Quiet for most of the first half, Danny Kekoanui and his Wai'anae squad came alive in the second, helping the Seariders to a 27-21 upset of defending state champion Leilehua.

Kekoanui rushed for two touchdowns, including the game winner, and finished with 27 carries for 151 yards in an O'ahu Interscholastic Association Red West game between two unbeatens on Friday.

Kekoanui racked up 118 of his 151 yards in the second half and of the Seariders' 273 rushing yards, 186 came in the second half, helping Wai'anae (4-2, 4-0, OIA) erase a 14-7 halftime deficit.

"He ran the ball well against Leilehua, had some pretty good blocking," Wai'anae coach Danny Matsumoto said. "He read the field pretty well, made some pretty good cuts.

"He almost grabbed his way in for one of the touchdowns. He really showed a lot of effort on his part. He had a good game."

On the game-winning drive, Kekoanui carried the ball eight times for 50 yards, eventually scoring on a 15-yard run and completing the two-point conversion that made it 27-21. Twice during the drive on third-down situations, Kekoanui rushed for a Seariders a first down.

"(Thursday night) we had a little extra meeting with the church and we watched the movie 'Facing the Giants,' and it kind of gave us some extra motivation and to trust in the Lord and that through Christ all things are possible," Kekoanui said.

Kekoanui's 20-yard touchdown in the third quarter tied the game at 14. He also punted three times for 121 yards and said the offensive line helped turn the tide in the second half.

"Our O-line came out firing hard and we got the fumble recovery on the first kickoff and I think that helped get us some momentum," Kekoanui said.

Added Matsumoto: "Give credit to the offensive line and the running backs. (Offensive coordinator) Bryant (Ginoza) made great adjustments for the second half. I think that was the key to our success."

Holding onto the lead, Kekoanui helped the Seariders on their final drive of the game with 5:25 remaining. He had five carries for 20 yards, including one for a pivotal first down.

On fourth-and-2 from the Leilehua 34, Kekoanui ran for 2 yards and a first down. Wai'anae was eventually able to run out the clock.

"He's a silent leader, quiet," Matsumoto said. "There's times when he doesn't say too much, but his actions speak louder than the words he says."

The Seariders are in for another big game this week, playing their homecoming contest against Waipahu on Friday.

"They all realize we had a good practice week and they realize practice makes for a good performance in the game," Matsumoto said. "With homecoming coming up, there's a lot of distractions on campus. Hopefully, they'll stay focused."