GAME NIGHT 10/26: Waipahu/Castle

No. 10 Waipahu 32, Castle 3

The Waipahu Marauders win the OIA D-I title and secure a berth in the D-I state tournament. 12th overall OIA title for Waipahu and first non-D-II title since 1971.

at Aloha Stadium
Castle (5-7) 0 3 0 0 — 3
Waipahu (8-4) 6 6 13 7 — 32
Waip—Branson Jay Reyes 69 pass from Cody Marques (kick blocked)
Waip—Manuele Pulusila 30 fumble return (run failed)
Cas—FG Cheyden Costa 22
Waip—Alfred Failauga 27 run (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Waip—Failauga 58 run (kick failed)
Waip—Reyes 15 pass from Marques (Amorozo kick)

RUSHING—Castle: Senituli Punivai 18-41, Bruce Pakele 8-26, Jonah Figueroa 1-0, Keanu Tilton 2-(minus 2), Mana Kahoopii 3-(minus 15). Waipahu: Failauga 18-177, Jayven Reyes 7-40, B. Reyes 2-13, Marques 4-0, team 2-(minus 2).
PASSING—Castle: Kahoopii 8-23–3-84, Punivai 0-2-0-0. Waipahu: Marques 9-17–0-146.
RECEIVING—Castle: Austyn Acosta 5-53, Jonah Figueroa 2-24, Elijah Catrett 1-7. Waipahu: B. Reyes 3-100, Matthew Fiesta 2-13, Failauga 1-16, Devin Espiritu 1-15, Jeff Badua 1-6, Saxon Tote 1-(minus 4).

Waipahu scores on a 15-yard TD pass from Marques to Branson Jay Reyes. Failauga at 177 rushing yards.

(9:52) Castle ball on its 48. Punivai with a nice run to the 35 but he takes a big hit and fumbles. Waipahu recovers but a helmet-to-helmet flag on Waipahu while the ball was loose and Castle has it at the 19. Benjamin with another pick and trips on the carpet himself or he might have had a 100-yard pick-six.

Castle second-and-15 on its 15 to start the fourth. Three-and-out. Castle fakes the punt and Pakele picks up 16 and a first down at the 39. Senior Zeondre Benjamin gets an INT and starts to celebrate as he’s running but then fumbles on the tackle. Castle recovers.

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THIRD QUARTERat Aloha Stadium
Castle (5-6) 0 3 0
Waipahu (7-4) 6 6 13
Waip—Branson Jay Reyes 69 pass from Cody Marques (kick blocked)
Waip—Manuele Pulusila 30 fumble return (run failed)
Cas—FG Cheyden Costa 22
Waip—Alfred Failauga 27 run (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Waip—Failauga 58 run (kick failed)

RUSHING—Castle: Senituli Punivai 14-13, Bruce Pakele 7-10, Jonah Figueroa 1-0, Mana Kahoopii 1-0, Keanu Tilton 2-(minus 2). Waipahu: Failauga 13-127, Jayven Reyes 2-17, B. Reyes 2-13, team 1-(minus 1), Marques 4-0.
PASSING—Castle: Kahoopii 5-14–1-52, Punivai 0-2-0-0. Waipahu: Marques 8-16–0-131.
RECEIVING—Castle: Austyn Acosta 3-25, Jonah Figueroa 1-20, Elijah Catrett 1-7. Waipahu: B. Reyes 2-85, Matthew Fiesta 2-13, Failauga 1-16, Devin Espiritu 1-15, Jeff Badua 1-6, Saxon Tote 1-(minus 4).

(:09) Castle ball on its 20. End 3

(6:43) Waipahu ball on its 26. Marauders chewing up clock and yards. Failauga up to 127 yards rushing and then he hauls in a 16-yard catch on third-and-19. Fourth-and-3 and Waipahu elects to go for it but takes a timeout first at the Castle 28. Marques gets 4 on the QB draw for a first down before getting blasted at the end of it. Brycen Amorozo tries a 43-yard field goal and JUST misses.

(7:52) Castle ball on its 30. Kahoopii in at QB. He picks up a first down with an 11-yard pass to Acosta. Punt

(8:48) Waipahu ball on its 30. Alfred Failauga 58-yard TD run. 25-3, 7:58, Q3. He becomes the eighth back in Oahu history to surpass 3,500 career rushing yards on that TD. He is now the eighth running back on Oahu to surpass 3,500 career rushing yards (Malepeai, Igber, Wily, Atuaia, Bailey, Tatupu, Fiaseu).

(10:06) Castle will start on its 44. Punivai in at QB. He’s stuffed on two runs and then his second pass attempt of the game is incomplete. Punt.

(11:50) Waipahu ball on its 31. A run of 11 yards by Branson Jay Reyes, a penalty and a 16-yard reception sets up Failauga’s 27-yard TD run. 19-3 Marauders, 10:16, Q3. That is Failauga’s 40th rushing TD.

Waipahu ball first.

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HALFTIME
at Aloha Stadium
Castle (5-6) 0 3
Waipahu (7-4) 6 6
Waip—Branson Jay Reyes 69 pass from Cody Marques (kick blocked)
Waip—Manuele Pulusila 30 fumble return (run failed)
Cas—FG Cheyden Costa 22

RUSHING—Castle: Senituli Punivai 12-12, Bruce Pakele 6-9, Jonah Figueroa 1-0, Mana Kahoopii 1-0, Keanu Tilton 2-(minus 2). Waipahu: Jayven Reyes 2-17, Alfred Failauga 4-10, team 1-(minus 1), Marques 3-(minus 4).
PASSING—Castle: Kahoopii 4-9–1-42, Punivai 0-1-0-0. Waipahu: Marques 3-6–0-71.
RECEIVING—Castle: Austyn Acosta 2-15, Figueroa 1-20, Elijah Catrett 1-7. Waipahu: Reyes 1-69, Matthew Fiesta 1-6, Saxon Tote 1-(minus 4).

(:07) Kick out of bounds so Waipahu gets it at the 35. Marauders try a hook-and-ladder but it’s dropped. One second left. Knee.

(3:35) Kahoopii remains in at QB. Incomplete pass and a loss of 1 on a scramble but a personal foul on Waipahu. Ball goes to the 38. Looks like Castle is going vertical now with Kahoopii at QB. Great pass over the middle is dropped but Waipahu will be called for targeting. Now a hold on Castle. Timeout Waipahu. Kahoopii with a nice completion but an illegal man downfield is called. First-and-25 if you’re keeping track at home. Kahoopii finds time and hits Jonah Figueroa for 20 yards. First down on a pass to Elijah Catrett for 7. Ball at the 11. Under a minute to go. After a pass to Acosta to the 5, Cheyden Costa with the 22-yard field goal. 12-3, :07, Q2.

(4:20) Waipahu ball on the Castle 43. Marques can’t handle the snap and Kainalu Keliikuli-Grace recovers it for Castle.

(4:29) Castle starts on its 32. Kahoopii in at QB. His pass is off a receiver, off another receiver, and then a diving pick by Waipahu senior Tarynce Antolin.

(5:25) Castle ball on its 38. Injured player on the punt for Waipahu is Tryton Austria but he walks off on his own. Junior linebacker Manuele Pulusila with the 30-yard fumble return after DL Kealii Barrett forces a fumble on a TFL. 2-point no good. 12-0 Waipahu, 4:38, Q2.

(9:35) Waipahu ball on its 4. Third-and-3 at the 11 after Failauga is tackled for a loss. Senior Raiden Wong tackles Failauga well short and Castle stops three Failauga runs after it was first-and-5 to force a three-and-out. NO. Castle has 12 on the field for the punt and it’s an automatic first down. Excellent play by Nakoa Gaspar-Takahashi to come up on the screen for a TFL but then Jayven Reyes busts loose with a 17-yard run. Quickly third-and-10. Back-to-back incomplete passes results in a punt.

First-and-goal at the 3. LB Fiva Tulafale blows up the run for a TFL. Waipahu jumps offsides on the next play however to put the ball at the 4. Tulafale again with the TFL and it’s third-and-goal from the 6. Punivai stuffed for a yard and it’s fourth-and-goal. Castle’s Cheyden Costa in to attempt a 22-yard FG but Waipahu jumps early. So Castle will go for it. Keanu Tilton is stuffed for a loss by a host of Marauders and Waipahu takes over.

FIRST QUARTER
at Aloha Stadium
Castle (5-6) 0
Waipahu (7-4) 6
Waip—Branson Jay Reyes 69 pass from Cody Marques (kick blocked)

RUSHING—Castle: Senituli Punivai 10-19, Bruce Pakele 4-16, Keanu Tilton 1-0. Waipahu: Alfred Failauga 1-5, Marques 1-0.
PASSING—Castle: Mana Kahoopii 1-1-0-9, Punivai 0-1-0-0. Waipahu: Marques 2-2-0-75.
RECEIVING—Castle: Austyn Acosta 1-9. Waipahu: Reyes 1-69, Matthew Fiesta 1-6.

(4:27) Knights ball on the Waipahu 25. Quickly third-and-9. Bruce Pakele runs for 6 down to the 18 and Castle lines up to go for it. Timeout Castle. Punivai carries it up the middle and gets just enough to the 14. First down Knights. Fourth-and-2 at the 6 and you can bet the Knights will go for it. Pakele fights for extra yardage and gets it. First-and-goal at the 3. END 1. Knights start second quarter in good spot.

(6:52) Knights start on their 27. Quickly third-and-10 after a 5-yard penalty on the Knights and coach John Hao calls timeout. Mana Kahoopii in at QB and he hits Acosta for 9 yards. Fourth-and-1 at the Castle 36 and Castle punts, but the Knights recover the fumble at the Waipahu 25.

(8:59) Penalty brings a nice punt return back. Waipahu starts on its 20 with junior Cody Marques at QB. Failauga at RB. Marques somehow escapes a sure sack and hits Matthew Fiesta for 6 yards on first play from scrimmage. Third-and-4 and Failauga’s first carry goes for 5. RPO and Marques hits Branson Jay Reyes on a quick slant over the middle and he’s GONE. 69-yard TD. XP is blocked. 6-0 Marauders, 6:59, Q1.

(11:51) Castle starts on its 26. Austyn Acosta listed as the starting RB but he starts out wide. Senituli Punivai starts at QB. After a handoff for no gain, Punivai runs twice for 11 yards and a first down. Waipahu’s Dason Santana on the blitz with the huge TFL. Knights will punt.

Castle will receive.

Waipahu RB Alfred Failauga enters the game 71 yards short of becoming the eighth back on Oahu with 3,500 rushing yards.

Looks like about an 8:30 p.m. kickoff.

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For Castle’s roster, click here.
For Waipahu’s roster, click here.
SERIES HISTORY: Castle leads 7-6 and has won the last five (since 1973)

CASTLE STATS

WAIPAHU STATS