By: Wes Nakama
WAIALUA — Hawai’i, and especially O’ahu’s North Shore, is unfamiliar territory for many high school football teams that visit here for some interstate competition.
But Thursday night’s game at Waialua was actually a bit of a homecoming for Woodinville (Wash.) offensive/defensive lineman Makoa Peneku, who helped the Falcons shut out Waialua, 30-0, at Toshi Nakasone Field. Peneku spent childhood years in Waikiki and then lived in California until three years ago, when he enrolled at Woodinville — located roughly 20 miles northeast of downtown Seattle.
“Coming back, it felt good, I was ready to play in the homeland,” said Peneku, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior who wears jersey No. 50. “I definitely taught (teammates) about the culture, about treating the ‘aina with love, and how we act around here with respect — respect to everybody around us. That was the main thing I was talking about with my guys.”
On the field, Woodinville took care of business on both sides of the ball and were never really threatened much.
Everett Ratliff intercepted an early pass and returned it about 12 yards to set up Ryan Bowles’ 1-yard scoring plunge, and Finley Bragg’s extra point gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter. Later with 1:14 left before halftime, Casey Larson rambled 16 yards to paydirt on third-and-2, and Bragg’s PAT put Woodinville ahead 14-0 at the break.
The Falcons then opened the second half with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Chase Rudin’s 6-yard TD run. A bad snap resulted in a failed two-point conversion run, making the score 20-0. Later, Bragg boomed a 39-yard field goal high through the uprights to push the lead to 23-0 with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter.
On the ensuing series, a low punt snap resulted in an 8-yard loss and Woodinville taking over at the Waialua 26, and three plays later Rudin ran it in from 1 yard out.
Woodinville competes in Washington’s top level Class 4A, literally presenting a big challenge to OIA Division II Waialua, which has the smallest enrollment of any public school football program on the island.
“I think it was a good experience, it’s something we don’t get a lot — a good opportunity for these boys to see a different style of play and study different formations, just the whole preparing aspect, for us coaches as well,” said Bulldogs coach Gary Wirtz. “Our whole student body, including seventh and eighth graders, is 600 kids. So we don’t have a big pool to choose from. I have 40 boys on the roster. They showed up with 67. But we played hard, we played tough.”
For Woodinville, the team arrived Tuesday, practiced at Saint Louis on Wednesday and then hit up Kapahulu’s Rainbow Drive In for some plate lunch, which they ate at Kapi’olani Park. Friday’s schedule included a planned trip to Pearl Harbor. Defensive line coach John Hamilton, who grew up in Hawai’i and played for Roosevelt, has served as tour guide along with Peneku.
“We’ve been wanting to come to Hawai’i for awhile, we were finally able to make it work and we’re absolutely thrilled and grateful to be here,” Woodinville coach Wayne Maxwell said.
Photos: Hailey Pascua / Lori McKeown
MAHALO TO THESE SPONSORS FOR PROUDLY SUPPORTING HAWAI’I HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS & HELPING TO PROVIDE US WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO COVER ATHLETES AND SCHOOLS HERE IN THE 808.
