Awa Poggi rushed 36 times for 203 yards and four touchdowns to lift Word of Life to its first Interscholastic League of Honolulu varsity football win in history, a 50-42 triple overtime thriller last night over Damien.

A crowd of about 2,000 at Kamehameha's Kunuiäkea Stadium saw the Firebrands improved to 1-7 overall and 1-5 in the ILH.

The Monarchs, who got 230 rushing yards from Brenan Furtado, fell to 1-7 and 1-5.

"We wanted this win so bad," said Poggi, a 5-foot-8, 150-pound junior running back. "We prayed and looked to God when we were getting tired. This game was the best experience of my life."

WOLA rallied with 16 fourth-quarter points to tie it at 28-28.

In the first overtime, the Firebrands scored on a 2-yard Poggi run, but the two-point conversion rush failed.

Damien answered with a 11-yard Furtado TD run, but the PAT kick was no good.

In the second overtime, Richard Landford scored his second rushing TD of the game on a 7-yard jaunt, and scored on the conversion run to put WOLA ahead 42-34.

The Monarchs evened the scored on a 1-yard sneak by Makana Ka'anoi, who also snuck in on the conversion to tie it.

WOLA was penalized five yards for a false start, which pushed the ball back to the 25 to open the third OT. Poggi carried on the next two plays to the 11 to set up third-and-1. On the scoring the play, Poggi took a handoff from Ka'anoi, maneuvered through the blocking and plunged in for the go-ahead score. He also ran in the conversion to make it 50-42.

Damien moved to ball down to the WOLA 1 after three consecutive Furtado runs to set up fourth-and-goal, but a false start penalty pushed the Monarchs back to the 6. The fourth-down pass fell incomplete in the end zone, setting off a Firebrands celebration.

"I'm just ecstatic for the kids," said WOLA coach Joe Onosai. "I've been telling our kids we can win games every week and we've been in a lot of the games we've played, but it feels really good to get this one. Hopefully, this sets the tempo for our last few games."

The Firebrands cut it to 28-20 with 9:57 left in the fourth quarter on Poggi's first TD run. After Damien turned it over on downs, WOLA drove 80 yards on 10 plays, capped by Poggi's 5-yard TD run. He also ran in the two-point conversion to tie it at 28-28 with 2:24 left.

DAMIEN (1-7, 1-5) 7 14 7 0 6 8 0—42

WORD OF LIFE (1-7, 1-5) 6 6 0 16 6 8 8—50

Damien — Brenan Furtado 41 run (Tyler Tamayo kick)

WOL —Jordon Manaba 3 run (kick failed)

Damien — Furtado 25 run (Tamayo kick)

WOL —Richard Landford 15 run (run failed)

Damien — Furtado 14 run (Tamayo kick)

Damien — Furtado 15 run (Tamayo kick)

WOL —Awa Poggi 3 run (Poggi run)

WOL — Poggi 5 run (Poggi run)

WOL —Poggi 2 run (run failed)

Damien — Furtado 11 run (kick failed)

WOL — Landford 7 run (Landford run)

Damien —Makana Ka'anoi 1 run (Ka'anoi run)

WOL — Poggi 11 run (Poggi run)

RUSHING — Damien: Furtado 27-230, Ka'anoi 7-13, Shayvis Wilson 1-19, Ikaika Mokiau 2-15. Word of Life: Poggi 36-203, Landford 15-70, Manaba 5-26, Matthew Rojas 1-3, Cyprus Fesili 3-8, Cobey Young-Bailey 8-19,

PASSING — Damien: Stanton Pilialoha 5-8-1—48, Ka'anoi 8-15-0—90. Word of Life: Rojas 1-1-0—13.

RECEIVING —Damien: Wilson 1-5, Furtado 5-73, Derick Shoda 2-14, Mokiau 2-19, Austin Ching-Manaku 2-18, Pilialoha 1-9. Word of Life: Poggi 1-13.