Roosevelt had the final say in a hotly contested first half and then owned the next 24 minutes in a 28-7 victory over Waialua on Friday night at the Bulldogs’ Toshiyuki Nakasone Field.
With time running out before the break, the Rough Riders (2-0, 2-0 OIA Division II) stopped Waialua at the 1-yard line on three cracks up the middle. That preserved a 15-7 lead and set the stage for a rough-and-tumble second half in which Roosevelt pulled away.
“This is what we’re looking for,” said Roosevelt defensive back Aalona Monteilh, who had an interception and added a punt return for a touchdown along with several other big hits on the night. “Waialua is a lot better this year, but we got the ‘W’ and that’s all that matters.”
That goal-line stand was a big blow to the Bulldogs (1-1, 1-1). Quarterbacks Justyce Lacar and Kyler Dicion guided the country boys 63 yards all the way to the Roosevelt 1, but all three timeouts were gone with 39 seconds left and they got their last snap of the three tries off just before the clock hit zero.
Instead of going into halftime within a field goal, Waialua was still behind by 8.
“It was a hard loss,” said Dicion, who played both ways for the Bulldogs and also dished out some thundering hits. “We’re going to be back up and meet them in the playoffs. They better be prepared, that’s all I can say.”
A lot of rock-hard hits were on display in the second half, and numerous late hits showed that bad blood began to develop between the rivals.
Two long injury timeouts in which Waialua players Tyson Apau (ankle) and Kade Dellatan (unknown injury) were taken by ambulance to a hospital led to a long-running game — 4 hours, 3 minutes. Apau’s older brother, Hunter, also suffered a collarbone injury.
Monteilh’s 42-yard punt return for a touchdown started a string of 21 unanswered points. Quarterback Skyler Ogata, who finished with three TD passes, threw the next two for scores in the second half — to Brandon Teixeira for 37 yards and Scott Chung for 18.
“In the second half, we established the run,” Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala said. “We got the men up front and so we pushed it.”
Earlier, Roosevelt broke the ice late in the first quarter on Chung’s 27-yard TD catch on a pass from Ogata. But the Rough Riders knew that this was not going to be a runaway after Lacar finished off a 64-yard drive with a 12-yard TD fade pass to Hunter Apau for a 7-all ballgame early in the second quarter.
With four minutes to go before halftime, Monteilh followed his blocking down the left sideline for the punt-return TD. Chase Akana, a St. Francis transfer, went around right end for a 2-point conversion to make it 15-7 and that’s the way it stood at the half.
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Roosevelt 28, Waialua 7
At Waialua
>> Roosevelt (2-0, 2-0) 7 8 13 0 — 28
>> Waialua (1-1, 1-1) 0 7 0 0 — 7
Roosevelt – Scott Chung 27 pass from Sky Ogata (Isaac Segawa kick)
Waialua – Hunter Apau 8 pass from Justyce Lacar (Ezekiel Sheridan kick)
Roosevelt – Aalona Monteilh 42 punt return (Chase Akana run)
Roosevelt – Brandon Teixeira 37 pass from Ogata (Segawa kick)
Roosevelt – Chung 18 pass from Ogata (Paul Ho kick)
RUSHING — Roosevelt: Myka Kukahiwa 7-52, Kalei Wahilani 3-37, Izen Antolin-Kalewahea 4-30, Mitchell Camacho 4-18, Ogata 6-13, Kaulana Koki 1-9, Kolea Pa-Macalino 2-9, Kirk Calinao 1-0, TEAM 2-(minus 12). Waialua: Jonah Baker 2-6, Blitzen Benz 2-3, Kyler Dicion 4-(minus 1), Storm Quilinderino 5-(minus 2), Lacar 11-(minus 4).
PASSING — Roosevelt: Ogata 14-23-0–224. Waialua: Lacar 10-24-1–59, Dicion 5-11-1–85.
RECEIVING – Roosevelt: Devin Naihe 5-83, Chung 4-79, Calinao 2-16, Brandon Teixeira 1-37, Wesley Kames 1-7. Kukahiwa 1-2. Waialua: Kai Hoekstra 4-49, Hunter Apao 3-27, Dylan Yadao 3-15, Justin Lorenzo 2-11, Clarence Dabalos 1-28, Benz 1-9, Kayde Mahuka 1-5.
