Waipahu entered Friday’s season opener against Waianae with the numbers — in the record book and on the rosters — tilting heavily toward the visiting Seariders.
At the end of the night, the figures that mattered most favored the Marauders, and decidedly so.
Junior quarterback Cody Marques threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, running back Alfred Failauga churned out 145 yards on 29 carries and Waipahu earned a rare W in the series with Waianae with a 34-13 victory at Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex.
Between 1991 and 2015, Waipahu claimed two wins over Waianae in 19 meetings between the schools, a 27-21 win in 1999 and 28-15 in 2008 when the Marauders spoiled the Seariders’ homecoming night.
Waianae won five straight meetings since, including shutouts in 2013 and ’14 and a 69-28 win in 2015. The seventh-ranked Seariders arrived at Waipahu for Friday’s game with many of the standouts who powered a run to last year’s Open Division state tournament having graduated, but still with nearly double the Marauders’ manpower.
Academic probation and team rules kept 26 Waipahu players on the bench for the opener, leaving 27 to face the Seariders. But with Marques and Failauga leading the way, the Marauders held their ground in the first half and pulled away in the fourth quarter.
“It’s amazing for us with the amount of (players on probation) we had,” said Marques, who completed 10 of 15 throws for 216 yards. “Our second team stepped up. That’s all we needed, people to step up.”
Coming off an OIA Division II title, Waipahu prepared for its transition to Division I by scheduling scrimmages against Open Division competition in Kahuku and Kapolei leading into Friday’s meeting with Waianae.
“I wanted to make sure we’re playing quality guys, quality teams,” said Waipahu head coach Bryson Carvalho, an assistant with the 2008 team. “We understand we’re up a division higher and want to make sure we’re up to that kind of standard.”
Waianae took the lead on a 24-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Joseph Jr., — who finished with 102 rushing yards and caught a 33-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter — early in the second period. But Waipahu came up with two fourth-down stops and forced two three-and-out drives in the first half to stay within striking distance.
And strike they did with less than a minute left before halftime.
After a 49-yard punt rolled dead at the Waipahu 15 with 53.8 seconds left in the second quarter, Failauga ran for 4 yards and Waipahu called timeout. On the next play, Marques dropped back and found a wide open Branson Jay Reyes down the right side for an 81-yard score to send the teams into halftime
“We saw they were playing a little bit of man coverage and we knew if we went empty we had some of our slots against some of their inside backers and we knew we had an advantage speed wise,” Carvalho said. “We set that play up. We were waiting for perfect timing and that was huge going into the half having a little bit of a confidence booster.”
Failauga, held to 34 yards on 12 carries in the first half, broke loose down the left side for a 69-yard score on Waipahu’s second play of the third quarter.
Marques then led a 14-play drive capped by a 10-yard pass to Jeff Badua, who made a diving catch at the right pylon for a score. Waianae responded with Joseph’s TD reception from Kevin Poepoe to close to 20-13 with 7:13 left.
But on third-and-13, Marques scrambled away from pressure and connected with Devin Espiritu down the sideline. Espiritu sprinted through the Waianae secondary for a 67-yard score and Waipahu reclaimed control.
“Cody’s ability to extend plays, get outside the pocket, that stuff you cannot teach,” Carvalho said. “We draw the play up to work the way it works. All the extra stuff, being able to extend a play, that’s all on him.”
Waipahu opens Division I play at ‘Iolani next week. Waianae has little time to dwell on the loss with a meeting with No. 1 Saint Louis looming on Aug. 10.
Waianae needs to more passing instead of rushing the ball all the time. They need to stop running the ball all the time, we understand Kahuku, and Waianae are smash football, but with these type of team’s in Open Division this year, they should stick with balance offense, they need to get some more passing. The defense looks exasperate, disorganization, and disappointed. If they keeps with up, they will not win at all this season, with that type of loss against Waipahu, they are not going to do good in the Open Division, with those tough teams, even tho this is a preseason game, they need to make a change asap. Defense allowed 118 rush yards. Am surprised I didn’t see Justin on the field today interesting. Am disappointed Seariders, especially DC, you better than this COME ON. Hats off to Waipahu they ain’t messing around this year, they trying to shock Hawaii, and World, this should interesting D1, am looking forward to this season, am proud of you Alfred Failauga hard work pays off, but it got work to do.
Waipahu also beat Waianae in 1990 I think…at raymomd Torii field. That game had like 10k people.
Perfect choice for C.Lee to schedule Waianae as a first game. Problem is that it will probably be 52-0 in the first half. Waianae needs to drop to D1. Waipahu needs to move up. Even Damien and St.Francis can move up.
Waianae definitely needs to drop to D1. The open(recruit/transfer super league) division is no place for them.
For u folks saying Waianae needs to drop lol serious? Whatever the reason maybe it is what it is. .they lost but when has waianae ever dropped from the Top? Never! Thats how many times and we always in the top 3 at the end…..congrats to Waipahu,amazing game and well played! As for my community stay faithful and Go Seariders!
Bring back Larry Ginoza!
Wow, looking at Waianae’s remaining schedule, it’s probable that they may go 0-for the rest of the way. I surely hope they can bounce back, but w/ the likes of St. Louis & Kahuku over the next 2 weeks, it’s likely they’ll be going into the Campbell game at 0-3.