Kamehameha plays St. Louis to 24-24 tie

By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Second-ranked St. Louis rallied from a 17-0 deficit only to lose the lead after a muffed punt return in a 24-24 tie against No. 3 Kamehameha last night in Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division I football at Aloha Stadium.

St. Louis running back Prince Brown hurdles some of his teammates against Kamehameha. The Crusaders rushed for only 36 yards. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

St. Louis is 1-0-1 in ILH play and 3-0-1 overall, while Kamehameha is 1-0-1 and 4-0-1.

"You cannot make a mistake when you play with these guys," Kamehameha coach Kanani Souza said. "We made a couple and that hurt us."

Two Warriors turnovers proved costly. With a 17-0 lead late in the second quarter, St. Louis lineman Tolifili Liufau's hit on quarterback Caleb Spencer jarred the ball loose for Kawai Curnan's recovery at the Kamehameha 47. Three plays later, Jason Rivers caught a 41-yard TD pass from Bobby George to make it 17-7 with 2:35 left in the half.

Later, after Kamehameha quick kicked on third down at its own 16, the Crusaders went 41 yards in five plays, the last a 25-yard TD pass from George to Rivers with 58 seconds left in the half as St. Louis pulled to 17-14.

The Crusaders tied the game after their first series of the second half on a 28-yard field goal by Michael Houar.

St. Louis took the lead for the first time with 6:19 left in the third quarter. Back at the Kamehameha 11, Spencer fumbled at the 2 after a hit by lineman John Siofele. Linebacker Taualai Fonoti landed on the loose ball in the end zone for a touchdown to give St. Louis a 24-17 lead.

Turnovers were the theme of the game. St. Louis lost the ball on a muffed punt that Preston Lingaton recovered at the Crusaders' 10. Three plays later, Spencer hit Noah Peterson on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 3:46 left in the third quarter. Pili Kitashima's PAT tied the game at 24.

Neither team could score in the fourth quarter. St. Louis had to punt from its 47 after failing to make a first down with under two minutes left. Kamehameha took over at its 16 with 1:25 left, but played rather conservatively. It passed three times, but ran on three other occasions, including from their own 36-yard line with 12 seconds left in the game. Time expired after that play.

Souza admitted he thought there was overtime.

"I was thinking college," the former University of Hawai'i assistant said.

The Warriors came out smoking, scoring on drives of 62 and 73 yards to start the game. Spencer scored the first touchdown on a 14-yard run on a bootleg; he then connected with Keano Noa on a 19-yard touchdown pass to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Kamehameha's defense set up Kitashima's 31-yard field goal with 6:51 left in the half. On second-and-7 at the St. Louis 23, defensive lineman Brandon Tom sacked George for a six-yard loss that caused him to fumble. Tom recovered the ball at the 17.

Kamehameha 14 3 7 0 — 24
St. Louis 0 14 10 0 — 24

Kam—Caleb Spencer 14 run (Pili Kitashima kick)
Kam—Keano Noa 19 pass from Spencer (Kitashima kick)
Kam—FG Kitashima 31
StL—Jason Rivers 41 pass from Bobby George (Michael Houar kick)
StL—Rivers 25 pass from George (Houar kick)
StL—FG Houar 28
StL—Taualai Fonoti fumble recovery in end zone (Houar kick)
Kam—Noah Peterson 4 pass from Spencer (Kitashima kick)

RUSHING—Kamehameha: Caleb Spencer 10-14, Kelena Ho'okano 28-128, Kahe Santos 1-3, Travis Beyer 1-(minus 2), Tyler Perkins 1-32. St. Louis: Bobby George 5-5, Prince Brown 8-15, Ross Dickerson 3-11, Justin Cabansag 3-5.

PASSING—Kamehameha: Spencer 15-29-0—174. St. Louis: George 16-35-0—205.

RECEIVING—Kamehameha: Keoni Ruth 8-96, Keano Noa 3-41, Josh Vierra 2-30, Noah Peterson 1-4, Ho'okano 1-3. St. Louis: Tito Sallas 5-53, R. Dickerson 4-34, Kainoa Fernandez 2-21, Jason Rivers 4-90, Todd Dickerson 1-7.

• Iolani 37, Pac-Five 21: The No. 5 Raiders (2-0 ILH, 4-0 overall) recycled five of eight turnovers into scores after falling behind 7-0 in an ILH Division II game at Aloha Stadium.

Quarterback Kila Kaaihue overcame three interceptions — one that set up the Wolfpack's first score of the game — by passing for three touchdowns and rushing for another for the Raiders. He had TD passes of 38 and 12 yards to Nate Kawamura and 38 yards to Jay Marcoullier.

Linebacker Blake Wong had an interception, two sacks and blocked a punt that led to Kaaihue's 38-yard TD pass to Kawamura, giving Iolani a 16-7 halftime lead.

Pac-Five quarterback Shane Dator was sacked nine times, including twice by lineman Donny Mateaki, who spearheaded a defensive effort that held the Wolfpack to minus-72 yards rushing.

Running back Michael Yamauchi-Yamate scored on a five-yard pass from Dator and on a two-yard run for the Wolfpack (1-1, 2-3). Sualata Siva Savini blocked a punt and returned it 45 yards for a score late in the game.

Iolani 6 10 21 0 — 37
Pac-Five 7 0 0 14 — 21

Pac—Michael Yamauchi-Yamate 5 pass from McShane Dator (Darci Hata kick)
Iol—Jay Marcoullier 38 pass from Kila Kaaihue (kick failed)
Iol—FG Shawn Agustin 25
Iol—Nate Kawamura 38 pass from Kaaihue (Agustin kick)
Iol—Royce Yokono 15 run (Agustin kick)
Iol—Kawamura 12 pass from Kaaihue (Agustin kick)
Iol—Kaaihue 9 run (Agustin kick)
Pac—Yamauchi-Yamate 2 run (Hata kick)
Pac—Sualata Siva Savini 45 blocked punt return (Hata kick)

RUSHING—Iolani: Kila Kaaihue 5-23, Teo Bennett 19-22, Royce Yokono 1-22, Peter Heimerdinger 9-9, Robert Mageo 1-(minus 1). Pac-Five: McShane Dator 12-(minus 47), Chad Rayno 2-6, Michael Yamauchi-Yamate 6-7, Alika Durington 1-(minus 2), Ryan Leong 1-(minus 3), Team 2-(minus 33).

PASSING—Iolani: Kaaihue 11-26-3—140. Pac-Five: Dator 19-39-3—187.

RECEIVING—Iolani: Jay Marcoullier 3-48, Ikaika Goo 4-23, Nate Kawamura 2-50, Yokono 1-4, Mageo 1-15. Pac-Five: Matthew Friedman 5-51, Yamauchi-Yamate 6-34, Travis Tyler 4-41, Rayno 2-2, Ryan Urabe 1-3, Leong 1-54.