OIA Football
Waipahu rallies to knock off Aiea for OIA D1 title


Brandon Ching | ScoringLive
October 30, 2022, 7:39am

  


Sat, Oct 29, 2022 @ Mililani [ 7:00 pm ]

Aiea

30

Waipahu

38

Final 1 2 3 4 T
Aiea (9-4-0) 14 10 0 630
Waipahu (11-2-0) 7 11 7 1338
Elijah Mendoza 262 yd 4 TD
Ezekiel Olie 322 yd 4 TD
Braeden Togafau 123 yd
Kobe Higa 11 yd
Liatama Uiliata 198 yd 1 TD
Geronimo Ulgaran 117 yd 1 TD

MILILANI — Freshman quarterback Elijah Mendoza threw four touchdowns and the defense forced critical turnovers in the second half to lift No. 10 Waipahu over No. 11 Aiea, 38-30 at Mililani's John Kauinana Stadium Saturday.

The Marauders improved to 9-1 overall and finished the OIA season with an 8-0 record. They host Kapaa from the KIF in the first round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I Football State Championships on Friday, Nov. 11.

"This win is up there with the state championship. I was sitting in my office back in February and I have the koa trophy from 2018 and the newspaper right up. I asked, ‘How can we get back to that this year?' It was about finding ways, having the guys come together. The plays are going to be the plays, but having them buy in. To get this far you have to have some luck and a lot of skill and a ton of discipline," Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho said.

Na Alii (8-3 overall) saw its four-game winning streak come to an end and finished with a 6-2 record in OIA play. They travel to Maui to face the MIL champion and No. 8 Lahainaluna on Friday, Nov. 11.

Waipahu led 38-30 with 1:13 to go in the game and to the dismay of Marauder fans, Aizik Mahuka stripped Braeden Togafau and Hiki Kim Choy-Keb-Ah Lo recovered it on the Marauders' 24.

Noah Spencer threw incomplete passes intended for Geronimo Ulgaran (11 catches, 117 yards) and Jayden Chanel (six catches, 97 yards). Aiea pounced on a pass interference penalty for a new set of downs. On the next play, Seth Setu dropped Spencer for a 11-yard loss and his pass to Ulgaran in the end zone fell incomplete. Ia Fualema came up with the interception and Waipahu kneeled out the remaining time for the win.

"I'm proud our kids didn't give up. Our kids didn't give up and they kept fighting until the end. Almost had that chance and we ran out of time," Aiea coach Wendell Say said.

"There's a lot of stuff we have to fix. A lot of fumbles. Fumble on the 1 yard line and fumble and almost gave the game away. Let's not screw this up. We had it in the bag if we got the first down and here we are, squeezing to get a victory and thank God we got it done," Carvalho said.

Mendoza, who was called up from the JV team, completed 29 of his 45 attempts with four touchdowns and was intercepted twice.

"I knew the moment wasn't going to be too big. It was gutsy to have a freshman have his first start in his first game. He's that kind of competitor and you can see it in his eyes and knew he could do it. We wanted to pull him up earlier in the season, we ended up leaving him down. The game we left him down, he ended up fracturing his knee and was out the whole season and when JJ (Manu) went down, he was still hurt. Once he got cleared Monday, we can move Tama where he's best at and let Eli do his thing," Carvalho said.

"Doing film at the beginning and 30 minutes of routes, that's the key getting timing down. Timing is everything and you seen it in the game, the ball is coming out fast and right after that just run. It was a matter of knowing your personnel," Mendoza said.

Liatama Uiliata caught 16 passes for 198 yards and a score, Saige Marienthal caught three passes for 40 yards and two scores.

"He's always been there," Carvalho said of Marienthal. "With Elijah there with fresh eyes and coming from JV, every receiver is good. He had that mindset in there where he can go everywhere. Tama does his thing."

Togafau gained 123 yards on 21 carries.

Aiea struck first after a catch interference penalty on the kick off placed the ball at the Waipahu 38. Olie launched it to Chanel for a 38-yard score for a 7-0 lead.

Waipahu answered with a nine play, 74-yard drive that culminated in Uiliata hauling in a 24-yard touchdown to tie the game.

Na Alii went deep again and Olie found Ulgaran for a 40-yard touchdown on a eight play, 80-yard drive that took 2 minutes, 38 seconds.

The Marauders got down to the Aiea 1 and looked to tie it up, but Togafau fumbled and Elijah Nahoopii-Makakona recovered it for Na Alii.

Olie connected with his third different receiver for a 34-yard touchdown pass to Rico Figueroa to make it, 21-7.

Ulgaran returned the punt down to the Waipahu 12 but a holding penalty pushed Na Alii back to the 36. Aiea settled on a 41-yard field goal from Bryson Boyea Quiton to go up, 24-7 with 5:52 left in the second quarter.

Sila Unutoa, an anchor on the Aiea defensive line, was ejected for targeting that put the ball on the 6. Logan Rouse dropped Mendoza for a loss but on the next play, Mendoza found Marienthal and Uiliata's run was good to trail, 24-15.

Cabrera recorded his first interception at midfield and Mendoza targeted Uiliata for 45 yards down to the 3 and Xavier Transfiguracion nailed a 20-yard field goal attempt as time expired to trail, 24-18 going into halftime.

"That was huge. Any coach would want a touchdown. We came up two yards short. Should we take the gamble and go for it or get points out of this. That was big we got at least something out of it," Carvalho said.

Mahuka recovered the fumble but Aiea gave it right back after Romeo Tagata picked off Olie. Waipahu turned the pick into points and took the lead, 25-24 after Tai Aipia-Barrett hauled in a 5-yard touchdown.

"They (the defense) were awesome and thank you for the defense. They were helping us a lot and I am grateful for them and they were a big help in this win," Mendoza said.

Waipahu created some separation after Marienthal's 22-yard touchdown catch to make it, 32-24.

Aiea benefited from a pass interference penalty and Olie completed passes to Kaimana Lale-Saole and Figueroa before connecting with Chanel for a second time, this time from 29 yards out. Na Alii used some trickery as Figueroa got the ball and rolled out, but his pass attempt failed to trail, 32-30.

Na Alii denied the Marauders as Eric Saau came up with the interception, but on the next play, Caleb Lauifi forced the fumble and Samu Niuatoa scooped for a 30-yard return to go up, 38-30.

"We needed something to build us up. Right before that, we gave up a touchdown and that really did build our momentum as a defense and as a team," Niuatoa said.

Six plays into their drive, Olie was injured at the 4:43 mark on a rush attempt. Olie did not return and he threw for 322 yards on 27-of-37 passing.

Spencer filled in and drove Na Alii down to the Waipahu 25 but a holding penalty pushed them back and Spencer was sacked by Setu. Three plays later, Cabrera came up with his second pick, but the Marauders would give it back to Aiea for the final drive.

Fualema had nine total tackles to go with his game-saving interception and Setu and Lauifi each had a pair of sacks.

Saau had 10 total tackles, seven solo and three assisted. Mahuka had eight total tackles—one going for a loss, forced two fumbles, recovered one, and broke up a pass for Na Alii.

Aiea was seeking back-to-back OIA titles.

Waipahu won 13 overall OIA titles.


Reach Brandon Ching at [email protected].




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