With five offensive starters out due to injury, Waialua could have folded on Friday night.
Instead, the Bulldogs found a way to overcome Vincent Massey Collegiate of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the No. 6 high school team in Canada, 43-27 before a stunned and sometimes delirious crowd of about 1,000 at Toshi Nakasone Field.
Waialua (2-1) had a magnificent ironman, two-way effort from several players, including wide receiver/safety Kai Hoekstra. The 6-foot-1 junior missed out on two early scoring opportunities, but made up for it with touchdown catches of 32, 4 and 55 yards to rally the Bulldogs, who trailed for much of the first half.
“We all had to be on top of our game. I believed in our team and we played the best we could,” Hoekstra said. “I feel great. I’m surprised. When they first came out, they were big, but we’re bigger inside.”
Kyler Dicion, a starting linebacker who started at quarterback last season, filled in for injured QB Justyce Lacar. Dicion was effective with 261 passing yards and four touchdowns. Reserve running back Mana Benz stepped into a starting role and finished with 150 yards on 11 carries, including a 70-yard TD late in the game.
Waialua finished with 372 yards of total offense and committed just two penalties.
“This game doesn’t count in the standings, but it was a pride game. I’m not surprised. The 18 guys we had all summer, they stayed in the game except for (two injured players),” Waialua coach Lincoln Barit said.
Vincent Massey brought 32 of its 47 players and was coming off an unbeaten 2018 season. This year’s junior-heavy squad amassed a whopping 597 yards of total offense. Running back Ishe Matanga rushed for 175 yards on 17 carries as the Trojans piled up 336 rushing yards on 40 attempts.
Junior Jordan Hanslip finished 18-for-35 for 261 yards, four TDs and one pick. The visitors just couldn’t finish off enough drives against a smaller, but resilient Waialua defense. VMC coach Kelsey McKay praised Waialua, refusing to lean on factors like different rules and different weather conditions from Winnipeg to the North Shore.
“It’s a factor, but that’s too easy, right? You’ve got to overcome that stuff. Both teams have to overcome that. We dealt with it in the second half. We recovered,” McKay said.
The Bulldogs finally got going on offense with two TDs in the final two minutes of the first half. Dicion’s 20-yard bullet to Kamu Lorenzo in the end zone tied the game with 1:52 to go. Waialua got the ball back after a punt with 26.5 seconds to go at the VMC 45-yard line. Three plays later, Dicion found Hoekstra at the goal line for a 32-yard TD to give the Bulldogs a 14-7 lead with 1.8 seconds before halftime.
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Waialua 43, Vincent Massey 27
At Tosh Nakasone Field
>> Vincent Massey (0-1) 7 0 6 14 — 27
>> Waialua (2-1, 1-1) 7 7 15 14 — 43
Vincent Massey — Riley Ho 25 pass from Jordan Hanslip (Jason Rushatsi kick)
Waialua — Kamu Lorenzo 20 pass from Kyler Dicion (Kayde Mahuka kick)
Waialua — Kai Hoekstra 32 pass from Dicion (Manuka kick)
Waialua — Hoekstra 4 pass from Dicion (Hoekstra pass from Dicion)
Waialua — Hoekstra 55 pass from Dicion (Mahuka kick)
Vincent Massey — Kaiden Bannon 15 pass from Hanslip (kick failed)
Waialua — Dicion 1 run (Mahuka kick)
Vincent Massey — Trey White 10 pass from Hanslip (Ho pass from Hanslip)
Waialua — Mana Benz 70 run (Mahuka kick)
Vincent Massey —White 5 pass from Hanslip (no conversion)
RUSHING — Vincent Massey: Ishe Matanga 17-175, Georges Camara 3-59, Hanslip 9-52, Payton Lake 3-29, Negus Lewin 6-28, Aaron Avanthay-Sanderson 1-2, TEAM 1-(minus 9). Waialua: Blitzen Benz 11-150, Dicion 6-16, Jonah Baker 2-0.
PASSING — Vincent Massey: Jordan Hanslip 18-35-1–261. Waialua: Dicion 17-30-1–261.
RECEIVING – Vincent Massey: Trey White 6-95, Bannon 4-67, Ho 3-44, Lake 3-34, Negus Lewin 1-16, Matanga 1-5. Waialua: Dylan Yadao 5-51, Hoekstra 4-106, Lorenzo 3-48, Benz 3-33, Mahuka 2-23.
