Second-half surge powers Moanalua to win over stubborn Waipahu

Moanalua lost out on a golden opportunity to score at the end of the first half Saturday against Waipahu.

Na Menehune more than made up for it to start to second.

RJ Javar completed 28 of 45 passes for 431 yards and four touchdowns and Aukai Grace made an interception in the final minutes as No. 6 Moanalua held on to beat host Waipahu 31-28 in an OIA Division I game.

Na Menehune scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the second half to seize the momentum.

“To me, I have the best receiving corps,” said Javar, a senior. “I have to get these playmakers the ball and let them do the rest.”

On the first play of the second half, Javar connected on an 80-yard touchdown pass to Dacyres Domingo, who put on the brakes at the Marauders 30 to get past the final defender. The score made it 17-7 Moanalua.

Na Menehune also scored on touchdown passes for 53 yards and 8 yards from Javar to Jansen York. The second passing touchdown made it 31-21 with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter.

York finished with 10 receptions for 188 yards and Domingo had four for 115 for Na Menehune (6-0, 4-0).

In the final seconds of the first half, Na Menehune Darius Johnson fumbled at the Marauders 4. Fuafiva Tulafale forced the fumble and Dayton Daoang recovered.

“That was pretty irritating,” said Moanalua coach Savai’i Eselu. “We always work on those things, and for it to happen right at the front door, we have to clean that stuff up, because that kind of stuff will bite you in the butt.”

The Marauders matched Na Menehune’s scores to open the second half with a 3-yard run by quarterback Cody Marques and a 5-yard rush by Alfred Failauga to stay in it.

Failauga also scored on a 5-yard run to get Waipahu within 31-28 with 4:03 left.

The Marauders (2-5, 2-2) forced a punt on the next possession, but Grace intercepted a pass at the Marauders 39.

“That sealed it. I was excited because we were starting to lose our cool,” Eselu said. “But in typical Aukai fashion, always to the rescue.”

Moanalua converted a fourth-and-1 with a 16-yard pass from Javar to York on the drive, then took a knee in victory formation to run off the final seconds.

Failauga, the state’s all-time leading rusher, finished with 202 yards rushing on 28 carries. He gained 150 yards in the second half.

“We were able to get him some touches and he made some nice runs,” said Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho.

In the first half, Moanalua scored on a 17-yard pass from Javar to Lawsen Lee and a 30-yard field goal by Motas.

Waipahu scored on a 10-yard pick-6 by Logan Lauti.