Waianae football tops Moanalua in OT

Javen Towne scored from 3 yards out in overtime to lift Waianae to a wild 43-37 victory over Moanalua on Friday night.

“That was what we call solid right 32,” Towne said. “We had been trying to pound it in. We went right. I saw a gap and I hit it as fast as I could. It was a hard and physical game, and it was mentally tough to stay in it.”

It was the Oahu Interscholastic Association opener for both teams, and host Moanalua took it to overtime on Blake Tom’s 42-yard field goal as time expired.

Prior to that the game went back and forth, with Waianae holding a slim lead most of the way.

“It was a tough game,” Na Menehune running back Michael Feliciano said right after the hard-to-take loss. “I don’t know, it just happened. We slacked in our last two practices and this is what happens. It will make us more hungrier, for sure.”

Feliciano looked like he was ready to give Moanalua the lead with a 12-yard run to the Waianae 4, but he fumbled and the Seariders’ Justin Kikila recovered.

On the winning drive in OT, Jorell Borge-Pontes lined up at quarterback (he also plays running back and slot) and scampered 18 yards to the 2. He was hurt on the play. A fake pass at the beginning of the run to the left helped freeze Na Menehune defenders.

Waianae (1-1) had a relatively comfortable 30-20 lead after three quarters and also had a 37-27 edge with 4:58 left in the game, but Na Menehune closed the gap as Kaimi Kinni hauled in a 38-yard scoring pass from Nevin Yuen before Tom’s tying field goal.