Noah Kealoha and the Waianae defense stood tall in the second half in a win over Waipahu. CJ Caraang | SL

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For one half of football, Waipahu was giving Waianae all it could handle Friday night.

The visiting Marauders, who entered the game having lost their last three games, had momentum on their side going into halftime following Ikaika Benjamin's 82-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 29 seconds left in the second quarter and closed to within 34-28 at the intermission.

However, in just a matter of minutes early in the second half, the Seariders seized control of the game and ultimately left no doubt they were the better team that night.

Waianae won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, which ended up paying off quite well. Four plays into the third quarter, Javen Towne went around the right edge for a 39-yard touchdown and Jurick Valdez ran in the two-point conversion to give their team a 14-point lead.

On the very next play from scrimmage — Waipahu's first on offense of the half — linebacker Noah Kealoha stepped in front of a Blaise De Asis pass to give the Seariders possession at the Marauders' 35-yard line.

Jurick Valdez picked up 21 yards on first down and two plays later went untouched for a 13-yard touchdown run.

"The offense was clicking, so when the defense gave us the ball we were able to capitalize on that," Waianae first-year coach Walter Young said.

Kealoha was in the right place at the right time once again three plays into Waipahu's ensuing drive when defensive lineman Joey Nuuanu-Kuhiiki forced a fumble by Braydon Kepaa.

One play after the turnover, Isaiah Freeney got behind the Marauders' secondary and Jaren Ulu hit him for the 35-yard touchdown pass. It was one of just three completions by Ulu in the game. Following the PAT by Tate Ebel, Waianae's lead had quickly stretched to 56-28 by the 7:44 mark in the third quarter.

"The defense did a real good job in the second half," Young said. "They cleaned up the little things that we needed to and started making plays. At halftime they just made their adjustments, made sure everybody just did their jobs and they came out and they were there to make plays."

The Marauders, who dropped their fourth consecutive game, saw their defense wear down against Waianae's unrelenting rushing attack, which used 10 different ball carriers and amassed 455 of its 570 yards of total offense.

"I think we just got tired with a lot of our guys were going two ways," Waipahu first-year coach Bryson Carvalho said.

Waianae picked up 24 first downs by rush and averaged 9.9 yards per carry on offense, but also saw a number of contributors on defense and special teams play big roles as well.

Defensive backs Mosiah Brame and Chavison Kalamau also had interceptions — both of which the offense converted into touchdowns — while defensive linemen Justin Kikila and Garrick Peau each had a sack on De Asis, which led to Waipahu punts on both occasions.

"We figured out that we've got to tighten up and we can't underestimate other teams," Brame said. "A couple guys came in off our bench and we just had to come together and fight harder, do what we needed to and handle our jobs."

Specials teams also shined for the Seariders. Alexander Quijano tackled Marauders' punter Storm De Asis for a 14-yard loss after a bad snap, which led to a 2-yard Towne TD run for Waianae's first score of the game .

Towne helped set-up a 4-yard Kade Ambrocio TD run late in the second quarter with his 69-yard kickoff return all the way to the Marauders' 12-yard line.

Late in the third quarter, Kikila blocked a punt to give Waianae the ball back just outside of the red zone. That led to Charles Mamala's 4-yard TD run five plays later, which made the score 62-28.

It was the fifth straight win for the Seariders, who are ranked seventh in the ScoringLive/Hawaiian Electric Division I Power Rankings, since a season-opening loss to Kamehameha. They are tied atop the standings of the Oahu Interscholastic Association's D1 Red conference with two regular-season games remaining.

"It's great," Kealoha said. "We just want to keep it rolling and stay the way we are right now and not get big-headed."

Waianae will host Kaiser for its homecoming Friday night at Raymond Torii Field.