Kamehameha holds off Iolani, 28-14
| • | This week's games |
By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Kamehameha Schools football team rallied for two touchdowns in the final 1:49 to stave off upset-minded Iolani, 28-14, last night at Kaiser Stadium.
The Warriors, ranked No. 3 in a statewide Advertiser poll, improved to 8-0-1 overall, 5-0-1 in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Fifth-ranked Iolani dropped to 6-2, 4-2.
The Raiders gave Kamehameha a scare with 2:47 left when linebacker Kala Kaaihue returned an interception 38 yards for a touchdown and his brother Kila completed a two-point conversion pass to Raynold Stowers to tie the score at 14. Iolani's onside kick was recovered by the Warriors' Noah Peterson, a split-second before the Raiders' 6-foot-6, 258-pound Donny Mateaki came barreling into him.
"I was just thinking, 'Catch the ball,'" Peterson said. "I didn't even see anybody around me."
Kamehameha coach Kanani Souza called it "the play of the game."
"That was a big-time play," Souza said. "All the plays after that were big-time plays, too."
Following Peterson's recovery, Kamehameha quarterback Caleb Spencer completed 3-of-4 passes for 54 yards to get the Warriors down to the Iolani 1, where he scored on a quarterback sneak. Kekoa Smith's extra point made it 21-14 with 1:49 remaining.
"Coach (Souza) said this game was going to go down to the wire, and he was right," Spencer said. "On (Kaaihue's) interception, I was just trying to throw the ball away, but I guess they made a good tackle on me. I just wanted to get back on the field, because I knew we could score. I had confidence in my line, and confidence in my receivers."
On Iolani's first play after the ensuing kickoff, Kamehameha's Nikolas Soo scooped up a fumble and ran it in three yards to give the Warriors an insurance touchdown.
"My hat's off to Iolani, they played a great game," Souza said. "They definitely grabbed the momentum. But my hat's off to our team, too, for the way they came back."
Kamehameha built a 14-0 first-half lead after gaining 179 yards of offense and holding the Raiders to minus eight. But the Raiders closed the score to 14-6 with 1:23 remaining in the third quarter on Teo Bennett's 1-yard plunge, capping a 15-play, 63-yard drive. The extra point kick was blocked.
Iolani (4-2,6-2) 0 0 6 8—14
Kamehameha (8-0-1, 5-0-1) 7 7 0 14—28
Kam—Kelena Ho'okano 2 run (Kekoa Smith kick)
Kam—Keoni Ruth 17 pass from Caleb Spencer (Smith kick)
Iol—Teo Bennett 1 run (kick blocked)
Iol—Kala Kaaihue 38 interception return (Raynold Stowers pass from Kila Kaaihue)
Kam—Spencer 1 run (Smith kick)
Kam—Nikolas Soo 3 fumble return (Smith kick)
RUSHING—Iolani: Bennett 5-0, Stowers 2-(minus-9), Kila Kaaihue 8-(minus-14). Kamehameha: Ho'okano 23-95, Spencer 7-24, Dane Montez 1-6, Keano Noa 1-1, Tyler Perkins 1-(minus-2).
PASSING—Iolani: Kila Kaaihue 12-23-2—101. Kamehameha: Spencer 17-26-1—205.
RECEIVING—Iolani: Ikaika Goo 3-33, Bennett 2-31, Nate Kawamura 3-20, Jon Yasuda 2-12, Jay Marcoullier 1-9, Stower 1-(-4). Kamehameha: Josh Vierra 5-59, Ruth 3-47, Noa 4-41, Noah Peterson 2-29, Sy Collen 1-17, Ho'okano 1-10, Kahe Santos 1-2.
• • •
• St. Louis 69, Damien 0: The second-ranked Crusaders racked up a season-high in points in beating Damien for the 36th consecutive time dating back to 1983.
During the summer, Damien announced it would forfeit its game against St. Louis but decided to play. The Monarchs have been outscored 156-0 in the past three games.
Yesterday at Kaiser field, the Crusader offense recorded 407 yards of total offense. Junior quarterback Bobby George passed for a season-high four touchdowns. Junior wideout Jason Rivers caught a career-high three touchdowns (75, 24, 43).
Damien (0-6, 0-7) 0 0 0 0— 0
St. Louis (5-0-1, 7-0-1) 27 21 0 21—59
StL—Kainoa Fernandez 59 punt return (run failed)
StL—Jason Rivers 75 pass from Bobby George (Michael Houar kick)
StL—Rivers 24 pass from George (Houar kick)
StL—Rivers 43 pass from George (Houar kick)
StL—B.J. Batts 21 run (Houar kick)
StL—Tito Sallas 15 pass from George (Houar kick)
StL—Prince Brown 16 run (Houar kick)
StL—Justin Cabansag 1 run (Houar kick)
StL—Brian Rafael 7 pass from Andy Kubic (Houar kick)
StL—Guy Rodrigues 48 punt return (Houar kick)
RUSHING—St. Louis: Brown 5-32, Cabansag 8-47, Ross Dickerson 1-15, Chris Sokugawa 1-2, Kubic 2-0, Batts 3-38 Damien: Destin Alameida 5-(minus-19), Michael Lau 6-(minus-9), Rocky Takapu 11-14, Gaison Ganiko 5-13, Daniel Chavez 6-14.
PASSING—St. Louis: George 6-8-0—184, Kubic 3-3-0—72, Sokugawa 2-4-1—17. Damien: Alameida 0-6-2—0.
RECEIVING—St. Louis: Rivers 3-143, Fernandez 1-10, Sallas 1-15, R.Dickerson 1-16, Keahua Bowman 1-49, Makaala Kuewa 1-3, Rafael 2-21, Sam Kaneshiro 1-16. Damien: None.
This week's games
THURSDAY
Maui Interscholastic League. St. Anthony vs. Ka'ahumanu Hou, 6:30 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.
O'ahu Interscholastic Association. At Aloha Stadium, Quarterfinals, 5:05 p.m. and 7:35 p.m.
FRIDAY
Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation. J.V. at 5 p.m., varsity at 7:35 p.m. Kaua'i vs. Kapa'a at Vidinha Stadium
Big Island Interscholastic Federation. J.V. at 5 p.m., varsity to follow 30 minutes after end of J.V. game, unless noted by a different time in which case is a varsity-only game. Honoka'a vs. Hilo at Wong Stadium; Kohala at Konawaena, 7 p.m.
Maui Interscholastic League. Baldwin vs. King Kekaulike, 7:30 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.
Interscholastic League of Honolulu. At Aloha Stadium, unless noted. Punahou at Iolani, 3:15 p.m.; Damien vs. Pac-Five, 4:45 p.m.; St. Louis vs. Kamehameha, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Big Island Interscholastic Federation. Kea'au at Hawai'i Prep, 2 p.m.;
Kealakehe at Pahoa, 1 p.m.
Maui Interscholastic League. Maui vs. Lahainaluna, 7:30 p.m. at War Memorial Stadium.
Oahu Interscholastic Association: Quarterfinals at Mililani and Moanalua, 7:35 p.m.
