No. 7 Leilehua 13, Waipahu 7, Final
First down from their 28, Marques’ pass on the sideline is picked off by Selau Aiava. He’s the same guy who came up with the last-minute pick in the end zone against ‘Iolani. This time, no crazy-fun celebration. The Mules take two knees and it’s over.
Leilehua has the hands team in for the kick return, but Waipahu kicks deep. Ramos returns it to the 33. Damarion Smith runs for one yard and Waipahu burns a time out with 2:51 left. Ramos runs right, 3-yard loss, and Waipahu burns its final time out with 2:37 left. It’s third and 11 now. Waipahu jumps offside. Third and 6. Turangan drops back to pass, scrambles for a 2-yard gain. He hit the ground before the tackle, smart. Clock is running and Waipahu can’t stop it. Mules in punt formation, but they are short of players on the field, and they call time out with 1:11 left. Punt is 34 yards, fair catch. Waipahu ball at its 28 with 1:05 left.
Waipahu’s defense has been tough, and holding the Mules to a FG means it’s still a two-possession game. The Marauders drive to the Leilehua 3, fourth and goal. Time out by Waipahu. Then time out by Leilehua. Touchdown, Marauders, as Failauga runs around right for a 3-yard TD. LEILEHUA 13, WAIPAHU 7, Q4, 3:02.
Leilehua drives to the 3, stalls and Raymond drills a low line drive over the crossbar for a 20-yard FG. LEILEHUA 13, WAIPAHU 0, Q4, 7:18.
Waipahu goes three-and-out, and then the punt is blocked. Saw that coming, their punter takes a long time to wind up and kick. Tulafale returns the ball to midfield, but Waipahu is still short of the first down.
The Mules are opportunistic with a second chance. Turangan keeps hitting Akagi for completions — five connections on six targets on this drive alone. Turangan then goes left to Ramos in the corner for a 15-yard TD. LEILEHUA 10, WAIPAHU 0, Q4, 11:31.
The Mules have third-and-5 when Turangan barely misses on a deep shot to Akagi. On the next play, the end-over-end punt bounces off a Waipahu blocker who had his back to the ball and it is recovered by Junior Ray Peter at the Waipahu 30-yard line as the third quarter ends.
Can’t beat this kind of field position. But Turangan is not in the game, being tended to by a trainer. Fourth down and Kalei Akagi has a receiver wide open near the right pylon, overthrows him. Waipahu ball. The Black Flag survives again.
Marauders finally get the ball in the second half, 3-yard kick return to their 34. Failauga lines up as a wildcat QB and quickly gains seven yards. Injury time out for a Leilehua player. Failauga now has 82 yards on 20 attempts. This is interesting. How far can this drive go with the all-time rushing leader in Hawaii at QB running RPO? He can’t run 10, 15 times in a row, right? Or can he? Last year in the D-I state final, he threw a pass for a TD. He converts on fourth-and-1 to the Waipahu 46. Moments later, a holding call on Waipahu, their third flag in this drive. Marques returns and promptly loses the ball on a sack, and Leilehua recovers at the Waipahu 33.
Rain began to fall with around 5 minutes left in the first half and has stopped. Wasn’t heavy, but the field is definitely slick. Mules drive past midfield, Turangan lays up a nice pass down the sideline to Konapiliahi Raymond, but he drops the pass. Would’ve been a TD. The Mules drive to the 5, and it’s Raymond who kicks a 22-yard field goal to give his team the lead. LEILEHUA 3, WAIPAHU 0, Q3, 7:54.
Leilehua with 134 yards of total offense, but Waipahu has done the bend-but-don’t-break routine well. Two turnovers for Mules QB Turangan (interception, fumble), who is 6-for-9, 91 passing yards. Vereen has rushed for 43 yards on 11 carries.
Failauga has 75 yards on 19 carries. Waipahu has tried throwing him the ball once, but he was covered well. Total offense for the Marauders is 105 yards. Marques is 4-for-10, 51 yards. One turnover for the Black Flag.
HALFTIME BOX SCORE
At Hugh Yoshida Stadium
Waipahu 0 0 — 0
Leilehua 0 0 — 0
JV—Leilehua 40, Moanalua 0.
RUSHING—Waipahu:
#25 Failauga 19-75,
#7 Marques 3-(-11),
#33 Aston Contado 1-(-9),
Leilehua:
#34 Jemell Vereen 11-43,
#13 Kalei Akagi 1-1,
#33 Kawela Kaluhiokalani
#7 Turangan 3-6,
PASSING—Waipahu:
#7 Marques 5-11-0-51,
Leilehua:
#7 Turangan 6-9-1-91,
RECEIVING—Waipahu:
#2 Jovan Gooman 2-10,
#33 Aston Contado 2-41,
Leilehua:
#3 Jayzon Ramos 2-67,
#13 K. Akagi 3-17,
#5 Landyn Jumawan 1-7,
Waipahu has the ball near mid-field, drives to the Leilehua 38, but a sack by Laakea Umiamaka derails the drive. After another Waipahu punt, Leilehua runs out the final 30 seconds of the first half.
Waipahu musters a drive and stalls out at the Leilehua 23. The Mules stop Failauga near the right sideline on fourth-and-4. Mules go three and out, hampered by a rare sideline interference flag. Punt is fair caught by Waipahu at its 49 with 2:42 left in the first half.
Best field position of the game so far, but the Mules turn the ball over two plays later. Turangan scrambles for a 7-yard gain, but Waipahu S Fiva Tulafale forces the fumble and Manuele Pulusila recovers at the Waipahu 30.
The Marauders drive into Leilehua territory, but the ball is stripped after a completion and returned to the Waipahu 42.
The first quarter ends with Waipahu at its 21-yard line, fourth-and-5. Leilehua has the ball at its 40, but on third and 8, Turangan’s sideline pass is picked off by Faapaia Fualema. Waipahu ball at its 47.
QB Kekoa Turangan connects with Jayzon Ramos for 30 yards. That’s Ramos’ second catch of 30 or more yards. However, the Mules stall at the Waipahu 30-yard line. Fourth down pass is incomplete, but a defensive holding call keeps the drive alive. Fourth and inches, and Waipahu stonewalls Jemell Vereen for no gain. Waipahu ball with :41 left in the first quarter.
Marauders’ second possession begins at their own 2. Conservative, as expected. Drivev stalls at their own 21, punt is muffed by Leilehua, but the Mules recover at their 42 with 2:19 left in the first quarter.
Waipahu picks up a first down on an 11-yard run by Alfred Failauga, but the drive stalls at the Leilehua 44. Punt is fair caught at the 12.
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PRE-GAME
7:37 p.m.
OK, they’re lining up for the kickoff and the teams go to the wrong sides. Then one of the officials has them switch. People must be a little excited tonight.
7:34 p.m.
Leilehua wins the coin flip and defers until the second half. The Mighty Mules will defend the California Ave. end zone. Wind is light tonight, no weather issues at this point.
5:55 p.m.
Mostly cloudy, much cooler in the past hour after scorching hot afternoon in Wahiawa.
Temp: 82
Wind: 0-15 mph
Humidity: 62%
Chance of rain: 20%
Heat index: 86
From what I’ve learned this season, 20% chance of rain means 50-50. That was true at Aloha Stadium, and it’s true here right below Wahiawa Heights. Rains a lot here at night.
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Note: Winner advances to OIA D-I final on Oct. 26. Loser is done for the season.
Series history: Waipahu leads 37-21 (since 1950)
WAIPAHU ROSTER
LEILEHUA ROSTER
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