KAPOLEI — Wai'anae High School's football team had already clinched a division title entering last night's regular-season finale, but its resulting 17-13 road loss to Kapolei proved the O'ahu Interscholastic Association title is truly up for grabs.

Kapolei improved to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in the OIA Red Conference West, good for fourth place in the division and home-field advantage in next week's first-round playoff game against East No. 5 Kailua (4-4, 3-3). Wai'anae fell to 5-3 (5-1 West) and has a first-round bye.

The Seariders will play the winner of next week's Castle-'Aiea game in the quarterfinals.

"This win was huge for us," said Kapolei quarterback Mason Koa, who engineered the Hurricanes' option offense last night and rushed for 50 yards on 15 carries, including a 20-yard touchdown run to tie the score at 13-13 late in the third quarter. "People said we couldn't do it, especially after last week against Radford (a 37-7 loss). But we did it."

Koa's touchdown followed an impressive 17-play, 60-yard drive by the Seariders to open the second half.

By the time David Ferreira's 1-yard TD run capped it, Wai'anae had milked 8 minutes, 32 seconds off the clock.

But the extra-point attempt was blocked, and the Hurricanes needed only three plays and 1:25 to respond with Koa's touchdown on an option keeper, set up by Josh Hose's 40-yard run after an option pitch from Koa.

Curtis Kiyabu's extra point made it 14-13 with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.

"That (scoring drive) was big, because Wai'anae was controlling the clock," Kapolei coach Darren Hernandez said.

Safety Kamuela Foki made an interception on the Seariders' ensuing possession, and the Hurricanes capitalized on it with Kiyabu's 30-yard field goal with seven minutes left in the game.

Wai'anae then put together another time-consuming drive and advanced to the Kapolei 41, but Kalae Parish intercepted a long pass on fourth down to seal the victory with 57 seconds left.

"Our defense has been much-maligned this year, because we've given up a lot of third-down conversions and yards in bunches," Hernandez said. "But tonight the defense came up with key turnovers and key stops, and they were the catalyst for our team."

The Seariders lost a fumble at the Kapolei 10-yard line on their opening drive, and had a 44-yard touchdown pass nullified by a holding call with 1:45 left in the game.

"Every game in the West is tough," Wai'anae coach Danny Matsumoto said. "We messed up some assignments tonight, and we gotta go by what the officials see. But Kapolei executed, and they played a (heck) of a game."

WAI'ANAE (5-3, 5-1) 0 7 6 0—13

KAPOLEI (3-5, 3-3) 0 7 7 3—17

Wai — Tyson Ranada 5 pass from Ben McQuown (Glen Wain kick)

Kap — Kamuela Foki 1 run (Curtis Kiyabu kick)

Wai — David Ferreira 1 run (kick blocked)

Kap — Mason Koa 20 run (Kiyabu kick)

Kap — FG Kiyabu 30

RUSHING — Wai'anae: Joe Abell 11-51, McQuown 4-31, Ferreira 7-29, Ranada 1-2, Danny Kekoanui 16-71, Justin Kauwalu 1-(minus 2), Wain 1-15. Kapolei: Koa 15-50, Foki 4-53, Nate Dixon 1-6, Jason Hose 2-49.

PASSING — Wai'anae: McQuown 7-17-2—97. Kapolei: Koa 3-9-0—34.

RECEIVING — Wai'anae: Ranada 1-5, Ferreira 1-3, Kekoanui 4-80, Nathan Mataki 1-9. Kapolei: Caleb Spencer 1-14, Dixon 1-5, Kiyabu 1-15.

JV score — Wai'anae 41, Kapolei 20.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.