Waianae runs all over Leilehua

With a brutal option running game, Waianae went into Leilehua’s Hugh Yoshida Stadium on Friday night and took the bus home with a hard-earned 39-21 OIA Red West football victory.

The Seariders (3-1, 1-1) pounded out 375 rushing yards, directed by senior quarterback Kekoa Kaluhiokalani. Three Waianae runners rushed for more than 90 yards, and Kaluhiokalani added another 61 on the ground.

"It all starts with the offensive line," Waianae head coach Daniel Matsumoto said. "They’re the ones who set everything up. We really moved the ball and that’s (the running game) what kept us in the game. We knew it was going to be a battle, so we (feel good) about winning here, especially against a great team like Leilehua."

The Mules (3-1, 1-1) were hurt by four turnovers, including two interceptions, as well as a fumble that was recovered by Waianae for a touchdown.

"We can talk about our (poor) tackling against the option, but four turnovers is the real reason why we lost," Leilehua coach Nolan Tokuda said. "And we got into the red zone twice and came away with nothing. You can’t expect to win a game like that. We gave the game away."

Trensten Spragling sped for 119 yards rushing and Jemery Willes went for 96 for Waianae, while the bull-like, up-the-middle bursts of Mahvan Tau added up to 92 yards. In addition, Ronald Matautia scored three rushing touchdowns.

Trailing 29-14 early in the fourth quarter, it appeared Leilehua was about to mount a comeback. Senior transfer Mack Eberhardt, who had scored on a 34-yard run in the first half, found a streaking Tristin Kamaka down the right sideline for a touchdown and a 29-21 deficit.

On its previous drive, Leilehua came up short at the Waianae 3 when Kamaka took an Eberhardt pass 9 yards on fourth and goal from the 12.

Later, with the score 32-21, Eberhardt raced for a huge 29-yard gain, but he fumbled at the Waianae 39 and Seariders defensive back Chade Wong recovered with 4:54 left to basically wrap it up.

Eberhardt, who went 22-for-43 for 252 yards with two TDs and two picks, made a desperation third-down throw with 1:53 left in the game that was hauled in by Waianae’s Wong.

Waianae grabbed early leads of 13-0 and 19-7, thanks to its powerful, explosive and time-consuming running game. Matautia scored on runs of 2 and 3 yards, and the Seariders also took advantage of a big Leilehua mistake.

The Mules’ Kamaka fielded a kickoff at his 1-yard line and tried to pitch to a crossing teammate at about the 5 but got hammered by a Waianae defender as he released the ball, which went high and bounded around until the Seariders’ Ioane Kaluhiokalani beat a Leilehua player to it in the end zone for a touchdown.

Stanton Spencer added to Waianae’s first-half haul with a 30-yard field goal, and the Seariders grabbed a 22-14 halftime lead.

Kapolei 10, Aiea 7

The Hurricanes’ Tristan Pebria scored on an 18-yard run in the third quarter, and Arielle Stoyanow kicked a first-half field goal as Kapolei held off Na Alii.

Derryl Ogawa-Staples caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Elijay Tausaga in the fourth quarter.