Leilehua knocks off Waipahu to advance to OIA D-I final

This wasn’t pretty.

This was simply playoff football, Leilehua Mules style.

With rain pouring down and a scoreless stalemate at the half, the Mules got two field goals from Konapiliahi Raymond and a touchdown pass from Kekoa Turangan to Jayzon Ramos for a 13-7 win over defending Division I state champion Waipahu on Friday night at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.

No. 7-ranked Leilehua (9-1) will meet Moanalua next week in the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I final. Both teams sealed state-tournament berths with their semifinal wins.

>> Click here to see photos of the game between Leilehua and Waipahu.

The lead-up to Friday night’s semifinal was similar to 2018. Last year, Leilehua won the regular-season matchup handily (50-20) before losing at home in the first round to Waipahu, 29-6.

This time, the Mules won again in the regular season, 23-13. Coach Mark Kurisu applauded his team during a postgame chat for not succumbing to “superstitions,” and instead putting “faith into action.”

“It was great. It was stressful,” Kurisu said. “We’re just blessed to be on the other end compared to last year.”

The Mules did it with action, all right, swarming around the state’s all-time rushing leader, Alfred Failauga. The senior finished with 112 hard-earned yards on 31 carries.

“It was just a defensive battle. I’m super proud of the way our guys fought. They played like champions today,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said. “Hat’s off to Leilehua. It was a chess match, and at the end of the day, we didn’t make plays when we needed to.”

Failauga’s 3-yard TD run with 3:02 left ended Leilehua’s shutout bid, and brought the Marauders within striking distance. Instead of an onside kick against Leilehua’s hands team, Waipahu kicked deep. The visitors eventually got the ball back with 1:05 left, but on the next snap, Cody Marques’ sideline pass was intercepted by Selau Aiava.

It was Aiava’s second clutch pick of the season. In a 28-25 win over ‘Iolani two weeks ago, he made a superb interception in the end zone, also in the final minute, to preserve Leilehua’s win.

Rain began to fall with five minutes left in the first half, and both offenses seemed destined to struggle. The Mules began the second half with a drive to the Waipahu 5-yard line, stalled, and settled on a 22-yard field goal by Raymond.

It came moments after Raymond dropped a deep sideline pass from Turangan that would have been a TD.

Waipahu went three-and-out on its first three possessions of the second half. The Mules led 3-0 going into the final quarter, and after Turangan connected with Kalei Akagi four times during a 12-play, 76-yard drive. Turangan’s 15-yard toss to Ramos in the left corner gave the home team a 10-0 lead with 11:31 left in the game.

Six sacks by the Mules took the air out of Waipahu’s offensive hopes. Two of them were by Gabriel Araki, including a 14-yard takedown in the ensuing Waipahu series. Leilehua blocked the Marauders’ punt, and Waipahu’s Fiva Tulafale returned the ball to midfield, but it was short of the first-down marker.

Leilehua tacked on a 20-yard field goal by Raymond before Waipahu’s late TD.

—

No. 7 Leilehua 13, Waipahu 7

At Leilehua

>> Waipahu (4-6) 0 0 0 7 — 7

>> Leilehua (9-1) 0 0 3 10 — 13

Leilehua — FG Konapiliahi Raymond 22

Leilehua — Jayzon Ramos 15 pass from Kekoa Turangan (Raymond kick)

Waipahu — Alfred Failauga 3 run (Brycen Amorozo kick)

Leilehua — FG Raymond 20

RUSHING — Waipahu: Failauga 31-112, Fiva Tulafale 1-15, Aston Contado 1-(minus-9), Cody Marques 7-(minus-29). Leilehua: Jemell Vereen 15-43, Kawela Kaluhiokalani 2-11, Damarion Smith 3-5, Kalei Akagi 3-2, Ramos 1-(minus-3), Turangan 5-0, TEAM 2-(minus-4).

PASSING — Waipahu: Marques 8-17-1-103. Leilehua: Turangan 15-26-1-202, K. Akagi 0-1-0-0.

RECEIVING — Waipahu: Contado 4-47 Solofa Setu 2-46, Jovan Gooman 2-10. Leilehua: K. Akagi 10-109, Ramos 2-67, Vereen 2-19, Landyn Jumawan 1-7.

* Junior varsity — Leilehua 40, Moanalua 0