Waipahu opened its season with an upset and pulled off another on Friday to earn a shot at a championship.
The Marauders endured their share of undulations in the OIA-ILH Division I season after knocking off Waianae on Aug. 3, with a 50-20 loss to Leilehua among the valleys.
They closed the regular season at 6-4 overall and 5-2 in division play to finish third in the OIA D-I standings entering Friday’s rematch with the ninth-ranked and second-seeded Mules at Hugh Yoshida Stadium.
This time, the Marauders stifled a previously prolific Leilehua offense to eliminate the host Mules with a 29-6 victory in the semifinals of the OIA Division I playoffs.
“I think we executed very well tonight and everybody played together. We bonded as one team and played as one defense,” said Waipahu safety Deacon Kapea, who had two of the Marauders’ four interceptions, including a 12-yard return for a touchdown.
Waipahu (7-4) advances to Friday’s OIA Division I championship game at Aloha Stadium and will face the winner of today’s semifinal between Moanalua and Castle.
In the regular-season meeting on Sept. 28, Waipahu led 13-12 at halftime before Leilehua broke away with a 35-point third quarter. The Marauders controlled the second half in the rematch, shutting out the Mules after the break while running back Alfred Failauga fueled the offense on his way to finishing with 187 yards on 29 carries.
“We wanted make sure they focused for 24 minutes at a time,” Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said. “We wanted to make sure coming out of halftime we came out on top in the last 24 minutes.”
Waipahu scored twice in spectacular fashion to take a 13-6 lead into halftime.
After Akoni Tom-Makue gave Leilehua (8-3) a 3-0 lead with a 20-yard field goal, Waipahu’s Branson Jay Reyes leaped to snag the ensuing kickoff at the 1 to avoid a touchback and broke away on a 99-yard return.
Tom-Makue tied the game with a 41-yard field goal early in the second quarter. But Waipahu quarterback Cody Marques went 4-for-5 for 42 yards in Waipahu’s 13-play march and capped it by somersaulting into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown with 5 seconds left before the break.
“Amazing. That’s gotta be SportsCenter Top 10,” Carvalho said.
Failauga broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Kapea put it away with his pick-6 with 7:26 left in the game.
Leilehua had been averaging 34.5 points per game but Waipahu held the Mules without a touchdown while limiting them to 148 yards in total offense.
GAME SUMMARY
Waipahu 29, No. 9 Leilehua 6
At Leilehua
>> Waipahu (7-4, 5-2) 6 7 7 9 — 29
>> Leilehua (8-3, 6-1) 3 3 0 0 — 6
Leilehua — FG Akoni Tom-Makue 20
Waipahu — Branson Jay Reyes 99 kickoff return (kick failed)
Leilehua — FG Tom-Makue 41
Waipahu — Cody Marques 10 run (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Alfred Failauga 43 run (Amorozo kick)
Waipahu — Deacon Kapea 12 interception return (kick failed)
Waipahu — FG Amorozo 38
RUSHING — Waipahu: Alfred Failauga 29-187, Marques 6-9, Jayven Reyes 1-(minus-1), Matthew Fiesta 2-(minus-3), Team 1-(minus-11). Leilehua: Damarion Smith 7-30, James McGary 10-27, Rayden Rulloda-Kim 1-15, Tom-Makue 1-11, Max Nichols 5-18, Kalei Akagi 1-(minus-4), Team 1-(minus-1).
PASSING — Waipahu: Marques 9-15-0-81. Leilehua: Nichols 9-30-4-62.
RECEIVING — Waipahu: Fiesta 4-42, Saxon Tote 2-20, Jovan Gooman 2-14, Failauga 1-5. Leilehua: McGary 2-29, Jeremy Evans 2-11, Dorian Furtado 2-5, Vitale Afoa 1-9, Chad Dilay 1-8, Rulloda-Kim 1-0.
* JV — Leilehua 40, Waipahu 6
