Defense, ground game leads Waipahu over Leilehua in season-opening win

WAIPAHU – Welcome back, high school football.

The Waipahu varsity football team used dynamic defensive performances and a steady rushing attack to open the 2025 season in a big way, taking down Leilehua on Friday night in front of a packed house at the Masa Yonamine Athletic Complex, 37-13.

Marauders running back Tristan Pacheco led the charge, toting the rock 24 times for 110 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening victory as the hosts totaled 237 yards on the ground. Waipahu junior quarterback David Vidinha completed 16-of-23 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns and was intercepted once.

Leilehua (0-1) started strong, forcing a pair of punts before putting the first points of the season on the board midway through the opening quarter when QB Bennett Strobel found RB Kyin Rivera-Galbraith for a 14-yard touchdown to go up, 6-0. After being penalized on the first try, the Mules’ second PAT was blocked.

The blocked kicked sparked Waipahu (1-0) after a slow beginning, seeing the offense march down the field and answer back with a touchdown as Vidinha connected with Titan Figueroa for a 40-yard score with just over three minutes left in the first quarter. Figueroa took a direct snap in right after for a two-point conversion, pushing the hosts ahead, 8-6.

Waipahu linebackers Wyatt O’Neill and Colossus Letalu took turns jumping in front of Strobel passes in a scoreless second quarter, helping the Marauder defense with a pair of interceptions as the teams traded stops. Leilehua leaned on the passing attack in the frame, abandoning the run as Rivera-Galbraith received just four total carries across the opening 24 minutes.

Jhayean Baptista extended Waipahu’s lead to nine less than a minute into the second half, returning Strobel’s third interception of the night 36 years for a touchdown. Leilehua finally returned fire with a 100-yard pick-six from junior defensive back Willie Canyon, pulling the Mules back within two, 15-13.

Jayvren Pinera registered a large chunk of his game-high 92 receiving yards after hauling in a 42-yard touchdown catch before the third quarter concluded, helping Waipahu reclaim full control of the contest. In command, the Marauders drained the clock with a strong rushing attack while Pacheco and Jayvien Smith each tacked on scores in the fourth quarter to put the bow on the 37-13 win.

Leilehua’s Strobel ended the night completing 21-of-29 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown while getting intercepted four times in the non-league loss. The Mules attempted just 13 designed runs, seeing senior back Kyin Rivera-Galbraith lead the way with 39 yards across eight carries. Rivera-Galbraith added five catches for 52 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield, good for the second-highest receiving output by a Leilehua player all night.

Senior receiver Brennen Kepaa led the way for Leilehua with seven receptions for 62 yards. The Mules, who moved up to the OIA’s Open Division after winning the 2024 Division I league crown, will look to bounce back after a bye week when they host the Hilo Vikings for another non-league contest.

Waipahu, who moved back down to Division I after a tough 2024 run in the Open Division, will be back in action next weekend with eyes on defeating another Open Division foe when they host the Campbell Sabers for their final non-league game. Campbell went on the road and dominated Moanalua on Friday night, dropping Na Menehune, 50-22.