The words had a ring of distant familiarity to them Saturday night when Aloha Stadium public announcer Keenan Takamori intoned, "Touchdown by Yap!"

Perhaps there was even a bit of nostalgia for old-timers who remember the late 1970s, when it was something of a common phrase in Halawa.

Back then Boyd Yap — first for Kamehameha and later for Kaiser High — was a two-time All-State running back and 1979 state offensive player of the year.

But 35 years after Boyd’s three-touchdown, 167-yard performance before 32,182 in the 1979 Oahu Prep Bowl Championship game for the Cougars, his son, Beau, did something that even his celebrated father hadn’t accomplished:

Beau scored a crucial touchdown for the University of Hawaii.

And he did it as a defensive end.

When an errant snap cleared the Northern Iowa quarterback’s head and bounded into the end zone, Beau raced a UNI tackle for the ball. En route he had the presence of mind to give the tackle a roller-derby nudge out of the way and claimed the ball and the first score of an eventual 27-24 victory.

Later it was suggested that might give him bragging rights in the family, putting him one up on his father, a fullback for UH who lettered in 1981 and ’83 before his career was cut short by a neck injury.

"That would be pretty cool," Beau said. "I’ll have to ask him about that."

There would be no gloating over the distinction, however. No tugging at the 53-year-old longshoreman’s legacy.

"He’s a humble guy," Boyd said.

Boyd arrived at UH in the era of tailbacks Gary Allen, David Toloumu and Anthony Edgar and was soon moved to fullback. In those days, the fullback was almost exclusively a blocker and Yap was a good one who didn’t let ego get in his way.

"I just loved being out there," Boyd said.

Carries were a rarity, however.

"I think I got close (to the end zone), but I never got in at UH," Boyd said.

Beau seemed a longer shot to dent the end zone for UH since his career as a running back ended early with the Pop Warner Manoa Paniolos.

"Beau started to grow and we had a bunch of small, quick running backs, so he went to the line," Boyd said. "He realized it was about the team, not about himself."

Beau grew into a force, good enough to receive attention from Baylor, Oregon State and UH while earning co-defensive player of the year honors and helping Kamehameha to the 2009 state title.

He’s become a three-year starter and UH’s defensive MVP, plenty to make a father beam on Saturday nights about both the player and person he has become.

Then came the UNI game, where Beau reacted on instinct to the loose ball.

"It didn’t hit me right away (about the touchdown)," Beau said.

"It hit me when I got to the sideline and people started congratulating me and everything."

For his father, a man who knew something about touchdowns, the feeling was immediate.

"It was a thrill, just fantastic."

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.