The Kamehameha Warriors traveled to Las Vegas to play a lively football game against Liberty High School on Friday, Sept. 16. The final score was 18-25, with The Patriots slightly overtaking The Warriors.

Kamehameha quarterback Kealii Ah Yat had TD passes of 31 and 13 yards and added a 3-yard scoring run. He finished 25-for-39 passing for 279 yards. He threw for 155 yards in the fourth quarter.

Liberty junior running back Isaiah Lauofo rushed for 162 yards on 23 carries and was a key factor in the Patriots win.

Although Liberty led 25-0 after a 47-yard field goal by Lendua Raiyawa, our boys refused to give up. The Patriots were unable to put Kamehameha away, as the Warriors scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns. One of the Kamehameha football managers mentioned that “they tend to do better in the second half. When they actually work together, they’re able to do really well”.

The 2022 Polynesian Football Classic, which was advertised as a celebration of football and culture, was held at Bishop Gorman High School, and Liberty High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Classic featured six top high school football teams who competed on September 9 and 10th and again on September 16, 2022. Kamehameha was the only team from Hawaii invited to participate in this year’s Classic and spent three days and two nights in Las Vegas – affectionately known as the Ninth Island – due to the large representation of local people.