Waipahu’s Alfred Failauga turned in a super-human performance Friday against Roosevelt.
When it was all over, Failauga reminded his coach that he is, after all, human.
Failauga rushed 40 times for a season-high 239 yards and two touchdowns, and surpassed 1,000 yards for the season, as host Waipahu beat Roosevelt 38-0 in an OIA Division II semifinal game.
“He actually told me after the game, ‘Coach, remember I’m human’ because he was just gassed,” said Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho. “That’s just the kind of kid he is. When he’s in there, he gives 110 percent.”
Failauga, who has 1,099 rushing yards this season, scored on a 4-yard run in the first quarter and a 2-yard run in the fourth.
Waipahu will play Pearl City for the D-II title Oct. 26 at Aloha Stadium. The Marauders lost in last season’s OIA final.
“Our motto the whole season was, “We were there a year ago and we didn’t get the job done,” Carvalho said. “So we’re 100 percent focused we get the job done this year.’ ”
The Marauders (9-0, 8-0) led just 9-0 at the half before turning to Failauga, who rushed 29 times for 170 yards after the break.
“There were so many times I said I was tired, but I just hung in there and did it for our team,” said Failauga, who had only two carries in the first quarter.
His running in the second half against a worn-down Rough Riders defense helped set up Braden Amorozo’s touchdown passes to Alika Ahsing, Branson Jay Reyes and Saxon Tote. Amorozo completed 13 of 22 passes for 156 yards.
“We had time to (make Roosevelt) bite on the run more and then those passes were there,” Failauga said.
The Rough Riders (4-4) had only 129 yards of total offense. They rushed 40 times for 67 yards out of their split-back veer offense.
“Stopping the triple-option, the key is just play assignment football,” Carvalho said. “That’s what we were driving home this week (at practice). We got to get a guy on the quarterback, we got to get a guy on the dive guy, we have to make sure the pitch is accounted for.”
The Rough Riders had their three-game winning steak snapped.
Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala said he was happy with the way his team battled against Waipahu. Throughout the season, he said many of the team’s skill position players went both ways.
“The kids played hard, played tough tonight,” Kahooilihala said. “It’s just that Waipahu, they’re a great team all the way around.”
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