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Michael Lasquero | ScoringLiveNovember 4, 2023, 6:55am
Fri, Nov 3, 2023 @ Mililani [ 8:00 pm ]
MILILANI — When you're playing for the ‘ship, you need all hands on deck.
In the 2023 OIA Division I title game, it was the reigning Waipahu Marauders that proved they had the best crew.
No. 11 Waipahu ran past No. 12 Farrington, 48-26, to defend its league crown Friday night at John Kauinana Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Elijah Mendoza started in his second straight OIA championship game and threw for 334 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Marauders (6-4) to their 14th overall league title.
Both teams did a solid job of limiting the opposing team's top offensive weapon. When you compare their stats against other Division I teams, Farrington running back Sitani Mikaele was held to a season-low 3.6 yards per carry while Waipahu wideout Eric Stephens was limited to a season-low 65 receiving yards.
But it was the Marauders who had the better supporting cast.
Jayden Chanel caught four passes for 123 yards and two first-quarter TDs to help Waipahu take a 20-8 lead after the first stanza, Faafetai Failauga rushed for a career-high 112 yards and two scores and Tai Aipia-Barrett caught six passes for 103 yards and a 21-yard TD on fourth down to help ice the game midway through the fourth quarter.
"We got to trust that everybody can be a playmaker," said Mendoza. "It's not just one guy. That's what separates us."
Before Waipahu's offensive explosion, the Marauders' went three-and-out on their opening possession. Mendoza said he had to look inward and be a better communicator to get the offense back on track.
"The first drive, I thought there was something wrong with me … and there was something wrong with me and I had to find it within me that I have to talk to these guys with what I see. I have to tell the coaches what I see on the field, how I can get this ball to all our playmakers. That's how we got the 20 points in the first quarter, that's how we set the tone. Their leader has to keep talking and communicating with everybody else. That's how we help each other."
A 32-yard punt return by Stephens after Farrington's opening drive gave Waipahu in good field position on the Governors' 16-yard line. One play Chazen Rodillas-Vesido came up with a circus catch in the end zone to give Waipahu an early 6-0 lead.
Farrington (6-3) responded with a 9-play, 67-yard drive that was capped with MJ Moreno's 16-yard TD pass to Chansen Smith. Donivan Bergantinos ran in the 2-point conversion with some special teams trickery to give Farrington a 8-6 lead with 5:08 to play in the quarter.
After a 24-yard kickoff return by Stephens, the Marauders needed just two plays to reach the end zone when Chanel scored on a 59-yard TD. The 2-point pass attempt failed to leave the score at 12-8.
Waipahu's Kenson Casil came away with a sack on third down on the following series to force a Farrington punt that the Marauders turned into another Chanel receiving score, a 13-yard strike to make it a 20-8 game with under 10 seconds remaining in the period.
Farrington coach Daniel Sanchez said the pace of play in the opening stanza determined the result of the game.
"Both teams were battling," he said. "We felt like when we had the momentum, they would come back and do something to take the momentum back. I knew if we were in a shootout against them, it wouldn't favor us. It seemed like we ended up in a shootout with them."
Jacob Talamoa's 1-yard surge cut into Waipahu's lead early in the second quarter before a Failauga TD run gave the Marauders a 27-14 advantage.
The Governors battled back to make it a one possession game at halftime thanks to two Waipahu miscues. A Lauititi Liufau interception off of Mendoza led to another Talamoa score and a turnover on downs instead of kicking a field goal just before halftime made the score 27-20 at the break.
Both teams went scoreless in the third quarter before Waipahu outscored Farrington, 21 to 6, in the final period of play. Elijah Nahoopii's 57-yard pick-6 and Ezekiel Stewart's PAT provided the final points of the night with 1:41 remaining in regulation.
The Marauders earned the second seed and will have a first round bye in next week's First Hawaiian Bank state football championships. They will face the winner between third-seeded Damien and Farrington, who plays on Nov. 11 at Kaiser.
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