Waipahu’s year-long quest to atone for the bitter disappointment of last year’s OIA Division II title game ended in the most satisfying way.
Exactly 363 days since the Marauders lost by a point to Waialua, Waipahu dished out the same heartbreak to Pearl City, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 3:22 remaining to defeat the Chargers 23-22 at Aloha Stadium on Thursday night to claim the league championship.
Sophomore Alfred Failauga gave Waipahu (10-0) its first and only lead on a 3-yard touchdown run after Pearl City’s backup quarterback fumbled away the ball on a low snap.
Waipahu took over on its own 40 and needed just three plays before Failauga broke the plane of the goal line on his 22nd carry to tie it 22-22.
Freshman Brycen Amorozo, playing in his first varsity game, booted the extra point and the Marauders held on to advance to the Division II state tournament in another classic to end the OIA Division II season.
“I’m gonna go take this home and celebrate with the kids,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said, pointing toward the championship trophy. “We never lost focus all year and the same thing happened tonight. We had to believe and we knew what we were capable of.”
Pearl City (7-3), which lost to Waipahu 37-6 in the regular season, took a 22-13 lead on a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown by Zion Tupuola-Fetui.
Tupuola-Fetui, who had 51⁄2 tackles, 21⁄2 tackles for loss, 11⁄2 sacks and the pick-6, jumped out of one tackle and stiff-armed another defender to the ground on his way to the score with 3:57 remaining in the third quarter.
The Chargers remained in the lead and had the ball up 22-16 with four minutes left when a defender ripped the helmet off the head of starting quarterback Isaiah Asinsin, forcing backup Shayn Bondaug into the game for one play.
A low snap kicked off Bondaug’s legs into the hands of Waipahu’s Uele Palusami, and the Marauders took the lead three plays later.
Pearl City got the ball back with three minutes to go, needing only a field goal. Waipahu was called for a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer and Asinsin found Thomas King for a 30-yard completion inside the Marauders 30.
Waipahu’s defense forced three straight negative plays by Pearl City with two sacks. On fourth down, Pearl City tried a double pass, with Tupuola-Fetui launching the ball down the field near the end zone, but it was incomplete.
It gave Waipahu its third OIA Division II title and first since 2011.
“This community deserves it,” Carvalho said. “They came out to support and packed the house. This win is for them.”
Failauga finished with 113 rushing yards on 22 carries, with his 17th rushing touchdown of the season the difference.
Senior Braden Amorozo was 25-for-46 for 277 yards with touchdown passes of 23 and 8 yards to senior Isaac Yamashita, who finished with 104 yards on six receptions.
“We didn’t play for anyone but ourselves and our community,” Amorozo said. “It’s just amazing to bring this one home. We’ve been working so hard since March just to have a different outcome than last year. To win this and get another state berth is amazing.”
Asinsin ran for two touchdowns and finished 10-for-16 for 138 yards for Pearl City, which saw its season come to an end.
Only one OIA team advances to the Division II state tournament under the new format this season.
Waipahu 23, Pearl City 22
at Aloha Stadium
| Pearl City (7-3) |
15 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
— |
22 |
| Waipahu (10-0) |
0 |
6 |
10 |
7 |
— |
23 |
PC—Isaiah Asinsin 1 run (Micah Quillopo-Jamile pass from Zameer Khan)
PC—Asinsin 42 run (Khan kick)
Waip—Isaac Yamashita 23 pass from Braden Amorozo (run failed)
Waip—Yamashita 8 pass from Bra. Amorozo (Brycen Amorozo kick)
PC—Zion Tupuola-Fetui 67 interception return (Khan kick)
Waip—FG Bry. Amorozo 23
Waip—Alfred Failauga 3 run (Bry. Amorozo kick)
RUSHING—Pearl City: Asinsin 16-56, Micah Quillopo-Jamile 6-37, Makoa Cooper 12-34, Andre Carter 3-6, Chase Cudiamat 2-1, Kasey Kikuyama 1-(minus 2), team 2-(minus 6). Waipahu: Failauga 22-113, Ezekiel-Kai Kapanui-Reyes 1-3, team 2-(minus 4), Bra. Amorozo 3-(minus 16).
PASSING—Pearl City: Asinsin 10-16–0-138, Christian Tielu 0-2-0-0, Tupuola-Fetui 0-1-0-0, Shayn Bondaug 0-1-1-0. Waipahu: Bra. Amorozo 25-46–2-277.
RECEIVING—Pearl City: Calvin Mock 3-68, Thomas King 2-34, Carter 2-10, Cudiamat 2-10, Quillopo-Jamile 1-16. Waipahu: Kapanui-Reyes 7-79, Alika Ahsing 7-40, Yamashita 6-104, Branson Jay Reyes 3-52, Matthew Fiesta 2-2.
Junior varsity — Waipahu 42, Pearl City 26
