Huge game in OIA Division II as Waipahu (5-1, 4-1) and Kaimuki (4-2, 4-1) square off at Mililani.
Both teams are tied for second place behind league-leading Pearl City. The Marauders have already lost to the Chargers, 21-7, while the Bulldogs control their own destiny with a game at Pearl City next Friday.
HISTORY: Waipahu leads the series 7-6 in the Prep Bowl and state championship eras.
Live updates of the 6:30 p.m. kickoff will follow below:
FINAL
Waipahu 36, Kaimuki 28
FOURTH QUARTER
Waipahu runs out the clock, punting with :05 left. After what Kaimuki did last year at Nanakuli to win that playoff game, nothing could ever be taken for granted. The punt by Waipahu was low and short, and Kaimuki wasn’t able to return it as it bounced into the end zone.
Kapanui Reyes recovers the onside kick for Waipahu.
Waipahu in soft coverage and Kaimuki drives 80 yards in just under 2 minutes. Solomon goes over 300 passing yards and scores on a 1-yard sneak. His PAT pass to Saia Maiava cuts the game to a one-possession margin. Kaimuki has made crazy comebacks before. This crowd is almost sleeping from celebrating too early… maybe. WAIP 36, KAIM 28, 2:31.
Fourth and 4, huge play for Waipahu, 20-yard pass from Amorozo to Yamashita to the Kaimuki 15. Next play, Breden Natividad, the fullback, blasts up the middle for a TD. WAIP 36, KAIM 20, 4:29.
Waipahu answers with a key third-down pass by Amorozo, and then smashmouth out of a tight spread (double wing/flexbone). They barely convert on a fourth-and-1, but Failauga gets a good spot, and he eventually scores on a 1-yard run. Then the Marauders make another gutsy call. They go to a “flamingo” formation with trips on either sideline and just three in the middle. Ezekail Kai Kapanui Reyes takes the snap and snakes his way through defenders to score the 2-point conversion. HUGE. That makes it a two-possession game. WAIP 29, KAIM 20, 6:45.
First play of the fourth quarter, Solomon rolls right with a blocker, lofts a perfect spiral to the left corner for Nguyen, a 21-yard TD. The PAT kick, however, is wide left. WAIP 21, KAIM 20, 11:52.
THIRD QUARTER
Bulldogs jump before the snap again. That’s 85 yards in penalties, all but three on procedure calls. But Solomon fires a post pass to Toussaint, who makes a parallel-to-the-ground diving grab at the 14. And he cramps up for the second time tonight. What a catch. The quarter ends after Mariners Nagaseu sacks Solomon at the 21.
Waipahu sees a single safety back for Kaimuki and takes some sideline shots unsuccessfully. Bad snap to the punter, one hop, and he has time to punt but decides to run. He gains 5 yards, well short of the first down and Kaimuki takes over at the Waipahu 38. What a gift.
Fourth and 13, Solomon is flushed out of the pocket, runs right and finds Ieke Seei-Cleveland open for a 25-yard TD. WAIP 21, KAIM 14, 1:55.
Another three and out for the Bulldogs. They’ve had one first down in their last three possessions. Punt. Yamashita muffs the punt, hit immediately. Bulldogs recover at their 47. Teddy Luther with the hustle play.
Kaimuki set back by a holding penalty. After a 21-yard punt goes out of bounds, Waipahu has possession at the Kaimuki 37. Second and 10, Amorozo goes deep but there’s a miscommunication and Nguyen, the cornerback, has an easy pick. He returns it 8 yards to the Kaimuki 15.
Waipahu drives 56 yards in nine plays, a fourth-down TD pass from Amorozo to Cody Andres-Paguirigan in the left corner of the end zone. Gutsy call, well executed. Two-point conversion is good on another pass from Amorozo to Andres-Paguirigan. WAIP 21, KAIM 7, 8:18.
HALFTIME
Boxscore
At John Kauinana Stadium
Kaimuki 0 7
Waipahu 0 13
KAI—Andries Toussaint 67 pass from Jordan Solomon (Mana Manukeu kick)
WAI—Alfred Failauga 5 run (Isaiah Harris kick)
WAI—Isaac Yamashita 39 pass from Braden Amorozo (kick blocked)
JV—Waipahu 42, Kaimuki 0.
RUSHING—
Kaimuki:
Ieke Seei-Cleveland 5-15,
Jordan Solomon 2-(-8),
Daniel Nguyen 1-(-10),
Alfred Bualuay 1-(-1).
Waipahu:
Failauga 14-111,
Amorozo 4-(-18),
Breden Natividad 1-1.
PASSING—
Kaimuki:
Solomon 7-14-0-127.
Waipahu:
Amorozo 10-15-1-80.
RECEIVING—
Kaimuki:
Daniel Nguyen 2-10,
Toussaint 3-103,
Bailey Uehara 1-11,
Tyace Sarcedo-Drennon 1-3.
Waipahu:
Yamashita 3-56,
Ezekail Kai Kapanui Reyes 1-15,
Failauga 1-0,
Alika Ahsing 1-3,
Cody Andres-Paguirigan 1-(-3),
AJ Contatdo 3-9.
SECOND QUARTER
Kaimuki three and out, 11-yard punt. Waipahu ball at the Kaimuki 32. Marauders drive to the 24, but a dead-ball personal foul call pushes them back to the 39. Waipahu has fourth down and lets the clock wind down to :03.1 before calling its first time out. Looks like they want one play without Kaimuki getting the ball back. Braden Amorozo has enough time, launches a Hail Mary that is deflected at least once just beyond the goal line and into the waiting hands of Isaac Yamashita. WOH. Flag is down. Call is roughing the passer on Kaimuki, so the TD stands. That’s a 39-yard bomb as time expires. PAT kick is blocked. WAIP 13, KAIM 7, :00.
Didn’t expect to see some old-school toss sweeps tonight, let alone some big gains. Failauga is already at 106 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Waipahu starts going to the Slot I (which Mililani used often back when James Millwood was head coach) and finds success. They pick up a first down on third and 1, and then Alfred Failauga picks up 3 yards on a toss left, then goes for 25 yards on a toss right, nice cutback against the grain, to the Kaimuki 5. Time out, Kaimuki, 2:54. Failauga scores on a 5-yard run up the gut, huge hole. WAIP 7, KAIM 7, 2:06.
Toussaint comes up with an interception and Kaimuki is at the Waipahu 41, but the drive stalls at the Marauders’ 24. Solomon had Daniel Nguyen open in the end zone on the left side, but overthrew him. Big break for Waipahu.
The Bulldogs stop Waipahu on downs with a fourth-down sack. First down at the Kaimuki 40. Three plays later, Jordan Solomon delivers a bomb to Andries Toussaint, a 67-yard corner route, nicely executed. Untouched to the end zone. KAIM 7, WAIP 0, 8:31.
FIRST QUARTER
The quarter ends tied at 0. Kaimuki punted three times and Waipahu was in driving mode entering the second quarter with the ball at Kaimuki’s 32.
Midway through the second quarter, no score. Kaimuki and Waipahu have punted twice apiece. Kaimuki ball past midfield right now.
PRE-GAME
Waipahu homecoming means it’s a good, loud crowd here at John Kauinana Stadium. Game time is set for 6:35 p.m. Waipahu is decked out in navy blue and metallic gold. Nice jerseys — gold with white outline — but tough to see from the bleachers. Kaimuki is dressed in white jerseys and pants with light yellow numbers and green trim. Also tough to read from up here. Kelly green helmets with goldenrod facemasks. Now that’s traditional.
Weather is perfect. Slight breeze, partly cloudy, very low humidity tonight. Of course, any and all of that could change in a minute.
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