The black flag is flying high at Waipahu, but now it has a championship plaque by its side.
Waipahu made two defensive stands in the final two minutes to preserve a 38-30 comeback win over defending champion Aiea for the OIA Division I crown.
Freshman Elijah Mendoza passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. His favorite target was Tama Uiliata, who had a whopping 16 receptions for 202 yards and one TD. Mendoza was making his first start at the varsity level after fracturing his kneecap early in the season — while playing for the JV.
“How much you want it? I want it more than anybody for my teammates,” Mendoza said. “I did not miss anything. There before practice to study, 30 minutes of routes every day. I had no idea I would play varsity, but the moment JJ (Manu) got injured, he told me I had to step up.”
Uiliata had filled in with good results at QB before Saturday night.
“With a freshman quarterback stepping up to the plate, I’m like, the things that he did today really surprised me. Even in the huddle he boosted everybody up, picking up everybody on the sidelines. I’m grateful for him,” Uiliata said.
Waipahu (9-1) and Aiea (7-3) had already clinched state-tournament berths. Na Alii will travel for the opening round.
“We’re going to celebrate tonight for sure. I’m glad the HHSAA gave us one week to kind of calm the nerves, look at some film, figure out who we’re going to play,” coach Bryson Carvalho said. “This is a great group of kids who prepared very well. They’re focused and the team grew drastically with the JV finishing their season.”
Mendoza’s poise was tested after throwing two interceptions and losing the ball on a goal-line handoff, but he always bounced back.
“I always saw something in this kid. He just got the OK on Monday. He’s one of those guys who takes his job seriously,” Carvalho said. “We moved (Uiliata) everywhere. I knew the element of surprise was him being at receiver since he’d been at quarterback for the last half of the season. We kind of kept that hushed.”
Aiea coach Wendell Say was not in his best mood after the game.
“We’ve got to regroup and take care of our injuries. I’m just kind of disappointed in the officiating tonight. Very disappointed,” the veteran coach said. “We’ve just got to study the film so we can show it. If they’re going to call us for targeting, we want to make sure they call it both ways because we saw our guys getting hit.”
The Marauders seemed to have the game under control after Aiea turned the ball over on downs with 1:20 remaining.
However, the Marauders fumbled moments later and Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo returned the ball in a scrum to the Waipahu 24-yard line.
Aiea had the ball with Noah Spencer at quarterback, replacing an injured Ezekiel Olie.
Waipahu defensive back Dustin Canite sacked Spencer, pushing Aiea back to the 23-yard line. Spencer’s deep pass attempt was hauled in by Rico Figueroa just out of bounds of the end zone. On third down, Spencer’s pass into the end zone was picked off by Fa’apaia Fualema, sealing the win for Waipahu with 21 seconds left.
Spencer was injured on the play.
Waipahu won its first OIA football crown since 2018, also under Carvalho.
Aiea called a fair catch on Waipahu’s opening kickoff, a pooch that came with a personal foul for unnecessary roughness. On the first snap from scrimmage, Olie launched a 38-yard bomb to Jayden Chanel and Aiea led 7-0 with 11:51 to go in the first quarter.
Waipahu responded with a nine-play, 64-yard scoring march, helped by a personal foul on Aiea. Mendoza’s 24-yard strike to Uiliata on a seam route tied the game at 7 with 9:26 to go in the opening quarter.
Na Alii struck again with a 40-yard catch-and-run by Geronimo Ulgaran, who was nearly tackled near the 20-yard line but kept his balance and raced to the left pylon with 6:47 left in the first quarter. Aiea led 14-7.
The Marauders drove 68 yards on the next series to the Aiea 1-yard line, but Mendoza and running back Braeden Togafau juggled the exchange, allowing Na Alii’s Elijah Nahoopii-Makakona to recover the ball at the 1-yard line.
Na Alii drove 99 yards in 14 plays, scoring on a 34-yard pass from Olie to Figueroa for a 21-7 lead with 9:53 left in the first half.
After a Marauders three-and-out, Ulgaran returned a punt 36 yards to the Waipahu 12-yard line. After losing 24 yards on a holding penalty and a sack, Na Alii settled for a 41-yard field goal by Bryson Boyea Quiton for a 24-7 lead with 5:52 to go in the first half.
Waipahu drove 55 yards in 11 plays, aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty. Mendoza fumbled a shotgun snap inside the 20, but on the next play found Sage Marienthal on a slant route for a 13-yard TD. On the 2-point play, Uiliata lined up as a wildcat QB and ran in, cutting Aiea’s lead to 24-15 with 2:56 left in the first half.
Safety Keon Cabrera’s interception on a second-and-long bomb by Olie gave Waipahu the ball at midfield with 1:19 remaining in the first half. The Marauders drove to the 3-yard line and Transfiguracion made a 20-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.
Waipahu opened the second half by fumbling at the Aiea 18-yard line as Aizik Mahuka took the ball away from Togafau in a scrum. However, the Marauders got a sensational interception by linebacker Romeo Tagata to take over at the Aiea 11-yard line. After an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Waipahu, the Marauders scored nine plays later on a 5-yard toss from Mendoza to Uiliata. Waipahu had its first lead, 25-24, with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
After an Aiea punt, Waipahu gained possession at Na Alii’s 39-yard line, but the rain began to fall, and Aiea’s Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo intercepted a pass that went through the hands of a Waipahu receiver.
Aiea’s drive stalled near midfield, and Waipahu drove 93 yards in eight plays. Mendoza double-pumped and found Marienthal again. Their 23-yard TD opened Waipahu’s lead to 32-24 with 11:17 to go.
Aiea came back strong with a 29-yard bomb from Olie to Chanel in single coverage. However, Olie took a big hit on the pass and was unable to return for Aiea’s 2-point attempt, which was an incomplete pass. It was 32-30 with nine minutes to go.
Waipahu drove to the Aiea 35, but Na Alii sophomore Eric Saau intercepted Mendoza’s pass.
On the next play, Olie completed a short pass to Kaimana Lale-Saole, but he fumbled the ball and Samu Niuatoa returned it 30 yards for a touchdown, expanding Waipahu’s lead to 38-30 with 6:22 left. Nahoopii-Makakona blocked the PAT kick.
That kept Aiea in a one-possession game, but in the ensuing series, two players went down injured — first highly recruited offensive lineman Preston Taumua, then Olie again.
—
WAIPAHU 38, AIEA 30
at Mililani
Aiea (7-3) 14 10 0 6 — 30
Waipahu (9-1) 7 11 7 13 — 38
Aiea—Jayden Chanel 38 pass from Ezekiel
Olie (Bryson Boyea Quiton kick)
Waip—Liatama Uiliata 24 pass from Elijah Mendoza (Xavier Transfiguracion kick)
Aiea—Geronimo Ulgaran 40 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Rico Figueroa 34 pass from Olie (Boyea Quiton kick)
Aiea—Boyea Quiton FG 41
Waip—Sage Marienthal 13 pass from Mendoza (Uiliata run)
Waip—Transfiguracion FG 20
Waip—Uiliata 5 pass from Mendoza (Transfiguracion kick)
Waip—Marienthal 22 pass from Mendoza (Transfiguracion kick)
Aiea—Chanel 29 pass from Olie (pass failed)
Waip—Samu Niuatoa 30 fumble return (kick blocked)
RUSHING—Aiea: Kobe Higa 3-11, Kaimana Lale-Saole 5-3, Olie 7-(minus 5). Waipahu: Togafau 21-123, Jayjay Rayner 1-7, Uiliata 1-5, Mendoza 3-(minus 12), TEAM 1-(minus 13).
PASSING—Aiea: Olie 27-37-2-322, Spencer 4-10-2-14. Waipahu: Mendoza 29-45-2-303, Uiliata 1-1-0-24.
RECEIVING—Aiea: Ulgaran 11-117, Chanel 6-97, Figueroa 6-75, Lale-Saole 6-55, Cacpal 3-3. Waipahu: Uiliata 16- 202, Chazen Rodillas-Vesido 6-39, Tai Aipia-Barrett 3-22, Marienthal 4-40.
STATE TOURNAMENTS
OPEN DIVISON
Nov. 18
Kahuku vs. Campbell at Mililani, 4 p.m.
Punahou at Mililani, 7 p.m.
Nov. 25
Championship at Mililani, 7 p.m.
DIVISION I
Nov. 11
Kapaa at Waipahu, 7 p.m.
Aiea at Lahainaluna, 7 p.m.
Nov. 19
Waipahu/Kapaa at Iolani, 3 p.m.
Lahainaluna/Aiea at Konawaena, 7 p.m.
Nov. 26
Championship at Mililani, 7 p.m.
DIVISION II
Nov. 12
Pac-Five at Nanakuli, 7 p.m.
Kaiser at Waimea, 1 p.m.
Nov. 19
Nanakuli/Pac-Five at King Kekaulike, 7 p.m.
Waimea/Kaiser at Honokaa, 7 p.m.
Nov. 26
Championship at Mililani, 4 p.m.
