Waipahu’s Elijah Mendoza turned in a record-breaking performance Saturday against Kailua, and the Marauders left little doubt as to which team is the best of OIA Division I Pool B.
Mendoza completed 27 of 33 passes for a school-record 387 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in Waipahu’s 49-14 victory over visiting Kailua.
“I’m thankful for the staff that we have and I’m thankful for the receiver corps that we have,” said Mendoza, a sophomore. “Great receiver corps, great linemen and without them I would not have gotten those.”
Mendoza broke the Marauders record of 379 passing yards set by Nefu Mageo in 1998.
“I like that he’s owning the system and the game is slowing down for him a little bit,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said.
Waipahu (4-3, 4-1) clinched the No. 1 seed in OIA D-I Pool B and advances to the league semifinals. The Marauders have won four in a row.
“That’s exactly what we want. We want to sit in the driver’s seat and see how things unfold,” Carvalho said.
Kailua (4-4, 3-3) will play in the first round against the winner of next week’s Nanakuli/Aiea game.
Waipahu, the designated visiting team, put the game away against Kailua with a 27-point second quarter, which made it 35-0.
“That’s just something we work on — just be consistent, move the ball and nickel and dime as we go and take what the defense gives us,” Carvalho said.
Waipahu went up 8-0 on Ezra Nahoopii’s 1-yard run and Tai Aipia-Barrett’s 2-point conversion run with 4:18 remaining in the first quarter. The big play of the drive was 43-yard pass from Mendoza to Eric Stephens. Nahoopii, who is listed as an offensive lineman, scored on the next play.
The Marauders scored on their next possession on a 28-yard pass down the middle from Mendoza to Chazen Rodillas-Vesido, which made it 15-0 two plays into the second quarter. Ezekiel Stewart made the PAT kick.
On Kailua’s next possession, Romeo Ortiz’s pass was intercepted by Elijah Nahoopii and returned 56 yards for a touchdown, which made it 21-0 with 8:57 to go in the second.
The Marauders took a 35-0 lead on Jayden Chanel’s 41-yard scoring reception with 5:11 left before halftime and Stephens’ 51-yard touchdown catch with 2:15 remaining.
“I went to running back that play and we saw a broken coverage and we just took it, and I just made a play,” Stephens said of his touchdown. “I’d like to thank my teammates for helping me and blocking for me and allowing me to make plays.”
He finished with six receptions for 131 yards.
The closest Kailua came to scoring in the first half came on a 39-yard field-goal attempt by Matthew Mashiba that bounced off the crossbar in the final minute.
“A lot of credit can go to our defensive staff for working hard,” Carvalho said. “They came in midseason and have done a tremendous job. The kids learned a whole new defense. They were receptive of the change and picked it up quick.”
Mendoza completed 16 of 21 passes for 297 yards with an interception in the first half.
Stephens returned the opening kickoff of the second half 84 yards for a touchdown to extend Waipahu’s lead to 42-0. Evan Baptista made the PAT kick.
“We practice special teams a lot, and my teammates blocked really well that time and I was able to find a hole and take it,” Stephens said.
The Surfriders got on the board on Ortiz’s 33-yard run, which made it 42-7 with 4:29 remaining in the third. Mashiba made the PAT kick.
Kailua closed to 42-14 on Garic Pahinui’s 45-yard blocked-punt return with 6:06 remaining in the game.
Waipahu went up 49-14 on a 4-yard pass from Mendoza to Chanel with 3:11 remaining.
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At Waipahu
Kailua (4-4, 3-3) 0 0 7 7 — 14
Waipahu (4-3, 4-1) 8 27 7 7 — 49
WAIP—Ezra Nahoopii 1 run (Tai Aipia-Barrett run)
WAIP—Chazen Rodillas-Vesido 28 pass from Elijah Mendoza (Ezekiel Stewart kick)
WAIP—Elijah Nahoopii 56 interception return (run failed)
WAIP—Jayden Chanel 41 pass from Mendoza (Stewart kick)
WAIP—Eric Stephens 51 pass from Mendoza (Stewart kick)
WAIP—Stephens 84 kickoff return (Evan Baptista kick)
KAIL—Romeo Ortiz 33 run (Matthew Mashiba kick)
KAIL—Garic Pahinui 45 punt block return (Mashiba kick)
WAIP—Chanel 4 pass from Mendoza (Baptista kick)
RUSHING—Waipahu: Faafetai Failauga 3-16, Zaeden Reyes 6-14, Tai Aipia-Barrett 1-7, BJ Rezentes 1-2, Ezra Nahoopii 1-1, Team 1-(minus 1). Kailua: Ortiz 7-74, Kristian Yamamoto 10-32, Ikaika Quidachay 4-20, Caysen Samson 3-10, Hiilawe Hekekia 1-5, Team 1-(minus 8).
RUSHING—Waipahu: Mendoza 27-33-1-387. Kailua: Ortiz 15-28-1-99, Rezentes 0-1-0-0.
RUSHING—Waipahu: Stephens 6-131, Landon Flores 7-72, Chanel 4-72, Rodillas-Vesido 5-71, Aipia-Barrett 5-41. Kailua: Joey Griffiths 2-42, Aizek Kaanoi 5-29, Ezekiel-Allan Valdez 6-20, Stoney Pocock 1-4, Yamamoto 1-4.
Junior Varsity—Waipahu 14, Kailua 0
