Non-League FOOTBALL: 'Iolani stuns Waipahu, 35-34

By Wes Nakama
HHSAA

WAIPAHU -- Reece Foy connected with Yuuya Kato on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 39.8 seconds remaining, then found Chad Hanaoka on an inside slant for the game-winning two-point conversion as 'Iolani stunned Waipahu, 35-34, in thrilling nonleague action Saturday night.

The Raiders improved to 2-0, while the Marauders fell to 0-2.

Waipahu had led, 34-21, with 4:30 left after Matapua Tulafale's 3-yard TD run and two-point conversion plunge. But 'Iolani closed it to 34-27 on Foy's 5-yard scoring pass to Tanner Nishioka with 2:19 remaining, and -- after the extra-point attempt hit the left upright and bounced out -- got the ball back a minute later after forcing a three-and-out on the Marauders' next possession.

Foy completed passes of 19 and 25 yards to Hanaoka to advance the Raiders to the 26, then launched a strike to Kato in the left side of the end zone. Hanaoka, lined up as a slot receiver on the right side, then ran a short slant and Foy hit him after a quick drop for the game-winning two-point conversion.

Waipahu could not get a first down on its ensuing series, and 'Iolani needed only one play to run out the clock.

The wild finish was fitting for a game that had plenty of fireworks from the beginning.

The Raiders struck first on Foy's 12-yard touchdown pass to Kato after a trademark scramble, with Jordan Genovia's PAT making it 7-0 with 5:37 left in the first quarter. The Marauders then tied it at 7-7 after Kaimi Paredes' 5-yard TD run on a quarterback keeper, then went up, 14-7, on Paredes' 2-yard scoring run and Jayson Gonzalves' extra point with 9:11 remaining in the half.

'Iolani tied it again after a 13-yard touchdown pass from Foy to Nishioka with 1:18 left before intermission, but Waipahu struck back quickly as a 56-yard pass play from Paredes to Dylan Pakau set up a 9-yard scoring pass using the same combination. The PAT attempt failed, but the Marauders took a 20-14 lead into the locker room.

Paredes left the game after getting injured on a sack late in the third quarter, but backup quarterback Kai Mercado-Aiona stepped in and threw a 29-yard TD pass to Pakau to stretch the lead to 26-14 with 1:18 remaining in the period. The extra point attempt again failed.

The Raiders answered with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Foy to Nishioka one minute into the fourth quarter to close it to 26-21, but Waipahu extended the lead to 34-21 after Tulafale's TD and two-point conversion runs with 4:30 left.

Foy finished with 34 completions in 47 attempts without an interception, for 385 yards and five touchdowns. Nishioka had 10 catches for 116 yards and Hanaoka added 10 catches for 106 yards.


'IOLANI (2-0) 7 7 0 21 -- 35
WAIPAHU (0-2) 7 13 6 7 -- 34

'Iol -- Yuuya Kato 12 pass from Reece Foy (Jordan Genovia kick)
Wai -- Kaimi Paredes 5 run (Jayson Gonzalves kick)
Wai -- Paredes 2 run (Gonzalves kick)
'Iol -- Tanner Nishioka 13 pass from Foy (Genovia kick)
Wai -- Dylan Pakau 9 pass from Paredes (kick failed)
Wai -- Pakau 29 pass from Kai Mercado-Aiona (kick failed)
'Iol -- Nishioka 36 pass from Foy (Genovia kick)
Wai -- Matapua Tulafale 3 run (Tulafale run)
'Iol -- Nishioka 5 pass from Foy (kick failed)
'Iol -- Kato 26 pass from Foy (Chad Hanaoka pass from Foy)

RUSHING -- 'Iolani: Kody Mento 11-14, Foy 4-(minus-3), Kato 5-24, Hanaoka 1-0. Waipahu: Brandon Lucien-Timbreza 4-15, Paredes 15-47, Tulafale 7-45, Mercado-Aiona 4-31, Isaiah Alama 4-16, James Nunuha 4-15, Dean Domingo 1-5.

PASSING -- 'Iolani: Foy 34-47-0--385. Waipahu: Paredes 4-13-0--113, Mercado-Aiona 2-2-0--25.

RECEIVING -- 'Iolani: Chase Kanekuni 5-47, Hanaoka 10-106, Kato 4-39, Nishioka 10-116, Austin Ohira 3-45, Kyle Kekina 2-32. Waipahu: Pakau 4-126, Tulafale 1-16, Nunuha 1-(minus-4).