OCEANSIDE — Four years into his coaching tenure as Oceanside High School football coach, Fale Poumele’s Pirates are back.
The Pirates, ranked No 8 in the county, proved it in a big way Friday. They jumped out to a 23-point halftime lead, then hung on to upset No. 2-ranked Granite Hills 44-29.
The win avenges a 43-29 loss, a game in which the Eagles wore out Oceanside two-way star Neke Letuli.
Granite Hills was the only school Oceanside had played and not defeated, holding a 3-0 advantage.
Friday, playing just running back while abandoning his cornerback duties, Letuli rushed 27 times for 153 yards with touchdown runs of 11, 8 and 16 yards.
Plus, he had a time-killing first-down run late in the fourth quarter. And had a 5-yard run to plays late that helped kill time as the Pirates protected an eight-point lead.
Two plays later, Oceanside ran a reverse pass on fourth-and-5 at the Granite Hills 36 with left-hander Izaiah Austin taking a handoff and sprinting left on what appeared to be a jet sweep.
Austin looked downfield and found Kapena Soto wide open in the end zone.
The 36-yard TD with 1:19 to play was the backbreaker.
“The plan last year was to wear Letuli out,” said Granite Hills coach Kellan Cobbs. “The kid is a great player, and we saw he was going both ways.
“And he was getting tired. So we went after him.”
Friday, Letuli — who like many players on both sides fought cramps — only played offense.
“If Neke plays like that, we’re going to win a lot of games,” Poumele said. “I’m so proud of that young man. He’s a great defender, but our priority is for him to run the ball, pound it inside. And if the outside stuff is there, all the better.
“But we want something positive every play if we can get it.”
Letuli had five runs of 10-plus yards and had a 20-yard pass reception.
Oceanside quarterback Anthony Barquinero completed 11 of 27 passes for 217 yards.
Granite Hills quarterback Zac Benitez, who is chasing every county career passing record, completed 18 of 28 passes for 265 yards and four touchdowns. However, he was intercepted twice, with Lucas Tanning returning one of those picks 36 yards for a score.
Lincoln transfer Courtney Miller-Thompson caught 12 passes for 230 yards with TD catches for 26, 39, 59 and 23 yards.
The Eagles rushed 16 times for minus-2 yards and Benitez was sacked four times.
Oceanside 44, Granite Hills 29
Granite Hills 0 7 8 14 – 29
Oceanside 21 9 7 7 – 44
O – Letuli 1 run (Jones kick)
O – Mahoney 11 pass from Barquinero (Jones kick)
O – Tunning 36 interception return (Jones kick)
GH – Miller-Thompson 26 pass from Benitez (Nunez kick)
O – Letuli 8 run (Jones kick)
GH – Miller-Thompson 26 pass from Benitez (Nunez kick)
O – Safety, Intentional grounding in end zone
O – Letuli 16 run (Jones kick)
GH – Miller-Thompson 59 pass from Benitez (Miller-Thompson pass from Benitez)
GH – Miller-Thompson 23 pass from Benitez (Nunez kick)
O – Sado 36 pass from Austin (Jones kick)