kailua's Alan-Steven Ilae. However, the extra-point kick was no good, and Kahuku led 7-6 to start the second quarter.

The Red Raiders' defense held Kailua to just 94 yards of total offense, giving quarterback Bob Lastimosa fits all night.

Lastimosa started in place of Kenny Ellis, who was injured in a preseason scrimmage. Lastimosa was 7 of 20 passing for 45 yards with two interceptions.

"(Lastimosa) is learning and he's got a lot of skills," Kailua coach Gary Rosolowich said. "He just needs to put it together and this was his first time under the lights, away from home, at Kahuku, all that, and so we chalk it up as our first game, but he has my full support."

In the second quarter, an interception by Aulola Tonga led to a Kahuku score seven plays later when Allan Kubota found younger brother Blaze Kubota for a 7-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7 at the half.

Kahuku scored on its opening drive of the second half on a 17-yard pass from backup quarterback Sage Kaka to his brother Jackson Kaka with 11:09 left in the third quarter. St. John Lessary III's kick was good to make it 21-7.

The Surfriders tried to answer, driving downfield on an eight-play drive, but linebacker Kamalani Alo stepped in front of a Lastimosa pass near the 14-yard line and returned it 86 yards for a Kahuku touchdown.

"We played like a team that hasn't played any games before and that's exactly what it was," Rosolowich said. "It was our very first game. We didn't have a preseason game, so we made some mistakes and unfortunately, the mistakes really, really hurt us on the scoreboard."

Kailua added a late touchdown on a 5-yard run by James Jones-Kamaumu.

Kahuku's St. John Lessary III led all rushers with 93 yards on 12 carries.

KAILUA (0-1, 0-1) 6 0 0 8 — 14

KAHUKU (1-1, 1-0) 7 7 14 0 — 28

Kah — Allan Kubota 5 run (St. John Lessary III kick)

Kail — Clinton Aina 1 run (kick failed)

Kah — Blaze Kubota 7 pass from A. Kubota (Lessary III kick)

Kah — Jackson Kaka 17 pass from Sage Kaka (Lessary III kick)

Kah — Kamalani Alo 86 interception return (Lessary III kick)

Kail — James Jones-Kamaumu 5 run (Jones-Kamaumu run)

RUSHING — Kailua: Clinton Aina 11-11, Lastimosa 5-5, Jones-Kamaumu 10-30, Manako Tuifua 1-3. Kahuku: St. John Lessary III 12-93, A. Kubota 5-(minus 18), S. Kaka 6-(minus 21), Viliami Pasi 5-28, B. Kubota 1-4, Pololu Silva 2-(minus 7), Siatima Tapusoa 1-0, Derek Aiwohi 1-(minus 1), team 3-(minus 7).

PASSING — Kailua: Bob Lastimosa 7-20-2—45, Sty Kahale 0-1-0—0. Kahuku: A. Kubota 2-2-0—39, Lopaka Morris 0-1-0—0, S. Kaka 3-6-1—69.

RECEIVING — Kailua: Dustin Kalai 2-22, Aina 2-7, Shane Lono 1-8, Sheldon Gallarde 1-6, Kelston Maka 1-2 Kahuku: J. Kaka 1-17, Aulola Tonga 1-25, B. Kubota 1-7, Tapusoa 2-59.

JV score — Kahuku 35, Kailua 0.