On Friday, May 27, 2011, I was informed by Coach Bryson Carvalho, J.V. Head Coach that Waipahu High School "Blue & Gold" Football team for the first time will actually have a "GAME" instead of a controlled scrimmage as they did in the past years. I was also told that they started their spring training at Waipahu a week ago and every OIA school is allotted two weeks of Spring training where the kids are able to put pads on so the coaching staff can take an early look at what talent they have going into summer training. The coaching staff also had a draft and selected players to represent their teams color. The coaching staff was also drafted by the respective head coaches and Bryson Carvalho will be head coach for the Gold team and Abe Villanueva, Health & PE teacher will be head coach for the Blue team tonight.
Coach Carvalho said that they were going to end their Spring tryouts with a huge Spring game and they had every player sell 10 tickets to friends, family and community members to raise money for their spirit packs and workout gear. Tonight's game will include varsity timed 12 minute quarters, OIA officials, kickoffs, kickoff returns, punts, punt returns, and a revamped offense and defense that will include a bunch more passing!
As for the"GAME" at the Home of the Marauders, it started off with no score in the first quarter and with 8:43 left in the second quarter, #2 Mason Corpuz-Slade Blue team intercepted the ball and returned it for 6 points and #11 Jahna Tacson, Waipahu's OIA White (Soccer) Player of the Year (click here) kicked it in for the extra point giving the Blue team the lead 7-0. The Gold team came roaring back with a great pass from QB #13 Drake Yoshida to #7 Matapua Tulafale for a TD, but it was called back. #82 Eric Castro of the Blue team took advantage on an error and ran in for their 2nd touchdown, but the extra point attempt failed which brought their lead to 13-0 with 4:42 left in the 2nd quarter. Finally in the 3rd quarter QB #13 Drake Yoshida of the Gold team threw a bomb to #24 Dalan Pakau and scored their first touchdown, and with Jahna's power kick (photo above), added that extra point to make it 7-13. Both teams battled back and forth in the 4th quarter, but the Gold team's drive and determination to hold off the Blue team with 14.4 seconds left on the clock to take the game 20-13.
The support tonight along with the students, family and the community was awesome, and it felt like the football season had began, especially since the band volunteered to play tonight. With the crowd cheering and shouting, it really felt like a "GAME" even though they played against each other. What I saw was a great team, and I would not take them lightly! Thanks to Stacie Nii, Athletic Director, Varsity Head Coach Eric Keola, J.V Head Coach Bryson Carvalho for the invite and Abe Villanueva, Health and P.E. teacher and the Waipahu High School Football Program and "Congratulation" to all the players tonight. "Awesome playing." Click here. C'mon back later for more the photos.
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