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Waipahu quarterback Joshua Manu and receivers Liatama Uiliata and Tai Aipia-Barrett were in sync all game Friday against visiting Radford.
The Marauders’ defense put everything together after a rough start.
Manu completed 24 of 40 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns — with Uiliata and Aipia-Barrett being his primary targets — as Waipahu beat Radford 35-7 in an OIA Division I game.
Uiliata finished with 15 receptions for 172 yards and three touchdowns and Aipia-Barrett had six catches for 170 yards.
“The only way for me to know if they’re going to be open is if we’re on the same wavelength,” Manu said. “That’s the only reason they’re my top two.”
Said Aipia-Barrett: “It’s a really good connection I have with me and my QB Josh. We’ve been practicing very hard since summer and we made a good connection. I can trust him to get the ball to me.”
The Rams and Marauders both scored on their first possessions.
Radford’s Kalob Victorino-Avilla completed four passes, all to different receivers, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Joel Gillies. Harrison Hoskins’ PAT kick made it 7-0 with 9:27 left in the first quarter.
Waipahu tied it 7-7 on Manu’s 5-yard scoring pass to Uiliata, and Xavier Transfiguracion’s PAT kick with 4:26 remaining in the quarter.
The Marauders (1-0) took control with three touchdown passes from Manu in the second quarter.
Uiliata caught a 3-yarder with 10:20 left before halftime and an 11-yarder with 6:09 remaining. Chazen Rodillas-Vesido caught a 9-yarder with 1:14 left to make it 28-7.
Manu completed 15 of 21 passes for 227 yards in the first half. Uiliata caught 10 passes for 104 yards and Rodillas-Vesido had three catches for 105 before halftime.
After allowing the Rams (0-1) to score on the game’s first possession, the Marauders’ defense allowed only 20 yards of total offense the remainder of the half.
Waipahu opened with two high safeties and quickly switched out of it after the Rams scored.
“We tried something a little different. It didn’t work, so we went back to the drawing board and fixed up stuff and got back to what we do,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said.
Waipahu’s defense got on the scoreboard on I’a Fualema’s 22-yard interception return for a score, which made it 35-7 with 11:07 remaining in the game. The pass was thrown by Ethan Gomez, who had just entered the game for the injured Victorino-Avilla.
Uiliata, who also plays defensive back for Waipahu, had an interception in the final minutes.
“The ball was up there and I just went up and got it. I was there and I was running the ball down the sideline and my body was giving out,” he said. “I gave my all tonight.”
Arjay Kelemete finished with three sacks for the Marauders, who allowed minus-11 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
“Just an incredible motor, he just keeps going, he keeps grinding,” Carvalho said. “That’s why I’m certain he’ll continue to make plays for us this season.”
Three of Manu’s four touchdown passes came on quick slants.
“We try to throw off the defense as much as possible,” Manu said. “Most times at the goal-line, they’re expecting run, so we try to do the opposite and sometimes it works.”
Kaimuki 40, Kalani 20
Ofa Vehikite rushed for more than 200 yards for the second game in a row and quarterback Iosepa Letuli ran for three first-half touchdowns to lead the Bulldogs over the Falcons.
Vehikite finished with 217 rushing yards on 21 carries and joined Chester Sua as the only Bulldogs with multiple 200-yard rushing games in school history.
He is averaging 11.7 yards per carry in two OIA Division II games.
Kaimuki (1-2, 1-1) rushed for 329 yards total.
Mikala Nishimoto caught two touchdown passes from quarterback Kynan McCartney to lead Kalani (1-2, 1-1), which had tied a school record with four straight OIA wins before losing to Kaimuki.
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WAIPAHU 35, RADFORD 7
At Waipahu
Radford (0-1) 7 0 0 0 — 7
Waipahu (1-0) 7 21 0 7 — 35
Rad—Joel Gillies 12 pass from Kalob Victorino-Avilla (Harrison Hoskins kick)
Waip—Liatama Uiliata 5 pass from Joshua Manu (Xavier Transfiguracion kick)
Waip—Uiliata 3 pass from Manu (Transfiguracion kick)
Waip—Uiliata 11 pass from Manu (Transfiguracion kick)
Waip—Chazen Rodillas-Vesido 9 pass from Manu (Transfiguracion kick)
Waip—I’a Fualema 22 interception return (Transfiguracion kick)
RUSHING—Radford: Michael Hayslett 8-2, Elijah Falaniko 1-(minus 5), Victorino-Avilla 7-(minus 8). Waipahu: Faafetai Failauga 17-67, Braeden Togafau 8-29, Romeo Tagata 1-1, Manu 5-(minus 4), team 2-(minus 27).
PASSING—Radford: Victorino-Avilla 16-28-0-133, Ethan Gomez 4-10-3-25. Waipahu: Manu 24-41-2-369, Failauga 0-1-0-0, Uiliata 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING—Radford: Jhonathan KekuaCobb 5-27, Tyrese Miller 3-37, Roch Schaefer 3-28, Gillies 3-24, Hayslett 3-8,
Olijah Gomez 2-25, Kanoa Nahinu 1-9. Waipahu: Uiliata 15-172, Tai Aipia-Barrett 6-170, Rodillas-Vesido 3-27.
Junior Varsity—Waipahu 36, Radford 19
KAIMUKI 40, KALANI 20
at Kaiser Stadium
Kaimuki (1-2, 1-1) 12 14 0 14 — 40
Kalani (1-2, 1-1) 0 14 6 0 — 20
Kaim—Katchen Betiru 4 run (kick blocked)
Kaim—Iosepa Letuli 4 run (kick blocked)
Kaim—Letuli 27 run (Jeremiah White kick)
Kaim—Letuli 4 run (White kick)
Kaln—Mikala Nishimoto 18 pass from
Kynan McCartney (Kalekona Spencer kick)
Kaln—McCartney 8 run (Spencer kick)
Kaln—Nishimoto 20 pass from McCartney (kick failed)
Kaim—Ofa Vehikite 5 run (Letuli run)
Kaim—Avin Tanioka 1 run (kick failed)
RUSHING—Kaimuki: Vehikite 21-217, Letuli 8-49, Sonasi Latu 6-46, Iosua Letuli 9-34, Tanioka 5-28, Betiru 2-8, team 4-(minus 53). Kalani: McCartney 10-55, Kahikina Iaea 2-17, Chris Holt 1-(minus 2), Rayce Fujimoto 2-(minus 3), Justin Botelho 2-(minus 5), team 1-(minus 6).
PASSING—Kaimuki: Iose. Letuli 6-9-0-68. Kalani: McCartney 21-33-3-266, Iaea 0-5-0-0.
RECEIVING—Kaimuki: White 3-44, Tanioka 2-12, Dante Peltier 1-12. Kalani: M. Nishimoto 8-83, Holt 8-75, Silas Tina Soberano 3-52, Kai Kobayashi 1-10, Laakea Nishimoto 1-6.
Also:
Maui 44, Baldwin 0
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