Tailback Malosi Te'o and top-ranked Kahuku went the long way to beat No. 6 'Aiea, 26-16, last night for their third consecutive O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red football championship at Aloha Stadium.

The Red Raiders (9-1), who have won seven games in a row, draw a bye in next week's Division I state tournament. Na Ali'i (8-3) will play the Interscholastic League of Honolulu champion — the winner of Monday's Saint Louis-Punahou game — in an opening-round game next Saturday.

Te'o went long to score his three TDs. All were on first-down runs of 73, 53 and 72 yards and he finished with 248 yards on 15 carries to help the Red Raiders get their 10th-year coach Siuaki Livai his 100th career coaching victory. He is the 21st coach in Hawai'i to reach the century-win mark.

"Credit goes to the boys," said Livai, whose record is 100-20, including seven OIA titles.

But it wasn't just Te'o.

"It's really the line and the fullback (Kamuela Alisa)," Te'o said. "They're all doing their part. It's all a result of good blocking."

Defensively, the Red Raiders did what they had to do: pressure 'Aiea quarterback Kali Kuia. He was sacked nine times, while backup Alfredo Higa was sacked twice. Kaniela Tuipulotu had five of the 11 sacks, while Kevin Unga had three. Suaesi Tuimanunei and Richard Torres each had one interception against Kuia, who still managed to pass for 224 yards and a 17-yard TD to Lofa Li'ili'i.

"It took long for us to settle down," 'Aiea coach Wendell Say said. "The kids just lost their focus for a little while. But we came back, made a game of it at the end. We still have more (games) to go."

'Aiea wanted to keep Kahuku's offense off the field and did a good job of it in the first half. Except Na Ali'i didn't anticipate the Red Raiders scoring on their first play from scrimmage, a 73-yard run through the heart of the defense by Te'o with 7:48 left in the first quarter. The Red Raiders failed on their two-point try in taking a 6-0 lead.

The Red Raiders scored again, this time without their offense taking the field, when linebacker Kaeo Alo recovered a fumble in the end zone with 5:50 left in the quarter after a shot-gun snap sailed over Kuia. As players from both teams scrambled after the loose ball, it was bumped and rolled into the end zone, where Alo gathered it in. Despite a 5-yard penalty on the PAT, Te'o still rushed in for the two-point conversion to make it 14-0.

Kahuku ran off 18 plays in the first half for 104 yards, compared to 34 by 'Aiea for 35 yards. Tuipulotu had five of his team's eight sacks in the first half.

Kahuku continued to surge in the second half with Te'o's 53- and 72-yard TD runs to take a 26-0 lead.

Na Ali'i finally scored with 7:44 left in the game after Li'ili'i's 36-yard punt return to midfield set up his TD reception from Kuia.

'Aiea then got a break when Kahuku punter Gary Nagy fielded a low snap and was stopped for no gain at the Kahuku 40. 'Aiea drove from there, scoring on Higa's 1-yard run. Higa hit Alan Fonoti on a two-point conversion to make it 26-16.

"They did a good job," Kuia said of Kahuku's defense. "They really scouted us, put the pressure. We just had to adjust ourselves and comeback, but it was just too much."

'AIEA (8-3) 0 0 0 16 — 16

KAHUKU (9-1) 14 0 12 0 — 26

Kah—Malosi Te'o 73 run (pass failed)

Kah—Kaeo Alo fumble recovery in end zone (Te'o run)

Kah—Te'o 53 run (run failed)

Kah—Te'o 72 run (pass failed)

'Aiea—Lofa Li'ili'i 17 pass from Kali Kuia (Alan Fonoti pass from Kuia)

'Aiea—Alfredo Higa 1 run (Fonoti pass from Higa)

RUSHING — 'Aiea: Kali Kuia 14-(minus 30), Landen Dela Cruz 5-(minus 6), Team 1-(minus 28), Alfredo Higa 3-(minus 20), Li'ili'i 1-19. Kahuku: Kaulin Krebs 4-(minus 23), Te'o 15-248, Kamuela Alisa 9-41, Jason Mauai 1-1, Team 2-(minus 2), Kaliki Unga 4-17.

PASSING — 'Aiea: Kuia 20-33-2—224, Higa 1-1-0—13. Kahuku: Krebs 3-6-0—27, Alisa 0-1-0—0.

RECEIVING — 'Aiea: Alan Fonoti 3-27, Lofa Li'ili'i 6-54, Lahaina Olsen-Kuroda 2-17, Josh Blakemore 4-90, Josh Asuncion 3-26, Dela Cruz 3-23. Kahuku: Devin Unga 2-26, Joseph Whittacker 1-1.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.