Kaimuki won its first league football championship of any kind last night, rallying past Roosevelt, 21-12, to capture the O'ahu Interscholastic Association White Conference title.

The Bulldogs improved to 10-1 with their 10th straight victory and will play the winner of tonight's Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II championship game between Hawai'i Prep and Kamehameha-Hawai'i in the first round of next week's DII state tournament.

That game is set for 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at Kaiser Stadium. Roosevelt (6-3-1) will play its first-round game against Kaua'i at 7 p.m. that same night at Vidinha Stadium in Lihu'e.

The Roosevelt-Kaua'i game will be televised live statewide by OC-16.

Last night at Aloha Stadium, Kaimuki overcame a 12-7 halftime deficit and finished with 317 yards rushing, including 242 on 31 carries by 5-foot-2, 145-pound senior Justin Paderes.

"It feels good, it feels good," said Paderes, repeating himself for emphasis. "I gotta thank my offensive line a lot, and also our defense. I wouldn't be able to carry the ball as much if my defense didn't hold them down."

Paderes gained 143 yards on 16 carries after halftime, and the Bulldogs gained 193 yards on the ground in the second half.

Paderes' 6-yard touchdown run and Tavita Aholeilei's extra point gave Kaimuki a 14-12 lead with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter. Another Paderes TD run — this one from 8 yards out — put the Bulldogs ahead 21-12 with 9:41 left in the game.

"We weren't doing our assignments, but they're a good team and they were just pounding on us," Rough Riders coach Les Parrilla said. "The game was won on the line, and that's where they're tough."

Roosevelt's offense, meanwhile, was limited to 75 total yards after halftime. Running back Ranson Tuitama, who entered the game with 949 yards rushing, finished with 78 yards on 14 carries and had just one rush for three yards in the second half.

Rough Riders quarterback Lowen Kaho'oilihala completed 13 passes in 26 attempts for 189 yards and one touchdown, with one interception.

"We saw some weaknesses in their secondary, so we tried to exploit that," Parrilla said. "But we didn't have much offense in the second half."

Tuitama gave Roosevelt a 6-0 lead with a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:12 remaining in the first quarter. The extra point attempt failed. Kaimuki answered with an eight-play, 73-yard drive culminating in Kapono Kaiwi-Barrionnebo's 1-yard quarterback sneak and Aholeilei's PAT on the first play of the second quarter.

The Rough Riders took a 12-7 lead 27 seconds before halftime on a 55-yard pass play from Kaho'oilihala to Alex Fowler, but their two-point conversion pass attempt failed.

"We let them get a big play right before halftime, but we picked the kids up in the locker room," said first-year Bulldogs coach Darren Johnson. "They were playing not to lose instead of playing to win, but we changed that at halftime. We told them to just go out there and have fun, and that's what they did."

ROOSEVELT (6-3-1) 6 6 0 0 — 12

KAIMUKI (10-1) 0 7 7 7 — 21

Roos — Ranson Tuitama 1 run (kick failed)

Kai — Kapono Kaiwi-Barrionnebo 1 run (Tavita Aholeilei kick)

Roos — Alex Fowler 55 pass from Lowen Kaho'oilihala (pass failed)

Kai — Justin Paderes 6 run (Aholeilei kick)

Kai — Paredes 8 run (Aholeilei kick)

RUSHING — Roosevelt: Tuitama 14-78, Kaho'oilihala 5-(minus-25). Kaimuki: Paderes 31-242, Josh Gacusana 3-22, Kaiwi-Barrionnebo 5-(minus17), Aholeilei 6-6, Maua Tuitele 1-6.

PASSING — Roosevelt: Kaho'oilihala 13-26-1—189, Tuitama 0-1-1—0, Fowler 0-1-0—0. Kaimuki: Kaiwi-Barrionebo 10-16-1—94.

RECEIVING — Roosevelt: Justin Otaguro 6-65, Fowler 3-89, Lowen Furuta-Harada 3-28, Tuitama 1-7. Kaimuki: Aholeilei 2-29, Chezz Ramos-Diaz 2-20, Romnick Paguraya 3-10, Chris Fiamate 3-35.

Read Wes Nakama's blog on prep sports at http://blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.