GAME NIGHT 11/3: Waipahu/Konawaena

The second game in the Division II semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships pits undefeated OIA champion Waipahu (10-0) against BIIF champion Konawaena (8-2) at Julian Yates Field on the Big Island.

This is the first meeting between the two schools. Waipahu is ranked No. 2 in Division II and Konawaena is No. 3 in the latest Cover2 rankings.

Random fact: It doesn’t get more balanced on offense than the Marauders this season.

TOTAL PLAYS: 519
Pass attempts: 259
Rush attempts: 260

BIIF at the football state tournament
Division I: 0-19
2016: Leilehua 26, Hilo 25 (Keaau Stadium); at Campbell 48, Waiakea 0
2015: Mililani 62, Hilo 18 (Aloha Stadium)
2014: Kahuku 20, Hilo 10 (Aloha Stadium)
2013: Campbell 42, Hilo 27 (Keaau Stadium)
2012: Farrington 34, at Kealakehe 25
2011: Leilehua 35, at Kealakehe 24
2010: at Waianae 34, Kealakehe 16
2009: Farrington 48, Honokaa 16 (Kealakehe Stadium)
2008: Farrington 30, Kealakehe 13 (Ticky Vasconcellos Stadium)
2007: Waianae 21, at Kealakehe 17
2006: at Waianae 28, Kealakehe 14
2005: Waianae 21, at Kealakehe 14
2004: Leilehua 28, at Kealakehe 7
2003: Farrington 27, Hilo 0 (Keaau Stadium)
2002: Castle 35, Hawaii Prep 0 (Aloha Stadium).
2001: Kailua 53, Waiakea 8 (Wong Stadium)
2000: Kaimuki 20, Hilo 0 (Wong Stadium)
1999: Kahuku 47, Konawaena 14 (Aloha Stadium)

Division II: 4-14
2016: Lahainaluna 28, at Konawaena 14 (semifinal). (Lahainaluna won state title.)
2015: at Konawaena 42, Damien 33; Radford 48, Konawaena 46 (semifinal, Ticky). (Radford won state title.)
2014: at Kamehameha-Hawaii 42, Nanakuli 20; Lahainaluna 52, Kamehameha-Hawaii 7 (semifinal, War Memorial).
2013: at Kaiser 59, Konawaena 6. (Kaiser won state title.)
2012: Nanakuli 25, at Konawaena 23.
2011: Lahainaluna 23, Konawaena 6 (War Memorial)
2010: Kaimuki 14, at Kamehameha-Hawaii 9
2009: Hawaii Prep 17, at Moanalua 14; at Kauai 28, Hawaii Prep 14 (Vidinha Stadium)
2008: Campbell 25, at Konawaena 15
2007: Kaimuki 22, Kamehameha-Hawaii 0 (Kaiser Stadium)
2006: Waipahu 27, at Kamehameha-Hawaii 12
2005: at Moanalua 34, Kamehameha-Hawaii 20
2004: Hawaii Prep 41, Waipahu 16 (James Alegre Stadium); ‘Iolani 17, Hawaii Prep 7 (semifinal, Kunuiakea Stadium)
2003: Lahainaluna 21, Hawaii Prep 14 (War Memorial)

WAIPAHU MARAUDERS (10-0)
Head coach: Bryson Carvalho
Marauders roster

VS.

KONAWAENA WILDCATS (8-2)
Head coach: Brad Uemoto
Wildcats roster

Konawaena 53, Waipahu 50

at Julian Yates Field
Waipahu (10-1) 6 13 18 13 — 50
Konawaena (9-2) 21 3 29 0 — 53

Kona—Austin Ewing 6 run (Harry Hill kick)
Waip—Zeondre Benjamin 69 pass from Ezikiel-Kai Kapanui Reyes (kick failed)
Kona—Orion Smith 34 fumble return (Hill kick)
Kona—Ewing 1 run (Hill kick)
Waip—Alfred Failauga 3 run (run failed)
Waip—Matthew Fiesta 34 pass from Braden Amorozo (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Kona—FG Hill 35
Kona—Tyler Libarios 54 pass from Ewing (Hill kick)
Waip—Failauga 22 run (pass failed)
Kona—Chancey Mariani-Louis 36 pass from Ewing (Ewing run)
Waip—Fiesta 80 pass from Amorozo (run failed)
Kona—Jeriah Cacal 41 pass from Ewing (Hill kick)
Waip—Alika Ahsing 25 pass from Amorozo (run failed)
Kona—Cacal 1 pass from Ewing (Hill kick)
Waip—Failauga 65 run (run failed)
Waip—Failauga 7 run (Bry. Amorozo kick)

RUSHING—Waipahu: Failauga 42-283, Kapanui Reyes 1-11, Fiva Tulafale 1-0, team 1-(minus 11), Amorozo 5-(minus 13). Konawaena: Chancey Mariani-Louis 23-66, Libarios 1-13, Ewing 8-35, Marc Basa 1-(minus 1), team 2-(minus 2).
PASSING—Waipahu: Amorozo 22-40-2-336, Kapanui Reyes 1-1-0-69, Ahsing 0-2-0-0. Konawaena: Ewing 30-53–0-370.

RECEIVING—Waipahu: Fiesta 7-152, Ahsing 5-65, Branson Jay Reyes 3-21, Kapanui Reyes 4-29, Benjamin 2-94, Isaac Yamashita 2-19, Failauga 0-25. Konawaena: Libarios 7-135, Basa 8-36, Mariani-Louis 5-85, Cacal 5-77, Hunter Wehrsig 3-20, Herman Kihe 2-17.

Waipahu tries the double pass. Incomplete. Fourth-and-7. CLock running. Game on the line. Amorozo hits Ahsing for 12. Plus roughing the passer. Failauga with a 14-yard gain to set the rushing record in the state tournament. 55 ticks to go. Second-and-10 at the 25 of Kona. Flag down on third-and-5. 32 ticks on the clock. Pass interference on the defense. Amorozo is hit and fumbles. Tevin Canda recovers. Ball game.

Waipahu forces the three-and-out. Kona punts on fourth-and-2. Waipahu ball on its 31 with 2:10 to go. Marauders with one timeout left.

Failauga (40 carries, 264 yards) with a 7-yard TD run. Konawaena 53, Waipahu 50, 3:23, Q4.

Luke Reyes forces a fumble and Tarynce Antolin recovers for Waipahu at the Kona 46. Still more than 5 minutes left.

Failauga breaks loose for a 65-yard TD run on fourth-and-2. He now has 236 yards on 36 carries. Konawaena 53, Waipahu 43, 5:54, Q4.

Kona ball on the Waipahu 26. Ewing fumbles and gives it right back.

Cacoulidis with his second sack for Konawaena to help kill the drive. Cacoulidis then blocks the punt.

Waipahu ball at its 20. Failauga with an 8-yard gain on third-and-5 to start the fourth quarter. Deep ball is picked off by Cacal.

Player down for Waipahu after Ewing is tackled for an 8-yard loss by Kulikefu. Second-and-18 at the Waipahu 30. Waiting on an ambulance. Long delay. Not positive who it was and don’t want to speculate. Team are given 3 minutes to warm up. We will start around 9:46 p.m. Kona second-and-18 at the Waipahu 30. Delay is 26 minutes. Ewing’s sixth touchdown (four pass, two rush) is a 1-yard TD pass to Cacal. 53-37, :22, Q3.

Marauders start on their 46. Amorozo with a 12-yard pass to Jay Reyes on fourth-and-8 and then a 25-yard TD to Alika Ahsing. Konawaena 46, Waipahu 37, 2:58, Q3.

Kona ball on its 32. Three-and-out.

Marauders call timeout. Fourth-and-5 from their 25. They punt.

After two incomplete passes, Ewing hits Jeriah Cacal as a defender slips for a 41-yard TD. 46-31, 6:04, Q3.

Failauga fumbles and Kona recovers on the 41 of Waipahu.

Kona ball on its 38. Wildcats will go fourth-and-2 from their 46. Screen is dropped. Big change there. Waipahu with great field position.

Amorozo hits Fiesta in stride for an 80-yard TD. Fourth TD scores in first five minutes of second half. 39-31, 7:37.

Mariani-Louis with a 27-yard return into Waipahu territory but a block in the back is called. Wildcats start from their 31. Benjamin has a pick fall out of his hands at the last second and is banged up on the play. Chancey Mariani-Louis with a 36-yard TD pass from Ewing, who runs in the two-pointer to make it 39-25, 7:48.

Waipahu starts on its 20. Hook-and-ladder play goes for 40 yards as Yamashita catches it and pitches to Failuaga. Failauga 22-yard TD run. 31-25, 10:16.

Kona will receive. Wildcats start on their 39. Wildcats strike in 40 seconds as Ewing finds Tyler Libarios for a 54-yard TD on third down. 31-19.

HALFTIME BOX
at Julian Yates Field
Waipahu (10-0) 6 13
Konawaena (8-2) 21 3

Kona—Austin Ewing 6 run (Harry Hill kick)
Waip—Zeondre Benjamin 69 pass from Ezikiel-Kai Kapanui Reyes (kick failed)
Kona—Orion Smith 34 fumble return (Hill kick)
Kona—Ewing 1 run (Hill kick)
Waip—Alfred Failauga 3 run (run failed)
Waip—Matthew Fiesta 34 pass from Braden Amorozo (Brycen Amorozo kick)
Kona—FG Hill 35

RUSHING—Waipahu: Failauga 25-121, Kapanui Reyes 1-11, Fiva Tulafale 1-0, Amorozo 2-(minus 5), team 1-(minus 11). Konawaena: Chancey Mariani-Louis 10-36, Tyler Libarios 1-13, Ewing 4-10, team 1-(minus 1).
PASSING—Waipahu: Amorozo 10-17–1-115, Kapanui Reyes 1-1-0-69. Konawaena: Ewing 15-29–0-154.

RECEIVING—Waipahu: Fiesta 3-45, Alika Ahsing 3-28, Benjamin 2-94, Kapanui Reyes 2-13, Isaac Yamashita 1-4. Konawaena: Libarios 3-45, Jeriah Cacal 3-35, Hunter Wehrsig 3-20, Marc Basa 3-14, Herman Kihe 2-17, Mariani-Louis 1-23.

Kona is stopped on fourth down and then Waipahu has to punt but it’s downed at the 2 with 36 seconds left.

Failauga with 121 rushing yards on 23 carries with 3:56 left in first half. Timeout Kona. Waipahu fourth-and-2 at the 28. Handoff to Fiva Tulafale and he’s stopped for no gain. Kona ball.

Two 15-yard penalties on the Waipahu defense aid the next Konawaena drive. Ball at the 17. A loss of 1 on a run and two incomplete passes and Hill will have to try a 35-yard field goal in tough conditions. Field is a mess. Rain coming down. Hill’s 35-yard field goal is good. 24-19, 5:36.

Waipahu on its 33. Marauders with a nice drive capped off by a 34-yard TD pass from Amorozo to Matthew Fiesta. 21-19, 7:29, Q2. Rain starting to come down.

Kona starts on its 44 after a 33-yard kick return. Two runs and a pass that goes a loss of 6 is a three-and-out.

52 plays from scrimmage run in first quarter. Waipahu has it first-and-goal at the 5 to start the second quarter. Alfred Failauga with a 3-yard TD run. 21-12, 11:34, Q2. Failauga stopped on the 2-pointer.

Kicks lands at the 1 and Branson Jay Reyes returns it 37 yards to the 38.

Another 50-plus yard punt by Waipahu. Kona starts on its 41. Wildcats strike quick as Ewing caps off the drive with a 1-yard TD run. 21-6, 1:55.

Hill puts the punt out of bounds at the Waipahu 10. WR Isaac Yamashita gets a step on the go route but ball is overthrown. Amorozo sacked on third down by Paka Cacoulidis.

Wildcats start on their 33. Ewing completes a pass on third down to move the chains but Kona has to punt near midfield.

Three touchbacks in a row by Hill. Waipahu again starts on its 20. Failauga is just short on a third-down run but a penalty after the play on Waipahu means Marauders will punt.

Waipahu with runs of 11 and 14 yards to start the drive but a high snap is recovered by Orion Smith, who returns the fumble 34 yards for a TD. 14-6 Kona, 6:41.

Ewing completes a 23-yard pass to Chancey Mariani-Louis but the Marauders get a stop. Kona punts.

Marauders ball on their 20. Three Alfred Failauga runs get 11 yards and a first down. Trick play as Ezekiel-Kai Kapanui Reyes is at QB. They fake the jet sweep and Zeondre Benjamin is wide open for a 69-yard TD. XP is off the post.

Kona QB Austin Ewing at receiver on first play. A run for 13 yards is followed by a loss of 11. Ewing completes passes of 7 and 12 yards as Kona converts on fourth-and-5. Ewing completes his first four throws and then runs it in for a 6-yard TD run. Wildcats score quickly.

Braden Amorozo at QB. First play is a deep ball over the middle easily picked off by Boaz Ayers.

Apparently the nickname for the kicker is “touchback” Harry Hill. Classic. Yup, touchback.

Kona won the toss and will defer. Waipahu will receive. Here we go.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Waipahu: Braden Amorozo, Centennial Kulikefu, Kealii Barrett, Savior Iaulualo
Konawaena: Paka Cacoulidis, Austin Ewing, Chauncey Mariani-Louis, Seau Amor

Quite the haze over the field. First thing that stands out: 5-foot-11 junior Harry Hill is kicking 50-yard field goals that are good by a good 10 yards. Monster leg. Apparently he holds the state record with a 58-yard field goal.