Waipahu showed that it’s seriously in contention for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II title this season by smashing Roosevelt 43-14 on Monday at Aloha Stadium.

Braden Amorozo passed for 228 yards and three touchdowns for the Marauders (3-0, 2-0), who moved down from D-I to start this season.

Isaac Yamashita also had a big night for Waipahu, with five catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns, including one on a flea-flicker pass from fellow wide receiver Alika Ahsing.

Defensively, Waipahu allowed Roosevelt to move, but contained the Rough Riders, thanks in part to the work of defensive lineman Lafo Seiuli-Sanchez, who was in the face of quarterback Shastyn Kekahuna all night. The Marauders’ 6-foot-4, 320-pound senior batted down the arm of Kekahuna twice, resulting in incompletions. He also had a sack and another tackle for loss.

Seiuli-Sanchez’s contribution didn’t stop there, though. He also played fullback and scored on a 3-yard touchdown run up the middle and on a 2-point conversion run.

“It was a really good game. We worked together as a team and we’re glad we brought that ‘W’ home,” Seiuli-Sanchez said. “I practice on my fireouts and I used that in the game and I try to get to the line as fast as I can to get to the quarterback.”

The way he was slamming people around, it’s obvious that his fireout worked. Waipahu defenders Jeminae Solomua, Abraham Montero, Samson Taito and Centennial Kulikefu also made their presence known in the victory.

Alfred Failauga was a workhorse for the Waipahu offense, rushing for 87 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. He also had 78 yards on four receptions and a receiving touchdown. Failauga scored on Waipahu’s opening drive and there was no slowing down the Marauders, who proceeded to roll to a 28-0 lead on Amorozo touchdown passes of 82 and 19 yards to Yamashita and Ahsing and Seiuli-Sanchez’s rushing TD.

Roosevelt (1-4, 1-3) finally got on the board late in the first half on Jared Elwin’s 25-yard interception return, but Waipahu struck right back for a 35-7 halftime lead on Ahsing’s flea-flicker TD pass to Yamashita.

After the break, Roosevelt’s offense got some traction, and actually lucked out on its next score. Kekahuna connected with Isaiah Rosa for a 27-yard gain inside the Waipahu 5, but the Marauders’ Taito knocked the ball out. Alertly, the Rough Riders’ Kekoa Pitoy grabbed the ball at the 1 and the referees ruled that the ball crossed the goal line while he was picking it up for a touchdown to make it 35-14.

The Rough Riders’ Chavis Paia rushed for 76 yards, and Kekahuna passed for 184.

Failauga’s 34-yard catch-and-run for a TD and Seiuli-Sanchez’s conversion run finished the scoring for Waipahu.

“Our team is ready (to compete for the D-II title),” Seiuli-Sanchez said. “We worked very hard for this. We’re trying to make Waipahu known (for its football) now.”