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First place is all in the hands of the Waipahu Marauders.
Wide receiver-turned- quarterback Liatama Uiliata passed for 207 yards and a touchdown, while running backs Anieli Talaeai and Braeden Togafau powered a 242-yard ground attack as seventh-ranked Waipahu clinched the OIA Division I top seed with a 26-16 win over Kailua.
The visiting Marauders overcame three turnovers to stay in front of the resilient Surfriders, who had a spirited defensive effort led by linebacker Garrick Pahinui. Waipahu finished the regular season 6-0 (7-1 overall). Coming into the game with a 3-1 conference record, Kailua could have tangled up the top of the standings with a win. Instead, Kailua dropped to 3-2 (3-3-1 overall).
“I’m just happy we clinched and we control our destiny, but there’s a lot we have to work on. We still haven’t played our best game,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said, praising his offensive line’s work in the trenches. “
We wanted to stay as balanced as possible and control the clock. Our line has been doing this, but Kailua’s D-line is very tough. They definitely tightened up. Ten (Pahinui) has a motor, man. He was giving us headaches all game.”
With a bye coming up before the playoffs, the Marauders got today off, a well-earned rest. Kicker Xavier Transfiguration had two field goals and a nearly 100 percent rate on kickoffs for touchbacks. His second FG gave Waipahu a 10-point lead in the final quarter.
“He takes kicking real seriously. He just got back from a kicking camp on the mainland. He can kick it over 50 yards,” Carvalho noted.
In all, Waipahu amassed 449 yards of total offense despite the absence of lineman Achilles Sale-Taifai, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound senior. Talaeai had 139 rushing yards on 21 carries. Togafau, a 5-10, 210-pound pound linebacker-turned-running back, had 71 yards on 15 carries, all in the second half.
“They’re two different backs and they’re both good. Anieli was a little bit off his game. Outside of the (two lost) fumbles, he just wasn’t hitting his gap on a few of them, so we gave him a pull and Braeden did his thing, too,” Carvalho said.
The first break of the game came during Waipahu’s second series, when Kailua linebacker Oren Tavares returned a fumble 58 yards to the Marauders’ 8-yard line. After two stuffed runs and an incomplete pass out of the end zone, Kailua cashed in with a 30-yard field goal by Kai Fraser with 1:34 left in the opening quarter.
Waipahu answered with a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive. Uiliata evaded a fierce pass rush and found Jayvren Panera for a 20-yard touchdown pass.
After a Kailua three-and-out, the. visitors drove 58 yards in seven drives. Uiliata connected on four passes in a row before Talaeai busted over the goal line on a second effort for a 6-yard TD. Waipahu led 14-3 with 7:16 to go in the first half.
Kailua QB Ma‘a Fonoti’s jump-ball pass deep down the right sideline fell into the hands of Romeo Ortiz, who raced 58 yards to pay dirt after two defensive backs collided. Kailua was within 14-10 with 4:07 to go before halftime.
Kailua got its biggest break with 1:57 left in the first half, recovering a fumble by Talaeai at the Waipahu 20-yard line. However, an incomplete pass, no-gain dive and a sack set up fourth-and-13, and Fonoti’s throw to Jathan Bejarano near the right pylon sailed out of bounds.
Waipahu then drove to the Kailua 25-yard line. After a pass interference flag on Kailua, Uiliata spiraled a pass to Panera in the middle of the end zone, but Rudy Bernadino broke the pass up to end the half.
The Marauders extended the lead to 17-10 on a 27-yard field goal by Transfiguration with 10:18 left in the third stanza.
After a three-and-out by Kailua, Waipahu drove 76 yards in 12 plays. Togafau, replacing Talaeai, scored on a 7-yard blast. The PAT snap was low to the holder, and Waipahu led 23-10 lead with 4:21 to go in the third.
Fonoti left the game moments later with a leg injury after scrambling for a short gain.
Waipahu drove to the Kailua 1-yard line, but a false start penalty pushed the Marauders back. A Pahinui sack pushed Waipahu back to the 18, and a fourth-down pass by Uiliata fell incomplete.
That stop proved crucial to Kailua’s hopes. On the next snap, with Ortiz at QB, Bejarano hauled in a deep pass, stumbled near mid-field and raced in for an 82-yard TD. Romeo Tagata blocked the PAT, and it was 23-16 with 10:31 remaining.
Waipahu went to a ground-and-pound attack with Togafau and Talaeai, and Transfiguration’s 34-yard field goal pushed the lead to 26-16 with 6:37 to go.
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WAIPAHU 26, KAILUA 16
At Alex Kane Stadium
Waipahu (7-1, 6-0) 7 7 3 9 — 26
Kailua (3-3-1, 3-2) 3 7 0 6 — 16
Kail—FG Kail Fraser 30
Waip—Jayvren Panera 20 pass from Liatama Uiliata (Xavier Transfiguration kick)
Waip—Anieli Talaeai 6 run (Transfiguration kick)
Kail—Romeo Ortiz 58 pass from Ma‘a Fonoti (Fraser kick)
Waip—FG Transfiguration 27
Waip—Braeden Togafau 7 run (run failed)
Kail—Jathan Bejarano 82 pass from Romeo Ortiz (kick blocked)
Waip—FG Transfiguration 34
RUSHING—Waipahu: Talaeai 21-139, Togafau 15-71, Uiliata 9-32. Kailua: Caysen Samson 13-26, Fonoti 6-20, Ortiz 3-11, Na‘inoa Smith-Akana 1-3.
PASSING—Waipahu: Uiliata 17-30-1-207. Kailua: Fonoti 7-14-1-89, Ortiz 8-11-2-36.
RECEIVING—Waipahu: Panera 6-64, Keon Cabrera 2-58, Tai Aipia-Barnett 3-37, Saige Marienthal 3-21, Chazen Rodilas-Vesido 2-20, Talaeai 1-7. Kailua: Ortiz 1-58, Smith-Akana 5-29, Jathan Bejarano 6-19, Solomon Keanui-Demello 2-14, Dakota Loucks 1-5.
Junior Varsity—Kailua 50, Waipahu 11
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