Waipahu High School has one of the larger enrollments on Oahu, which means success gets noticed.
In fact, when it’s the kind of success the Marauders football team has, the atmosphere is charged. It’s almost electric, especially with an Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II championship game on Friday against Waialua at Aloha Stadium. Expectations have continued to rise for Marauder fans, especially after last week’s 13-7 win over Pearl City. That clinched a state-tourney berth for Waipahu (8-1), setting up this weekend’s title tilt.
“We don’t want to overhype the game. We want the kids to be themselves and play their style of football,” second-year head coach Bryson Carvalho texted. “There’s a buzz around campus, but the guys have been doing a good job staying focused.”
The game is the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II football championship matchup with longtime rival Waialua. The two schools have a history that goes back to the Rural Oahu Interscholastic Association, when plantation towns prevailed across the Central Oahu plains onward to the North Shore.
Waipahu has maintained a work ethic that it takes pride in.
“Practice is the same,” Carvalho continued. “Our mind-set the whole season was to be the hardest working team in the state and be 1-0 at the end of the week. That hasn’t changed.”
Waipahu’s championship years with head coaches
1946 Mits Fujishige
1948 Mits Fujishige
1949 Mits Fujishige
1950 Mits Fujishige
1951 Mits Fujishige
1957 Masa Yonamine
1958 Masa Yonamine
1971 Ben Ronquillo
2006 Sean Saturnio (D-II)
2011 Eric Keola (D-II)
(Information courtesy of OIAsports.com)
In the photo, Waipahu is clearly playing Kalani, not Pearl City. Even got the falcon logo on the helmet.
I remember when Waipahu was a OIA power. Look at their roister now. Just a bunch of 5′-7″ Samoans. All the 6′ Samoans are being recruited by the ILH.
I was a linebacker on the 1971 championship team. It’s good to see another Marauder team succeeding. Beat the Bulldogs again and continue our dominance over Waialua. Then go on to take States. Go, Marauders!
Was mostly waianae kids back in those days. Then waianae h.s opened up
The 1971 team was Pearl City and Waipahu boys. We spanked Waianae 28-14.
If your enrollment is over 2400 students and you in DII somethings not right.