GAME NIGHT 8/2: Waipahu/Waianae

Waianae 35, No. 7 Waipahu 20, FINAL

The Seariders run out the final 3:35 to secure a big win over the Marauders. Looks like Waianae football has tremendous balance under new coach Mike Fanoga.

Marauders driving again, ball at the Waianae 19. Failauga has 227 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. Fourth and goal from the 5, Waianae gangs up on Marques, who can’t pitch to Failauga — covered all the way. No gain, Waianae ball with 3:35 left. That should do it barring any turnovers by Waianae.

Waipahu powerless, almost, to stop Waianae’s ground attack. But a holding call cancels out a TD run by McLeod. On fourth and goal from the 22, McLeod launches to the back of the end zone and Cordeiro hauls it in for a TD. That might be the back-breaker. WAIANAE 35, WAIPAHU 20, 7:16, Q4.

Waipahu drives to the Waianae 5-yard line, gets called for a false start, and on the next play, Marques is sacked and fumbles as he tries to throw. Taison Faasuamanu with the recovery for Waianae to thwart the Marauders. HUGE stop by Waianae with :47 left in the third quarter.

Waianae is going to the option and McLeod is quite good at it. He pitches left to Ayala, who slices through defenders for a 46-yard TD run. Man, I love option football, and having two teams do it tonight is a throwback treat. WAIANAE 28, WAIPAHU 20, 4:56, Q3.

An interception by Tarynce Antolin, and his 16-yard return, sets up Waipahu at the Waianae 47. Then it’s basically the Alfred Failauga show. He batters the defense for four carries, 36 yards, scoring from the 1 to bring the Marauders within one point. Waianae’s Samson Cook blocks the potential game-tying PAT kick. WAIANAE 21, WAIPAHU 20, 5:48, Q3.

At Raymond Torii Field
Waipahu 0 14 x x — xx
Waianae 21 0 x x — xx
WAIN—Kolu Quisquirin-Sabagala 2 run (kick blocked)
WAIN—Kaai Tambaoan-Kaeo 75 pass from Sheldon McLeod (Saege Ayala run)
WAIN—Ayala 23 pass from McLeod (Joshua Centino-Cid kick)
WAIP—Alfred Failauga 46 run (Brycen Amorozo kick)
WAIP—Cody Marques 16 run (Amorozo kick)

RUSHING—Waipahu:
#25 Failauga 9-90,
#7 Marques 4-28.

Waianae:
#2 McLeod 9-8,
#32 Quisquirin-Sabagala 4-17,
#30 Ayala 2-(-5)

PASSING—Waipahu: Marques 7-14-1-65.

Waianae:
#2 McLeod 8-13-1-171,
#15 Shaydon Lopes 1-1-0-4

RECEIVING—Waipahu:
Failauga 1-20,
#8 Solofa Setu 3-8,
#6 Branden Tsuchiyama 1-24,
#13 Jeff Badua 1-13,
#12 Micah Quitog 0-0

Waianae:
#4 La‘akea Lapastora 2-47,
#30 Ayala 2-24,
#81 Delson Cordeiro 3-37,
#22 Tambaoan-Kaeo 2-71,

The Seariders go to their ground game to get their equilibrium right. They punt, but that cools off Waipahu’s hot offense. Waipahu goes three and out and punts with 45 seconds left. Waianae is now driving into Waipahu territory with a 30-yard pass from McLeod to Delson Cordeiro. Nice catch and breakaway down the sideline before going out of bounds at the Waianae 49. AJ Fuimaono sacks McLeod, Waianae burns a time out.

Despite the miscues, Waipahu continues to take complete control of this game. After the second muffed punt return, the pass rush continued to dominate, forcing McLeod out of the pocket constantly. His deep pass was intercepted by Diesel Tuinei at the Waipahu 18. The Marauders stayed in their four-wide, hurry-up and then switched to their elephant formation on third and short. Failauga gained eight yards to the Waianae 32, and they stayed in smashmouth mode, going 16 yards with Failauga up the middle, and then Marques kept around left end for a 16-yard TD run. WOW. Penalties have derailed the Seariders in this quarter. They now have a total of 68 penalty yards in less than one half. WAIANAE 21, WAIPAHU 14, 4:16, Q2.

Waianae’s defense has taken momentum from the Waianae offense, but two muffed punt returns, recovered by the Seariders, have cost the Marauders dearly. Waianae used two different punters on each occasion. Is this a way to throw off the returners?

Waipahu’s hurry-up offense gets in a groove with a seven-play, 72-yard march. Cody Marques with a perfect pitch to Alfred Failauga on an option left, and he shreds tacklers along the sideline for a 46-yard TD. WAIANAE 21, WAIPAHU 7, 11:50, Q2.

The Seariders strike gold again. After forcing another Waipahu punt, they get a 29-yard return by Saege Ayala to the Waipahu 41. A personal foul on Waipahu helps Waianae, which scores again on a 23-yard TD pass from McLeod to Ayala on a jump ball pass down the right sideline. Incredible hops by Ayala, who trucks the final 10-15 yards to paydirt. WAIANAE 21, WAIPAHU 0, 2:27, Q1.

After a Waipahu three-and-out, Waianae QB Sheldon McLeod launches a bomb to Kaai Tambaoan-Kaeo for a 75-yard TD. Coach Mike Fanoga has thrown the ball on first down of each Waianae’s first two series already. If anyone wonders what kind of offense he likes, well… WAIANAE 14, WAIPAHU 0, 5:46 Q1.

Kolu Quisquirin-Sabagala scores on a 2-yard end-around to the left, capping an eight-play, 61-yard drive, and the Seariders lead 6-0 with 7:36 to go in the first. WAIANAE 6, WAIPAHU 0, 7:36, Q1.

JUNIOR VARSITY
The JV Seariders and Marauders were locked in a scoreless battle until the second quarter. Waianae scored two touchdowns in a nine-second span and now lead 28-0 at the half.

Weather is overcast and humid, though it’s not quite as muggy as it was at kickoff for the JV game. Temperature in Waianae during late afternoon was 93 degrees, but has pared down to 84 now (6:15 p.m.).

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Series history: Waianae leads 45-12-3
Waipahu Marauders
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VS.
Waianae Seariders
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