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WAI'ANAE - On the brink of elimination, Wai'anae secured a postseason berth with some stellar defensive play to knock off Radford, 41-20, Friday night at Raymond Torii Field.

The Seariders, who would not have qualified for the 10-team O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red tournament had they lost, vaulted all the way to the third seed in the West. Wai'anae (3-5 overall, 3-3 Red West) is tied for third with Radford (4-4, 3-3), but is the third seed by the head-to-head tie-breaker.

Saturday night's game between Mililani and Leilehua will determine the first and second seeds.

Meanwhile, 'Aiea, like Wai'anae, also was in a must-win situation and beat Campbell, 12-0, to earn the West's final berth. Na Ali'i and the Sabers are 2-4, but 'Aiea gains the fifth seed by the head-to-head tie-breaker.

The top three teams from each division draw first-round byes. Wai'anae will play at Kailua the weekend of Oct. 22-23.

The Seariders' defense accounted for four touchdowns - two directly and two indirectly - to beat the Rams, who is the West fourth seed and will make its postseason debut in the Red after having spent most of their seasons in the White since Division II started in 1999.

"We played a good game," Wai'anae assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Jason Hussey said. "We knew our backs were against the all. Radford has a good squad. We knew we had our work cut out for us."

Senior linebacker Kainoa Kauwalu returned interceptions of 14 and 45 yards for TDs in the third quarter that put the game out of reach from the Rams.

"I just did my assignment and everything fell in place," Kauwalu said. "I give my thanks to the team. They did their assignments. I give'em to my D-line. They went force the quarterback to force that ball in, force it to me."

"We made some adjustments at halftime," Hussey said. "We knew what they were trying to do with the inside routes, so we force the Mike (middle) linebacker to get outside. He did exactly what he was taught to do. He's been like that the whole year. He's a good team leader.

"Those were critical plays. You take those two touchdowns off the board, it's 27-20."

The defense made its presence known early for the indirect TDs.

Josh Naki recovered a fumble at the Rams' 35 after linebacker Chavez Kauwaliu sacked QB Maika Ulufale on the Rams' first series of the game. That set up RB Bryson Panui's five-yard TD run.

Later in the first quarter - after a 56-yard TD run by Seariders' RB Jaylen Mitchell made it 14-0 -- Naki's 21-yard interception return to the Rams' 10 set up a one-yard TD run by QB Puletua Wilson that gave the Seariders' a commanding 21-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

"Those really helped us out," Hussey said. "We did a lot of pattern reading this week. It's all about preparation."

The Seariders made life miserable for Rams' QB Maika Ulufale, who also was sacked six times, twice by sophomore lineman Kennedy Tulimasealii.

Forcing the Rams in a hole early took away the Rams' running game. RB Phil Hogan had just six rushes for minus-one yard.

Panui led all rushers with 79 yards on 12 carries for Wai'anae. Teammate Mitchell had 71 yards on just two carries, the big run coming on his 56-yard TD run.