HANAPEPE — Waimea High School kicker Shayden Ranis Alameda Dela Cruz hit a 35-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to break a tie and propel the Mehehune to a 13-10 win over the Roosevelt Rough Riders in a First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association Division II semifinal contest at Hanapepe Stadium on Saturday.
The Rough Riders, accompanied by a strong fan-base including its cheer team, finished the contest by piling up more yardage against the Menehune — 262 net yards to Waimea’s 237 yards — thanks to the strong arm of its QB Ioane Kamanao, who connected with Keawe Davis for a 33-yard scoring pass with just four ticks showing on the game clock before the halftime break.
The pass play was pivotal to breaking a 3-3 logjam set up when Dela Cruz capped Waimea’s second possession with a 26-yard field goal in the final two minutes of the opening stanza before several hundred people, who braved the mid-afternoon heat and humidity.
Roosevelt, seeded No. 4 in Division II, answered the ice-breaking field goal with two scores in the second quarter, including a Journey DePeralta 28-yard field goal with 2:42 showing on the clock.
The Kamanao-to-Davis scoring pass with just four seconds in the half gave the Rough Riders a 10-3 bulge at the break.
Waimea, alternating QB duty between Kylie Linoz and Kameron Apilado, came back in the third frame to knot the game 10-10 after Keona Tam got his first score of the season by bulldozing 1 yard through heavy Rough Rider. Dela Cruz split the uprights for the extra point.
Under the almost-pleading encouragement of the Rough Riders fan base, Roosevelt was kept out of the end zone for the second half by a strong Menehune defense, which held the Rough Riders to negative yardage on the ground.
Waimea piled up its 237 yards on the ground, led by Wesley “Kamu” Santiago with 90 yards on 19 carries, Apilado with 73 yards on 11 carries and Kaili Arakaki with 40 yards on 11 touches.
The Rough Riders had an opportunity to at least knot the contest, but a field goal attempt from 30 yards came up empty with 6:18 showing on the game clock. ScoringLive.com and game announcer Beau Acoba provided access to game information.
With the victory, Waimea packs its bags for a return trip to Mililani High School on Saturday where the Division II defending champions will face the No. 2 seed Kamehameha Schools-Maui, who took a 31-10 win over No. 3 seed PAC-5 on Saturday night in Maui.
Kickoff for the Division II title is 4 p.m. on Saturday at Mililani High School.
