Stuck behind star tailback Alfred Failauga all season, Deacon Kapea finally got his chance Friday night and led Waipahu past Aiea with a dominant performance, racking up 163 yards and four scores in a 42-14 rout.
After winning the ILH Division II crown and reaching the state title game with Damien last year, Kapea transferred home to Waipahu for his senior year. With Failauga entrenched at running back, Kapea has found himself playing mostly safety. But with Failauga on the bench with an injury, Kapea got his chance against Aiea.
“Tonight was my night to shine,” Kapea said. “I was given a chance to start at running back, and I knew I had just been blessed with an opportunity to play tonight.”
Kapea’s effort certainly did not go unnoticed, as coach Bryson Carvalho praised the running back for his performance.
“He’s a great kid with a great attitude,” Carvalho said. “He had running back experience after he transferred from Damien, and tonight he really stepped up for us. With the situation we are in, with a lack of running back depth with injuries and other things, he really stepped in and played well for us.”
Kapea was the only Marauders back to get significant work, as all other Waipahu ballcarriers combined for 15 carries for 12 yards.
“We wanted to establish the run game, because it’s really a part of our mantra,” Carvalho said. “We wanted to make sure we established the run and controlled the line of scrimmage, but also develop our passing game and be able to do things at the second level.”
After Aiea scored on the opening play of the game on a 55-yard catch-and-run by Fabian Bautista from Kayson Castillo, Waipahu took control. The Marauders scored touchdowns on four of their six drives in the first half. One ended on turnover on downs at the Aiea 38, and the other ended due to halftime. At the half, Kapea had already logged 93 rushing yards and three scores.
“They told me to just go out there and run the rock hard,” Kapea said. “I just was going to go out there and give it my best and play as hard as I can, and that’s what I was able to do tonight.”
Waipahu continued its steady production in the second half, scoring on its first two possessions. With backups subbing in during the fourth quarter, Waipahu allowed Aiea back into the scoring department, as Castillo found Zacharia Kalahiki-Basque for a 41-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
Waipahu also was able to flex its depth, as Joel Auvae opened the game in place of starter Cody Marques. Auvae went 7-for-10 for 85 and a touchdown, orchestrating the first two drives for Waipahu before Marques entered.
“Cody missed a practice, and it was excused,” Carvalho said. “But with our rules, if you are a starter and miss a practice, you aren’t going to start for at least one series. But Joel really stepped up and led us, and put some points on the board.”
Kalani 22, McKinley 16
Nicholas Sakamoto threw three touchdown passes, two going to Noah Ah Sam, and the Falcons earned their first win of the season on homecoming night.
Sakamoto completed 15 of 26 attempts for 161 yards for the Falcons, who had scored eight points in their first five games. He threw scoring passes of 6 and 31 yards to Ah Sam and a 24-yarder to Jerick Robinson.
Kalani led 22-8 late in the fourth quarter when McKinley running back Migguel Camacho turned a short throw from Jayden Victorino-Jay into an 80-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion pass was good to Leon Montgomery to bring the Tigers within six with 2:46 left.
McKinley got the ball back with 1:44 left, but the Falcons pushed the Tigers back to finish off the win.
GAME SUMMARIES
Waipahu 42, Aiea 14
at Aiea
>> Waipahu (4-2, 3-0) 14 14 14 0 — 42
>> Aiea (2-2-1, 2-2) 6 0 0 8 — 14
Aiea — Fabian Bautista 55 pass from Kayson Castillo (kick failed)
Waipahu — Deacon Kapea 7 run (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Jovan Gooman 8 pass from Joel Auvae (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Kapea 4 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Kapea 3 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu —Cody Marques 1 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Kapea 1 run (Amorozo kick)
Aiea — Zacharia Kalahiki-Basque 41 pass from Castillo (Kalahiki-Basque pass from Castillo)
RUSHING — Waipahu: Kapea 25-163, Marques 6-23, Manuele Pulusila 3-5, Matthew Fiesta 1-2, Team 2-(minus 2), Joel Auvae 5-(minus-18). Aiea: Keoni Young-Tavai 3-2.
PASSING — Waipahu: Auvae 10-16-1-145, Marques 5-13-0-48. Aiea: Castillo 16-39-2-189.
RECEIVING — Waipahu: Saxon Tote 5-72, Fiesta 4-43, Gooman 3-30, Fiva Tulafale 1-30, Solofa Setu 1-13, Branson Jay Reyes 1-5. Aiea: Bautista 5-80, Kalahiki-Basque 5-73, Dylan Soberano 5-31, Austin Mogote 1-5.
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Kalani 22, McKinley 16
at Kaiser
>> McKinley (1-5, 0-4) 8 0 0 8 — 16
>> Kalani (1-5, 1-3) 0 16 6 0 — 22
McKinley — Jayden Victorino-Jay 1 run (Victorino-Jay run)
Kalani — Noah Ah Sam 6 pass from Nicholas Sakamoto (pass failed)
Kalani — Jerick Robinson 24 pass from Sakamoto (Kevin Tabuchi kick)
Kalani — FG Kai Sigler 33
Kalani — Ah Sam 31 pass from Sakamoto (kick failed)
McKinley — Migguel Camacho 80 pass from Victorino-Jay (Leon Montgomery pass from Victorino-Jay)
RUSHING — McKinley: Camacho 16-52, Victorino-Jay 9-(minus-15). Kalani: Sakamoto 18-40, Javan Montiho 10-12, Jake Lee 3-10, Nathaniel Balangitao 6-(minus-3), Team 4-(minus-38).
PASSING — McKinley: Victorino-Jay 7-16-1-136, Alexandria Buchanan 2-3-1-19. Kalani: Sakamoto 15-26-0-161.
RECEIVING — McKinley: Camacho 3-86, Montgomery 3-52, Brandon Chae 2-12, Quincy Owens-Barnes 1-5. Kalani: Robinson 6-57, Ah Sam 3-48, Jonathan Cai 2-41, Montiho 2-14, Sigler 1-6, Brayden Miguel 1-(minus-5).
* JV — Kalani 27, McKinley 22
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ALSO
>> Kaimuki 46, Waialua 6
>> BIIF: Konawaena 41, Waiakea, 7
>> KIF: Kapaa 38, Waimea 0
