WAI'ANAE — The Wai'anae High School football program returned to its glorious past last night, stunning perennial power Saint Louis, 30-20, in a nonleague game at Raymond Torii Stadium.

It was the Seariders' first victory over the Crusaders since a 17-0 win Sept. 5, 1975. Wai'anae was the O'ahu Interscholastic Association's most dominant program in the 1960s, '70s and '80s, but had slipped in recent years and last year missed the OIA playoffs for the first time in more than 20 seasons.

"Everybody was doubting us, but we wanted to prove we could do it and we played hard," said senior running back Darius Fuller, who scored on a second-quarter touchdown to give the Seariders a 14-0 lead.

"We practiced hard all week, and tonight the linemen blocked, the receivers caught the ball and the defense made tackles. We've grown up big-time from last year, and everybody just did their job."

Wai'anae, which shut out McKinley 28-0 in last week's opener, jumped out to a 7-0 lead after a 12-play, 53-yard drive, culminating in Henry Keomalu's 1-yard quarterback sneak. After Fuller's touchdown put the Seariders up, 14-0, Saint Louis scored on Elliott Purcell's 40-yard blocked punt return to make it 14-7 with 3:46 remaining in the half.

The Seariders then blocked a punt out of the end zone with 10 seconds left to take a 16-7 lead into halftime.

In the first half, Wai'anae outgained the Crusaders 159 yards to 22.

"They're a veteran ballclub, and they played like it," said Saint Louis coach Delbert Tengan, whose team was making its season debut. "They already had a game under their belt, and I think that helped them. We just made too many mistakes and didn't execute. Our offense needed to move the chains, but we kept our defense on the field too long."

The Seariders took a 23-7 lead midway through the third quarter after Nui Stevens' 28-yard touchdown burst off a trap play, and that's how it stood entering the fourth.

Saint Louis closed to 23-13 on Cameron Higgins' 31-yard TD pass to Chase Alcott, then made it 23-20 with 8:01 remaining on Higgins' 5-yard keeper up the middle.

The Crusaders then forced a Wai'anae punt, but Bruce Cadirao intercepted Higgins and the Seariders cashed in on Keomalu's 13-yard keeper with 2:16 left. His extra point made it 30-20.

Saint Louis then was pinned on its own 1-yard line after the ensuing kickoff and lost the ball on downs with 49 seconds remaining, setting off a roaring celebration from the home crowd of about 2,500.

It was a noise that brought back memories of a storied past.

"The last couple years were very difficult on the program," Wai'anae coach Danny Matsumoto said. "This is a football community, and they expect a lot from us. Coach (Larry) Ginoza built a great program here, and we have to do our best to uphold it."

Ginoza, who retired in 1984 as Hawai'i's winningest coach, gave his stamp of approval in the coaches' office afterward.

"This was a good win," he said.

SAINT LOUIS (0-1) 0 7 0 13—20

WAI'ANAE (2-0) 7 9 7 7—30

Wai—Henry Keomalu 1 run (Keomalu kick)

Wai—Darius Fuller 10 run (Keomalu kick)

SL—Elliott Purcell Jr. 40 blocked punt return (Kenton Chun kick)

Wai—Safety, punt blocked out of end zone

Wai—Nui Stevens 28 run (Keomalu kick)

SL—Chase Alcott 31 pass from Cameron Higgins (pass failed)

SL—Higgins 5 run (Chun kick)

Wai—Keomalu 13 run (Keomalu kick)

RUSHING—SL: Cody Wells 9-55, Higgins 5-(minus-12). Wai: Fuller 18-54, Stevens 8-82, Curtis Jones 7-29, Keomalu 7-27, Joshua Telles 5-3, George Kauwalu 3-19, Leroy Lee-Kia'aina 1-3.

PASSING—SL: Higgins 14-22-2—169. Wai: Keomalu 5-12-0—106.

RECEIVING—SL: Cameron Bayne 6-63, Kulia Aiona 4-28, Alcott 2-62, David O'Conner 1-13, Jordan Paty-Miner 1-3. Wai: Liko Manuel 2-43, Douglas Newman 1-30, Fuller 1-27, Royce Kainoa 1-6.

Reach Wes Nakama at wnakama@honoluluadvertiser.com.