Waipahu’s season opener summoned decade-old memories for Marauders coach Bryson Carvalho.
Carvalho was an assistant on the Waipahu coaching staff in 2008 when the Marauders spoiled Waianae’s homecoming night. The Seariders won the next five meetings between the programs before Waipahu claimed a rare W in the series with a 34-13 home win over the seventh-ranked Seariders on Friday.
“It’s a little different being a head football coach,” Carvalho said of experiencing both victories, “but it definitely takes you back to that day.”
In years to come, Friday’s nonleague matchup may be best remembered as the night junior quarterback Cody Marques threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, workhorse running back Alfred Failauga churned out 145 yards and a score and a Waipahu team missing half its roster pulled away from the Seariders in the second half.
Waipahu suited up 27 players for the game with 26, including numerous starters, on the bench due to academics or team rules violations.
“I told the 27 guys who suited up tonight, you can’t whine about it, you can’t complain about it. You guys took care of what you needed to do,” Carvalho said. “We knew the whole summer what we were going to go in with … and I’m just so proud. They stepped up and did what they needed to do and a lot of guys played both ways.”
Waipahu won the OIA Division II title last season and began its transition to Division I by taking on the Open Division Seariders.
Waianae broke on top on a 24-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Joseph Jr. early in the second quarter and Waipahu answered just before halftime when Marques connected with Branson Jay Reyes on an 81-yard scoring pass down the right side.
“We kept playing our game,” Marques said. “We didn’t play their game, we didn’t adjust to them. They had to adjust to us and we played our game.”
Failauga built on the momentum on Waipahu’s first possession of the third quarter by breaking loose down the left side for a 69-yard score to give the Marauders their first lead.
“We had to wait for the (run-pass option),” Failauga said. “Let them bite on the runs, the passes would be wide open and we’d get out there for the runs.”
Marques and Waianae quarterback Kevin Poepoe traded touchdown passes early in the fourth quarter. But the Marauders broke away again when Marques escaped pressure and found Devin Espiritu open downfield for a 67-yard score.
SATURDAY GAMES: NONLEAGUE
>> ‘Iolani vs. Kalani at Kaiser Stadium, 6 p.m.
>> Konawaena at Kahuku, 6 p.m.
>> Hilo at Campbell, 6 p.m.
>> Roosevelt at Nanakuli, 6:30 p.m.
>> Kailua at Mililani, 6:30 p.m.
>> St. Francis at Radford, 6:30 p.m.
>> Lahainaluna vs. Kapaa, at Vidinha Stadium, 7 p.m.
>> Pearl City at Kealakehe, 7:30 p.m.
After an interception by Aaron Feliciano, Marques capped a seven-play scoring drive with a 2-yard keeper to put the game away with 1:51 left.
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GAME SUMMARY
At Waipahu
>> Waianae (0-1) 0 7 0 6 — 13
>> Waipahu (1-0) 0 7 7 20 — 34
Waianae — Kenneth Joseph Jr. 24 run (Joseph kick)
Waipahu — Branson Jay Reyes 81 pass from Cody Marques (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Alfred Failauga 69 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Jeff Badua 10 pass from Marques (kick blocked)
Waianae — Joseph 33 pass from Kevin Poepoe (run failed)
Waipahu — Devin Espiritu 67-yard pass from Marques (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Marques 2 run (Amoroso kick)
RUSHING — Waianae: Elijah Lujan 12-23, Joseph 14-102, Poepoe 3-(-10), Malik Brown 8-29, Team 1-(-1). Waipahu: Alfred Failauga 29-145, Marques 7-34, Matthew Fiesta 1-0, Team 1-(-6).
PASSING — Waianae: Poepoe 9-17-2-139. Waipahu: Marques 10-15-0-216.
RECEIVING — Waianae: Shaydon Lopes 2-35, Lujan 3-23, Joseph 2-49, Chad Pule 1-1, Brown 1-31. Waipahu: Jovan Gooman 3-13, Solofa Setu 1-4, Fiesta 1-23, Reyes 1-81, Badua 1-10, Espiritu 1-15.
* JV— Waianae 34, Waipahu 7
