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Waipahu Marauders

Head coach: Bryson Carvalho (6th season)
Offensive coordinator: Nate Ilaoa
Defensive coordinator: Lasi Eselu

Players to watch: LB Romeo Tagata (6-1, 227, Sr.), LB Ia Fualema (6-0, 180, Jr.), DB Liatama Uiliata (5-9, 170, Jr.), DB Samu Niuatoa (6-0, 160, Jr.), OL Javaughn Endeman (5-7, 260, Sr.)

Coach's words: "I think for us, we have established a mindset where we will always compete and play with a 'black flag' mentality - never surrender, play till the final play - but at the same time, most of our players haven't played a varsity snap after being shut down last season, so it'll be interesting to see where we fit in. We'll continue to coach up our kids the same way we have been and we are excited to see how they perform." - Bryson Carvalho

SL's take: The Marauders return a handful of players who were on their 2019 roster and bring some varsity experience, but among those graduates who have since departed the team is 2020 alumnus Alfred Failauga, the state's all-time leading in career rushing yards. Replacing the production of a workhorse back like Failauga - a four-year starter at Waipahu - will be no easy task, but it will be a chore tasked mainly to two players: Austin Pola (6-0, 190, Sr.) and Michael Iaulualo (5-10, 185, Sr.). Pola was second on the team in rushing yards as a sophomore - albeit some 1,500-plus yards behind Failauga - but he did average 9.7 yards per carry on his 26 carries. Most of Pola's stats came in one game against Radford, when he carried 23 times for 218 yards and three TDs in place of an injured Failauga. What Pola may lack in top-end speed, he makes up for with vision. Look for the Marauders to utilize both Pola and Iaulualo in a two-back shotgun formation, with the former aligned in the pistol, or behind the quarterback, and the latter offset, or beside the QB. The onus may fall upon the duo to provide much of the offensive production with the quarterback position being a work in progress. Jeremiah Fetui, a senior, and Joshua Manu, a sophomore, are vying for the starting QB job. Triston Nieves (5-11, 180, Sr.) and Alema Slade (5-10, 170, Sr.) bring the most experience to the receiving corps, while newcomer Saige Marienthal (5-6, Jr.) adds shiftiness out of the slot. The defensive line will be led by DT Elisha Fuiava (6-0, 251, Sr.) and DE Mosiah Tuvao (5-10, 215, Sr.), an edge rusher who will draw lots of attention from opposing offensive linemen. Tagata and Fualema will be looked to anchor the defense from the second level, while CB Iuliata, CB Niuatoa, S Jaden Nii (5-7, 165, Sr.) and S Nainoa Haug (6-1, 180, Jr.) are expected to lead the secondary. The Marauders face a steep learning curve with two new coordinators in Ilaoa and Eselu, both of whom came over from Moanalua along with a number of other assistants who were on the previous coaching staff there.

SCHEDULE

Fri Oct 22  Kailua W, 24-16
Fri Nov 05@   Moanalua W, 21-14
Sat Nov 20  Castle L, 26-19
Sat Nov 27  Aieaat RadfordL, 38-7
Sat Dec 04  Roosevelt L, 17-16

league games bold *non-league **HHSAA tournament


2019 TEAM STATS

AVERAGESOFFENSEDEFENSE
POINTS25.327.5
YARDS355.7320.0
PASS144.4234.2
RUSH211.385.8

TEAM CAPSULES


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