HONOLULU — Destiny: manifested.
When Tupu Alualu took over the Saint Louis football program in February, one word kept coming up.
"He told us that the whole system is going to change. You know, one of the words that I remember him saying when he started this job, was ‘manifest,’" said Saint Louis defensive end Pupu Sepulona. "Yessir. Manifest, and we kept manifesting ever since February."
An old-school slugfest between the Crusaders and their longtime rival Kahuku fittingly went down to the wire in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division football championship on Friday night.
A raucous crowd of 8,566 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex saw the Crusaders make a successful stand in the red zone to prevent a tying score in the final minute as they upheld a 17-10 victory, snapping a three-year run of state titles for the Red Raiders and giving the Kalaepohaku school its first since 2019.
Saint Louis (9-3) prevailed in its first season under the former Crusaders running back Alualu, who succeeded Ron Lee as head coach in February.
Alualu instituted some early weight training to go with less conventional methods like Muay Thai and yoga. But the Crusaders got off to a rough start on the field with losses at Kahuku and Mililani.
They then won nine of their next 10 capped with Friday's game.
"From that (14-13 loss at Kahuku), to the Mililani game, we always had Kahuku in mind," Alualu said. "I talked to Sterling (Red Raiders coach Carvalho) here and there. We went through the season and … at the same time, we was like, looking for each other.
"We’re here now. To learn there and come here and be victorious, I feel like this is our home field. I’m so thankful."
He dedicated the win to his hanai mother Susie Cook, who passed in 2022.
"She was the backbone of Saint Louis from ’86 until she retired in 2021," Alualu said.
[Note: See below for more photos of the HHSAA Open championship between Kahuku and Saint Louis.]
The Crusaders now own five of the eight state titles in the Open Division era (since 2016) compared to three for Kahuku. Kahuku (9-5) still leads its rival in overall state titles, 11 to eight.
Including the Oahu Prep Bowl era, Saint Louis has 22 total titles.
University of Hawaii-committed running back Titan Lacaden was sublime on the field he plans to tread next year, carrying the ball 31 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns against the Red Raiders’ vaunted run defense.
The 5-foot-7 back's ability to slither his way to key first downs allowed the Crusaders to nearly double up the Red Raiders in time of possession, 31:42 to 16:18.
Kahuku's 49-14 romp in the 2021 Open final remained in mind for Lacaden.
"It’s awesome, man. This is a full-circle moment," Lacaden said. "Beating the guys who beat me my freshman year. Them playing at the stadium where I’m committed to, it’s going to be great. I was able to catch of a glimpse of playing here, in front of my family as well. Just playing in front of the people of the state of Hawaii. The energy’s always rocking. Can’t wait for the next chapter in my life."
Lacaden had the go-ahead score on a 3-yard touchdown plunge with 3:43 left in the third, making Kahuku pay for a failed fourth-down throw from its own 42.
Carvalho hugged Alualu in the postgame handshake line and came over to congratulate Lacaden. He credited him for keeping the Red Raiders' defense locked on the field and said the Saints were the deserving winner on the night.
"We knew from the beginning we had to stop Titan," Carvalho said. "He’s a great athlete, great skill set. He can catch the ball, run the ball. I mean, he just found holes and he just made it difficult for us tonight, especially on defense."
Quarterback Matai Fuiava, a touted late-season transfer to Kahuku from St. John Bosco (Calif.), was 17-for-34 for 206 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Kahuku was held to just 51 rushing yards.
Alualu credited his defensive coordinator, Thom Kaumeyer, for a great game plan, and touted the fact that the Crusaders got it done with the same players who had been in the program for years.
"We didn’t go anywhere. It’s the same kids we had from the last three, four years," Alualu said. "We believe the culture, we believe who we are."
Saint Louis defensive lineman Stone Ah Quin came down with the only turnover of the game, a pick of Fuiava on a screen pass near the end of the third quarter. Saint Louis turned it into a 22-yard field goal by kicker Makena Kauai. It was answered by a 37-yarder less than two minutes later by Manoa Kahalepuna.
"I just felt it. In practice, me and my guys walk through their screens all the time," Ah Quin said. "I read it like a book, and I just felt it in my hands. I couldn’t see because the light; I was looking straight at the light. I felt it and I grabbed it, clinched it."
Of when his teammates mobbed him on the sideline, Ah Quin said, "No other feeling like it."
For Sepulona, it was his fifth overall state championship spanning basketball, volleyball and football.
After forcing a key punt on Saint Louis with 2:30 remaining, Fuiava found Bodhi Kaanga for a 46-yard pickup, then linked up with Kaanga on fourth and 10 to reach the Saint Louis 35.
Two more completions to Aiden Manutai and Kaanga brought Kahuku to the Saint Louis 11. A false start, then a hold on Saint Louis adjusted the ball to the 8 on second down.
Fuiava threw incomplete on the last four non-penalty plays of the game, aside from the Crusaders taking a knee to run out the clock. The closest to a completion came on third down when Fuiava lofted a ball to Manutai in the back of the end zone, but it was broken up by Crusaders defensive backs. On fourth down, Fuiava's pass sailed well over Kaanga's head by the front right pylon.
"We continued to keep our head down, stay focused. Stayed disciplined, most importantly," Sepulona said. "We just kept stopping them and made sure that we did our job and made sure we came out with the win."
A lengthy game-opening drive by Saint Louis, featuring 10 carries by Lacaden, was snuffed out when Mana Carvalho came around the edge and dropped Lacaden on fourth and goal from the 2.
Kahuku could not advance the ball from deep position and had to punt out. The Red Raiders ran only three plays in the first quarter.
Saint Louis appeared to have a touchdown toss from Nainoa Lopes to Jordan Nunuha to begin the second quarter but it was called off due to holding. The Crusaders missed an ensuing 43-yard field goal short.
A critical Kahuku 12-men-on-the-field penalty on 3rd and 1 gave Saint Louis first and goal and Lacaden punched it in from the 1 with 1:38 left in the half, capping a 10-play, 99-yard drive.
Fuiava went long to Mana Carvalho for a 34-yard TD in double coverage with eight seconds left in the half. After a penalty for excessive celebration, Kahalepuna nailed the extra point from 35 yards to tie the game at 7-7.
Kaanga caught seven passes for 101 yards for Kahuku while Carvalho snagged four for 66 yards.
After the game, the Red Raiders performed their traditional haka — in slightly more somber fashion than usual.
After the University of Utah-bound, all-phases standout Carvalho came up just short of becoming the first Kahuku player to win four football state championships in a career, he expressed that he felt he let his community down.
"I just wanted to take this last game with all my feelings. Win or lose, I’m going to play to the very last whistle," an emotional Carvalho told Spectrum News. "I mean, my body’s so sore right now, but you know, I just promised myself that my last high school game I’d try to win it and try to play to the final whistle."
The crowd at the Ching Complex was more than a 1,000 more than last year's debut prep championship game at UH's on-campus football venue between Kahuku and Mililani.
Note: This story has been updated with quotes and details.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.