Waipahu evens record with road win over Kailua

Brian Bautista | SL

Waipahu rebounded nicely from a season-opening loss to Tafuna (American Samoa) with a 29-14 win over Kailua in an afternoon affair at Alex Kane Stadium.

Jayvren Pinera caught just two passes in the contest, but turned both grabs into scores, one from 42 yards out and the other 23, to account for both scores via the Maruaders aerial attack, while Titan Figueroa added seven receptions for 52 yards.

The run game for Waipahu contributed a pair of TDs of its own, led by Tristan Pacheco, who had 19 totes for 61 yards and a score. Kealii Sione scored the game's first point on a three yard carry and finished with seven carries for 13 yards.

Kailua led the contest briefly, when Caysen Samson punched one in from five yards out at the 9:24 mark of the second, and Isaiah Keaunui-Demello tacked on a two-point conversion via the run to make it 8-7, but Waipahu regained the lead on Pacheco's eight yard score three minutes of gameplay later.

Pinera's scores, one just before the half and the other in the third, built the margin up to 21, but Keanunui-Demello found Aizek Kaanoi from 23 yards away to close out the scoring in the quarter and make it a two-score contest.

Defensively, Kealii and Kaimana Sione each recorded a fumble recovery and Ezekiel Stewart added an interception for Waipahu in the victory.