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MANOA – For the first time in five years, the crown goes back to Kalaepohaku.

Charles-Titan Lacaden ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns to lift No. 2 Saint Louis to a 17-10 victory over No. 1 Kahuku in the title game of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Open Division state championships Friday night.

In front of 8,566 spectators at the Clarence TC Ching Athletic Complex, the Crusaders (9-3) captured their first state title since 2019 and eighth overall. In doing so, they denied the Red Raiders (9:5) their fourth title in a row.

In his own words, it was a turning point for Lacaden, who was just a freshman when Saint Louis last appeared in a state final. The standout player, who is headed to the University of Hawaii, has recalled Kahuku’s lopsided 49-14 victory over his Crusaders many times throughout his illustrious career.

On Friday night, Lacaden made sure to write the ending he’s been envisioning for over three years.

“It’s just great. This is a full-circle moment,” Lacaden said.

After being limited to fewer than five total touches in Saint Louis’ season-opening 14-13 loss in Kahuku on Aug. 10, Lacaden shouldered the load in Friday’s rematch. The 5-foot-10, 171-pound running back carried 31 balls, caught one pass for 11 yards and had a punt return for 17 yards. He finished the game with a game-high 183 all-purpose yards.

“I think this is the most touches I’ve had this season, but I’m ready to do whatever it takes to help us win and get better. If that means I have to do it fifty more times, then I’ll do it fifty more times, but other than that I’m just trying to do my job and I give all the credit to my teammates and God,” Lacaden said.

Saint Louis coach Tupu Alualu, himself a former standout ball carrier during his playing days with the Crusaders, had high praise for Lacaden.

“Titan does amazing things every week, but without the O-line and the quarterback and the slotbacks and the receivers and the coordinators, nothing would roll, but I told Titan we’re going to run the ball,” Alualu said. k

While Lacaden bore the brunt, Saint Louis dominated time of possession — holding the ball for more than 31 minutes, Kahuku’s for more than 16 minutes — and largely kept the Red Raider offense on the sidelines.

Kahuku ran just three plays from scrimmage in the first quarter. In comparison, Saint Louis ran 20 plays in the opening stanza, including 18 rushes.

“I said, ‘We have to run the ball.’ I said, “Let’s go straight at them, let’s go right at them,” and we came out victorious tonight, but we believed, we had discipline, we struggled and we were grateful that we did it Opportunity to be here,” Alualu said.

Red Raiders coach Sterling Carvalho said the defensive focus was on Lacaden, but that was easier said than done.

“We knew from the start that we had to stop Titan. “He’s a great athlete, with great skills – he can catch the ball, run the ball – I mean, he just found gaps and he just made it difficult for us tonight, especially on defense,” Carvalho said .

“We just didn’t do it when we needed to, we just didn’t do enough tonight and we need to get better at that – no excuses. Saint Louis played a great game and tonight was their night,” Carvalho added.

Saint Louis opened the game with a 15-play drive that covered 60 yards with eight minutes remaining. However, it came up empty after Lacaden was stopped from the 2-yard line with no advantage on fourth down.

After Kahuku made a three-pointer on its first possession, Saint Louis attempted a 43-yard field goal, but Makena Kauai’s shot was short, keeping the game scoreless.

After a scoreless first quarter, Saint Louis broke the seal late in the second quarter with Lacaden’s 1-yard touchdown run, capping a 10-play, 99-yard drive. Stytyn Lasconia capitalized on the extra point to give the Crusaders a 7-0 lead with 1:38 left before halftime.

“Yeah, that’s the frustrating thing about it – three plays in the first quarter – we just couldn’t stop the run. No fault on our part, just Saint Louis managed to get a hat on hat and Titan being the running back that he is. “He found wrinkles, he made players make mistakes and we were able to do that just can’t prevent it,” Carvalho said.

Kahuku had an answer, however, as it capped its ensuing drive with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Matai Fuiava to Kaimana Carvalho on fourth-and-13. Carvalho delivered Fuiava’s pass in front of two Saint Louis defensive backs just as he crossed the goal line.

The scoring drive, with just eight seconds left in the half, was followed by Manoa Kahalepuna’s PAT, which came from 35 yards, after Kahuku was assessed a 15-yard penalty to mark Carvalho’s post-TD celebration.

At halftime the score was tied at 7.

Kahuku opened the second half with the ball but turned it over on downs. Saint Louis took over at the Kahuku 42-yard line and needed nine plays to take the lead for good after a 3-yard TD run from right tackle Lacaden.

The Crusaders extended their lead to two points on a 22-yard field goal by Makena Kauai, assisted by a defensive takeaway. Defensive lineman Stone Ah Quin was able to redirect a Kahuku third-down pass to himself and came down with a two-handed interception to give the Saint Louis offense the ball at the Red Raiders’ 43-yard line.

Kauai’s field goal made it 17-7 in favor of the Crusaders with 8:39 to play.

Kahuku cut the game to just one point with Manoa Kahalepuna’s 37-yard field goal with 7:04 left.

The Red Raiders got the ball back with 2:30 left and drove to the Saint Louis 8-yard line in the final seconds, but Matai Fuiava’s fourth-and-7 pass fell incomplete. The Crusaders took the lead with 32 seconds left in the game and took a knee to run out the clock.

After opening the season with two consecutive losses by a total of three points against Kahuku and Mililani, Saint Louis recorded nine wins in the next ten games. One hundred and eleven days after a one-point loss at Carleton E. Weimer Field, the Crusaders triumphed in the biggest game of the year.

“After those losses, I told the boys to stay the course, stay disciplined, follow God’s plan and change the culture,” Alualu said. “We are here now and I am so grateful that we learned there and came here and were victorious. Give all these kids and coaches all the credit.”

Kahuku played without three-year starting linebacker Falealii Atuaia, who was ineligible to play Friday after being ejected from the Red Raiders’ semifinal win over Campbell due to a targeting penalty.

“Fale is able to stop the run and cover. He’s our leader, he’s our captain, he’s our everything, so how much have we missed him? We missed him a lot,” lamented Carvalho.

Ultimately, Carvalho said it wasn’t just Kahuku’s inability to stop the run that led to the final result.

“It’s not just about our run (defense), we just had to act in all phases. I mean, we wasted opportunities on special teams when we had that shot, we couldn’t stop their run, (but) same goes for them too.” “They couldn’t stop our pass either – but at the end of the day we did “Just couldn’t do it,” Carvalho said.

The Red Raiders finished with 257 total yards of offense compared to the Crusaders’ 278 yards.

Fuiava finished the game with 206 yards through the air on 17 of 34 passes and one interception. Bodhi Kaanga caught seven passes for 101 yards.

Kahuku was limited to 51 rushing yards.

Dallas Pelen-Talalotu totaled nine tackles and led Saint Louis defensively. Vince Tautua and Pupualii Sepulona each had two tackles for loss.

Kaimana Carvalho made 9½ tackles and Malaki Soliai-Tui had nine tackles and a sack to pace Kahuku’s defense.