Waipahu 20, Nanakuli 12
Waipahu held off host Nanakuli in the season opener for both teams on Friday.
Braden Amorozo completed 22 of 33 passes for 316 yards and the Marauders (1-0) scored twice in the second half to pull away from the Golden Hawks (0-1).
Amorozo’s 3-yard run broke a 6-all tie and Waipahu completed the 2-point conversion for a 14-6 lead with 2:30 left in the third quarter.
Nanakuli closed to 14-12 after Nainoa Banks connected on his second touchdown pass to Joey Vea-Quitog with 9:38 left in the fourth quarter. A 2-point conversion pass to tie the game failed.
Waipahu extended its lead to 20-12 after Amorozo’s 11-yard pass to Alika Ahsing with 3:45 left in the game. Nanakuli got the ball back and advanced to Waipahu’s 29-yard line with less than a minute remaining. But the Marauders stopped Banks twice, including a sack by Jared Marcelo, to seal the win.
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Stanley Lee, Star-Advertiser
Kaiser 28, Roosevelt 21
Keoni Pangan caught the 23-yard go-ahead touchdown pass from Kainoa Torres with 1:34 remaining as the Cougars beat the Rough Riders.
Pagan, who scored three touchdowns in the game, leaped to catch a lofted pass over the middle and darted into the end zone. Riki Sakai added the conversion kick.
The score was set up by Noah Cambra’s 52-yard kickoff return.
Andrew Kafusi’s weaving 88-yard kickoff return put the Cougars ahead 21-14 with 10:47 remaining in the game.
The Rough Riders tied it on Shastyn Kekahuna’s 4-yard quarterback keeper with two minutes left. Jake Hijirada’s PAT, which bounced off the crossbar and over, tied it.
Pangan also scored on a 20-yard fumble return in the first quarter and a 78-yard scoring pass from Torres with 4:41 remaining before halftime to make it 14-0 Cougars.
Roosevelt, which lost three fumbles in the opening quarter, finished with just one completion. The Rough Riders gained 253 yards on the ground.
Torres completed just two passes — the scoring plays to Pangan — for Kaiser, which was outgained 262 yards to 126.
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Kyle Sakamoto, Star-Advertiser
Castle 38, Kalaheo 0
The Knights routed the Mustangs behind a stingy defense and a stout running game.
Castle ran for all four of the team’s first-half touchdowns and held Kalaheo to negative rushing yardage.
Israel Pakele had a game-high two touchdowns, gaining 36 yards on eight rushes. Henry Nakamura McCoy added another score on a game-high 87 yards on the ground.
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Christian Shimabuku, Star-Advertiser
Moanalua 46, Damien 24
Alikai Yuen threw for 364 yards, 268 of them to Roland Ramones, and Na Menehune beat the Monarchs.
Ramones hauled in five touchdowns and his yardage total was third on the school’s single-game list. Karson Cruz holds the record with 310 in a game against Farrington in 2014.
Savai‘i Eselu won his debut as coach for Na Menehune with the impressive offensive display.
