GAME NIGHT 10/29: Kapolei/Waianae

The do-or-die OIA third-place game has had its share of moments in recent years.

Just last year, this same Waianae team preparing to play Kapolei edged out a 20-19 win over Farrington to reach the state tournament, where it advanced to the semifinals in Division I before losing to Kahuku.

This season, things are different. This won’t be the end of the road for either team. Both have already qualified for the Open Division of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championships, making this game not nearly as important as it has been. Let’s see what happens.

No. 5 Kapolei 27, No. 6 Waianae 15

Hurricanes (9-2) with their best D-I finish (third place) ever in the OIA.

at John Kauinana Stadium
Waianae (8-4) 7 0 8 0 — 15
Kapolei (9-2) 13 7 0 7 — 27
Kapo—Leonard Lee 36 interception return (Beau Meyer kick)
Kapo—Jaymin Sarono 16 pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (pass failed)
Wain—Rico Rosario 46 run (Tate Ebel kick)
Kapo—Wyatt Perez 28 pass from Tagovailoa (Meyer kick)
Wain—Rosario 5 run (Kanai Mauga pass from Kade Ambrocio)
Kapo—Perez 11 pass from Tagovailoa (Meyer kick)

RUSHING—Waianae: Rosario 20-134, Jorell Pontes-Borje 7-18, Solofua Grey 2-4, Javen Towne 7-2, Kade Ambrocio 3-(minus 1). Kapolei: Leighton Rosa 9-39, Perez 1-25, Antoneo Brown 3-21, Dreyden-Steele Kawewehi 1-11, Tagovailoa 2-(minus 10).
PASSING—Waianae: Pontes-Borje 8-22-2-96, Ambrocio 0-1-0-0. Kapolei: Tagovailoa 27-50-1-254.
RECEIVING—Waianae: Ambrocio 4-55, Rosario 1-18, Jerusalem Tootoo 1-10, Isaiah Freeney 1-9, Grey 1-4. Kapolei: Sarono 12-108, Perez 11-108, Kaeo Alvarez-Ranan 1-17, Isaiah Ahana 1-15, Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala 1-3, Rosa 1-3.

FOURTH QUARTER

Seariders drive 81 yards but drive stalls out inside the Kapolei 20. Pontes-Borje was able to move ball through the air.

Kapolei can put the game away but Dalton Rajkowski intercepts Tagovailoa on Taulia’s 50th attempt of the night at the Waianae 1. Tagovailoa 27-50, 254 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT.

Sophomore DB Christian Broome with a pick deep in Kapolei territory with 7:09 remaining.

Short kick and Waianae can’t bring it in. Kapolei recovers. Hurricanes stopped for second time in game on fourth-and-1. Both times they tried a pass. Waianae takes over on its 29 with 9:51 left.

Taulia Tagovailoa (24-44, 210 yards, 3 TD) hits Wyatt Perez for an 11-yard TD. Kapolei 27, Waianae 15, 11:43, Q4.

THIRD QUARTER

Tagovailoa keeps the play alive and then hits Perez for 11 on third-and-10. Ball on Waianae 39. Sarono drops what could have been a 39-yard TD. Little tough on the catch but I’m sure he would say he should have grabbed it. Sarono with a 6-yard reception to the 11 to end the third quarter.

Rosario picks up 6 to midfield on third-and-2 and is over 100 yards rushing. Waianae drops a pitch and loses yards and winds up having to punt.

Kapolei goes for it on fourth-and-1 at the Waianae 36. Tagovailoa hits Perez in the flat but Sireadan Sana comes out of nowhere to make a great play and deny the first down.

Pontes-Borje’s first completion is 9 yards to Isaiah Freeney on fourth-and-3. Rosario runs for 18 yards carrying defenders to the 4. Rosario’s second TD run of the game is from 5 yards out. 20-15, 8:32.

HALFTIME BOX
at John Kauinana Stadium
Waianae (8-3) 7 0
Kapolei (8-2) 13 7
Kapo—Leonard Lee 36 interception return (Beau Meyer kick)
Kapo—Jaymin Sarono 16 pass from Taulia Tagovailoa (pass failed)
Wain—Rico Rosario 46 run (Tate Ebel kick)
Kapo—Wyatt Perez 28 pass from Tagovailoa (Meyer kick)

RUSHING—Waianae: Rosario 8-64, Kade Ambrocio 1-4, Jorell Pontes-Borje 2-4, Solofua Grey 1-3, Javen Towne 7-2. Kapolei: Antoneo Brown 1-2, Leighton Rosa 1-1, Tagovailoa 2-(minus 10).
PASSING—Waianae: Pontes-Borje 0-6-1-0. Kapolei: Tagovailoa 15-29-0-120.
RECEIVING—Waianae: none. Kapolei: Perez 6-59, Sarono 6-38, Kaeo Alvarez-Ranan 1-17, Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala 1-3, Rosa 1-3.

SECOND QUARTER

Kapolei goes for it on fourth-and-7 at the Waianae 28 with 31.7 seconds remaining. Tagovailoa to Wyatt Perez for a 28-yard TD. Both TD passes are on fourth down for Kapolei.

Waianae ball on its 32. 3:32 left in the half. Three-and-out.

Kanai Mauga with a big sack of Tagovailoa. Second sack for Waianae. Third-and-22 from the 8. Hurricanes three-and-out.

Penalties back up Waianae and force Seariders to punt. Pontes-Borje (0-5, INT) still looking for first completion.

Francis Mailo with a sack for Waianae to make it third-and-15. Short pass to Sarono goes for 9 and a punt. Tagovailoa 9-20, 73 yards, TD.

Waianae three-and-out. Kapolei’s run defense holding Waianae in check oustide of the one Rosario run.

Kapolei calls its first run to start second quarter and Antoneo Brown gets 2. Tagovailoa hits Kaeo Alvarez-Ranan for 17 yards to move the chains but then three straight incompletions forces a punt. Tagovailoa high on some throws. Weather isn’t making it easy.

FIRST QUARTER

Rico Rosario with a 46-yard TD run on third-and-1 on final play of first quarter. 13-7.

On fourth-and-12, Tagovailoa hits Sarono for a 16-yard TD. That’s receiving TD No. 17 for Sarono. 13-0, 1:36, Q1.

Waianae starts on its 4-yard line. Kapolei gives up one first down jumping offsides twice but then forces a stop as the rain comes down HEAVY now. Seariders punt from own 18. Elisha Amina with the blocked punt and Kapolei takes over on the 14.

Seariders force a three-and-out. Rain is making things a little tricky for both teams out here.

Kade Ambrocio with a 39-yard kick return to the 40. Pontes-Borje fumbles on a handoff and Lee recovers it for Kapolei.

Seariders start on own 31 after short punt. Jorell Pontes-Borje at QB. Third down and Leonard Lee picks off Pontes-Borje’s first pass attempt and returns it 36 yards for a TD. 7-0, 8:52.

Kapolei will receive. QB Taulia Tagovailoa completes his first four passes — all short — for a total of 23 yards. Sarono with two of those catches for 9 yards. Third-and-6 at the Waianae 44. Tamatoa Mokiao-Atimalala with a drop on third down and Hurricanes will punt.

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WR Jaymin Sarono (80 catches, 861 yards, 16 TDs) will start for the Hurricanes tonight.

QB Jaren Ulu (collarbone) will miss his third straight game for Waianae. He is one of Waianae’s three team captains.

7:15 p.m.: Kahuku gets its shot and Waianae moves early. Kahuku will have first-and-goal at the 4 after an 11-yard run. TOUCHDOWN KAHUKU. Red Raiders must go for 2. Waianae jumps offsides to move it closer and Seariders call timeout. Kahuku goes for it from the 1. STUFFED. Waianae is your 2016 OIA JV champion with a 22-20 win over Kahuku.

7:10 p.m.: Waianae gets the ball first at the 20. Seariders run it three times to get a first down at the 9. Three more runs and it’s fourth-and-goal at the 4. Waianae goes for it. Handoff off left tackle and Waianae punches it in on fourth-and-goal. Seariders score a TD on their first possession of OT. Kahuku is offsides on the extra point and now it looks like Waianae will go for 2. Same play as a the TD and Waianae scores 2 to lead 22-14.

7 p.m.: Some fun in the JV championship game. Score tied 14-14 and Waianae gets stopped inside the 10 on fourth down but gets the ball back after forcing a punt. With less than a minute to go, the Seariders throw an INT but a penalty wipes out the play. Waianae on the Kahuku 13 with 12.3 seconds to go. Seariders try a field goal and it’s BLOCKED. JV title game going to OT.

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HISTORY: Kapolei leads the all-time series 10-4 and has won eight of the last nine. The Seariders won, 35-14, back in August.