The OIA Division II championship is up for grabs tonight at Aloha Stadium as undefeated Waipahu, ranked No. 9 in the state this week by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, faces a Pearl City team it beat 37-6 earlier this season. That game was tied 0-0 at halftime.
The Marauders lead the series 20-9 in the modern era (since 1973) of high school football. Waipahu eliminated Pearl City in the OIA D-II semifinals last year before losing to Waialua in the final.
Q&A: Pearl City coach Robin Kami
Q&A: Waipahu coach Bryson Carvalho
PEARL CITY CHARGERS (7-2)
Head coach: Robin Kami
Chargers roster
VS.
WAIPAHU MARAUDERS (9-0)
Head coach: Bryson Carvalho
Marauders roster
Waipahu 23, Pearl City 22
at Aloha Stadium
Pearl City (7-3) 15 0 7 0 — 22
Waipahu (10-0) 0 6 10 7 — 23
PC—Isaiah Asinsin 1 run (Micah Quillopo-Jamile pass from Zameer Khan)
PC—Asinsin 42 run (Khan kick)
Waip—Isaac Yamashita 23 pass from Braden Amorozo (run failed)
Waip—Yamashita 8 pass from Bra. Amorozo (Brycen Amorozo kick)
PC—Zion Tupuola-Fetui 67 interception return (Khan kick)
Waip—FG Bry. Amorozo 23
Waip—Alfred Failauga 3 run (Bry. Amorozo kick)
RUSHING—Pearl City: Asinsin 16-56, Micah Quillopo-Jamile 6-37, Makoa Cooper 12-34, Andre Carter 3-6, Chase Cudiamat 2-1, Kasey Kikuyama 1-(minus 2), team 2-(minus 6). Waipahu: Failauga 22-113, Ezekiel-Kai Kapanui-Reyes 1-3, team 2-(minus 4), Bra. Amorozo 3-(minus 16).
PASSING—Pearl City: Asinsin 10-16–0-138, Christian Tielu 0-2-0-0, Tupuola-Fetui 0-1-0-0, Shayn Bondaug 0-1-1-0. Waipahu: Bra. Amorozo 25-46–2-277.
RECEIVING—Pearl City: Calvin Mock 3-68, Thomas King 2-34, Carter 2-10, Cudiamat 2-10, Quillopo-Jamile 1-16. Waipahu: Kapanui-Reyes 7-79, Alika Ahsing 7-40, Yamashita 6-104, Branson Jay Reyes 3-52, Matthew Fiesta 2-2.
Junior varsity — Waipahu 42, Pearl City 26
Pearl City will start from its 17. Asinsin runs for 8 and is close to getting hit late out of bounds. No call. Waipahu player cramping. A roughing-the-passer penalty on Waipahu and a 30-yard pass from Asinsin and Thomas King puts the ball at the Waipahu 26. Asinsin sacks for a loss of 3. Delay of game on Pearl City. That puts the ball at the 34. Asinsin takes another sack for a loss of 5. Pearl City has to go. Fourth-and-24. Double pass. Tupuola-Fetui throws it deep. INCOMPLETE. Waipahu is going to win.
Chargers ball on their 46. 4:37 on the clock. Asinsin loses his helmet and has to sit out. Low snap and it’s a fumble. Uele Palusami recovers for Waipahu. Amorozo hits Yamashita for 33 yards. Alfred Failuaga 3-yard TD run with 3:22 to go. Brycen Amorozo’s XP is GOOD.
Waipahu ball on its 20. PC has 12 on the field on third-and-2 and it’s a first down for Waipahu. Tupuola-Fetui forces a quick throw and Waipahu will punt from its 32 on fourth-and-12 with 4:46 to go and one timeout.
Chargers take over on the Waipahu 39 after a short punt. Pearl City stopped and has to punt. It’s downed at the 11 but Waipahu runs into the kicker. It’s now fourth-and-2 from the 31. Now Pearl City will go for it. Nope they will try a 49-yard field goal. Khan has the leg but it’s wide left. Waipahu takes over. 6:19 to go.
Waipahu takes over from its 20. Amorozo is sacked by Tupuola-Fetui, who is a monster out here. Third-and-19 and it’s incomplete as two Pearl City defenders had a beat on the ball but collided. Waipahu will punt.
Chargers face second-and-10 at the Waipahu 40 to start the fourth quarter. Asinsin stopped for no gain on third-and-5. Interesting decision here with ball at Waipahu 35. Chargers go and it’s a pass out of the backfield to Carter for 14 yards to the 21. First down. Chargers have to use their final timeout with 10:25 to go as the play clock was winding down. Chargers run a double reverse and it’s a 20-yard TD pass from Quillopo-Jamile to Tupuola-Fetui. TD is called back by illegal man downfield however. Another double reverse, but then it’s pitched back to Asinsin who takes off for a big gain. A hold brings it back. Chargers lose 6 as they try another potential double pass. Pearl City calling anything and everything at this point. Short pass to Carter for a loss of 4 and Pearl City has to punt. It’s a fake and Tupuola-Fetui throws deep but the receiver is clobbered. It’s picked off and return, everyone has stopped, no whistle has blown and then the returner on the INT gets drilled on the sideline. All kinds of confusion. Illegal formation offense, illegal use of hands defense, illegal participation defense, all penalties offset. Fourth down. Khan will attempt one from 50 and it’s short.
Asinsin gets out of a sack, plants and hits Mock for a 37-yard gain to the Marauders’ 40.
Waipahu starts on its 27. Failauga gets 10 on the run but then it’s all air down to the 12. Third-and-10. Failauga runs to the 6. Timeout Pearl City with Waipahu facing fourth-and-4 at the 6. They elect to try the kick. Freshman Brycen Amorozo kicks the 23-yard field goal.
Waipahu has to start from its 47. Quickly third-and-10 as Waipahu has thrown it 13 straight times to start the second half. Fourth-and-2 and it’s a handoff to Failuaga for 11 yards. Next pass and TUPUOLA-FETUI LEAPS INTO THE AIR WITH THE PICK. He jumps out of one-tackle and stiff-arms another defender to the ground and he’s GONE. 67-yard pick-six for Tupuola-Fetui and it’s 22-13, 3:57, Q3.
Pearl City comes out throwing it three times in four plays with Asinsin hitting Mock for 5 yards on third-and-4 to move the chains. Asinsin though is down after the play. Maybe cramps? Shayn Bondaug has to come in for a play and they let him throw it. He throws it right to Waipahu’s Deacon Kapea, who brings it back inside the 20 but a penalty on the return.
Waipahu ball on its 31. Chargers force a three-and-out as Waipahu again throws it three straight times.
Andre Carter gets his first carry of the game and it’s a strong 7-yard run to move the chains. Shotgun snap hits the receiver in motion and Pearl City is fortunate to recover the fumble. Asinsin has an open receiver down the sideline but overthrows a possible TD. Third-and-13. Pass is almost picked by Benjamin. Punt.
A Waipahu player is down on the kickoff. Marauders start on their 35. Eight passing plays in a row with seven completions, ending with an 8-yard TD pass from Amorozo to Yamashita and it’s quickly 15-13. Amorozo 7-8 on the drive for 65 yards.
HALFTIME BOX
at Aloha Stadium
Pearl City (7-2) 15 0
Waipahu (9-0) 0 6
PC—Isaiah Asinsin 1 run (Micah Quillopo-Jamile pass from Zameer Khan)
PC—Asinsin 42 run (Khan kick)
Waip—Isaac Yamashita 23 pass from Braden Amorozo (run failed)
RUSHING—Pearl City: Asinsin 8-50, Micah Quillopo-Jamile 4-38, Makoa Cooper 10-33, Chase Cudiamat 2-1, Kasey Kikuyama 1-(minus 2). Waipahu: Alfred Failauga 13-71, Ezekiel-Kai Kapanui-Reyes 1-3, Braden Amorozo 2-(minus 6).
PASSING—Pearl City: Asinsin 1-3-0-26, Christian Tielu 0-2-0-0. Waipahu: Amorozo 11-19–1-115.
RECEIVING—Pearl City: Calvin Mock 1-26. Waipahu: Kapanui-Reyes 3-22, Alika Ahsing 3-19, Branson Jay Reyes 2-46, Yamashita 2-34, Matthew Fiesta 1-(minus 6).
Junior varsity — Waipahu 42, Pearl City 26
Waipahu with one timeout. Last throw of the half is picked off by Kami and we go to the break.
Cudiamat with a nice return out to the 45 where Pearl City starts its drive. Waipahu calls timeouts after two runs and it’s third-and-4. Asinsin completes his first throw and it’s a big one. 23 yards to Calvin Mock. Zeondre Benjamin rips it out of Mock’s hands at the end of the play but it’s ruled forward progress was stopped. Looked like a good call from up here. Third-and-1 at the 14 after an 8-yard run by Asinsin. Asinsin sneaks it for a yard and it will be close. They will measure with 50 seconds on the clock. Chargers out of timeouts. Ball is short. Fourth-and-1. Asinsin scrambles and nearly gets it but he’s tackled short by Benjamin.
Another drop and it’s third-and-10 from the 23. Fade to the corner of the end zone is HAULED IN by Isaac Yamashita for the 23-yard TD catch. 15-6, 2:41, Q2.
Chargers run some clock and get a first down thanks to a Waipahu penalty but a short punt with 3:36 to go and Waipahu has it on the Pearl City 35.
Waipahu starts on the Pearl City 30. Quickly third-and-7 after a drop. Failauga with a 4-yard run to set up fourth-and-3 and Pearl City tries to sub while Waipahu huddles quick to go for it and the Chargers use a second timeout. Failauga stopped by Kami and Justin Pfau for a 1-yard gain but a flag goes flying. Wow a late hit on Pearl City but after the play so Chargers take over.
Pearl City starts on its 3. Should be third-and-5 but a late hit by a Waipahu defender, completely unnecessary, gives Pearl City 15 yards and a first down at the 23. After a hold, Abraham Montero sacks Asinsin at the 1. Nearly a safety. Third-and-a-mile. Short run and Chargers have to punt from their 2.
Marauders will start second quarter first-and-10 on the Pearl City 36. After a 7-yard run by Failauga to the 4, Waipahu tries to go quick and Pearl City coach Robin Kami comes sprinting down the sideline to call timeout. Third-and-3 at the PC 4. A little confusion and Amorozo goes down for no gain. Fourth-and-3 and Waipahu goes quick. Failauga with a 4-yard TD ru–NO! Illegal shift on Waipahu. Fourth-and-8 at the 9. Handoff to Failauga and he makes multiple guys miss but not Tupuola-Fetui, who throws him to the ground a yard short. Turnover on downs.
Waipahu fumbles on the kick but the Marauders recover. The returner, Branson Jay Reyes, is hurt on the play but eventually runs off. Amorozo with a big completion to Ahsing for 12 yards on third-and-11 and Waipahu into Pearl City territory. Failauga runs for 7 on third-and-4.
Po’okela Moses-Espanto with a 17-yard punt return into Waipahu territory but flags go flying. Flag on Chargers, who will start on their 37. After a 22-yard run by Quillopo-Jamile, Asinsin goes play action boot leg but there’s a defender there so he cuts back the other way and HE. IS. GONE. 42-yard TD run. What a start for Pearl City, which has completely changed its offense in the two weeks off and Waipahu is confused.
Marauders start at their 20. Amorozo goes play action and is almost picked off by Kasey Kikuyama, who comes on a blitz the next play and sacks Amorozo. Waipahu three-and-out again.
Chargers ball on the Waipahu 48. Micah Quillopo-Jamile runs for 15. Third-and-6 and Asinsin has an open Calvin Mock for 6 but overthrows him. Zameer Khan lines up for a 47-yard field goal but it’s BLOCKED. Tupuola-Fetui recovers it and runs for 26 yards to the 3. Holy smokes. I have never seen that. QB Isaiah Asinsin 1-yard TD run. Bad snap on the kick but the kicker, Khan, picks it up and throws a perfect ball to Quillopo-Jamile and it’s two points the hard way. What a crazy drive. 8-0 Chargers, 5:58.
Waipahu will start at midfield. Marauders go three-and-out as RJ Kami tackles Alika Ahsing on the pass for a loss of 4 and then Tupuola-Fetui comes flying off the edge to drop Failauaga for a loss of 1. The punt goes for a loss of 3 as it goes straight up in the air and then bounces backwards.
Chargers start on their 22 with Isaiah Asinsin, the senior, at QB. PC starts with 5 wide and brings a man in motion. A double pass and they have a guy WIDE OPEN but it’s dropped. That was six. What a play call by Robin Kami and staff. Chargers are disoriented after that though and it’s a delay. Third-and-17 and they try a handoff to Chase Cudiamat, who threw the first pass, and another deep ball and it’s underthrown but off the hands of the receiver. Another drop. Cudiamat shaken up on the play after getting whacked on the throw. Punt.
Waipahu wins the toss and defers. Pearl City will receive.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Pearl City: Kasey Kikuyama, Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Isaiah Asinsin, Jeremiah Taamu-Perifanos
Waipahu: Braden Amorozo, Alfred Failauga, Centennial Kulikefu, Savior Iauiualo
Varsity kickoff will be right around 7:25 p.m.
FINAL: Waipahu 42, Pearl City 26.
6:35 p.m. Third-and-7 and the Waipahu receiver out jumps the DB for a 28-yard TD. Marauders 36, Chargers 26, 2:27 to go.
6:30 p.m. Pearl City just completed a 28-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-4. Waipahu lead now 30-26 in the JV D-II championship game with 5:23 remaining.
6:25 p.m.: About six minutes left in the JV D-II championship game with Waipahu leading 30-20.
Awesome Game