Stealth rally past Islanders

Advertiser Staff

What began with so much promise ended in disappointment for the Hawaiian Islanders last night at Wichita, Kan.

Matt Hicks completed 30 of 45 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns as the Wichita Stealth rallied to beat the Hawaiian Islanders, 31-27, in an arenafootball2 game.

The Stealth (1-3) won its first game of the season, while the Islanders (1-3) have dropped three straight.

The Islanders took a 21-7 lead midway through the second quarter behind three touchdown passes from Darnell Arceneaux.

Chris Paogofie caught a 9-yard scoring strike in the first quarter, and Isaac White (40) and Robert Kemfort (33) hauled in touchdown passes in the second.

The Stealth then scored 17 consecutive points to take a 24-21 lead with 8:16 left in the third quarter.

The Islanders retook the lead on a 2-yard run by Paogofie early in the fourth quarter, but Wichita scored the winning touchdown on a 26-yard pass from Hicks to Corey McCoy with six minutes remaining.

"It was a hard fought game," Islanders coach Guy Benjamin said. "They played good enough to win and they wanted to win."

The Islanders committed 11 penalties for 63 yards.

"It seems like if there ever were a key situation, we'd either make a mistake or didn't make a play," Benjamin said. "Our team needs to rise to the occasion.

"We had way too many penalties and that goes back to the coaching staff. The coaching staff has to command more discipline of their players, especially on defense."

Arceneaux completed 11 of 30 passes for 167 yards, but was intercepted twice.

HAWAI'I (1-3) 7 14 0 6—27
WICHITA (1-3) 0 17 7 7—31

First Quarter

HI—Chris Paogofie 9 pass from Darnell Arceneaux (Jake Huggins kicks)

Second Quarter

WS—Pascal Volz 9 pass from Matt Hicks (Dylan Pohlman kick)

HI—Isaac White 40 pass from Arceneaux (Huggins kick)

HI—Robert Kemfort 33 pass from Arceneaux (Huggins kick)

WS—Volz 7 pass from Hicks (Pohlman kick)

WS—FG Pohlman 26

Third Quarter

WS—Willie Grissom 33 pass from Hicks (Pohlman kick)

Fourth Quarter

HI—Paogofie 2 run (kick failed)

WS—Corey McCoy 26 pass from Hicks (Pohlman kick)

RUSHING—Hawai'i: Paogofie 4-19, Josh White 2-13, Arceneaux 3-13, I. White 1-0. Wichita: Alex Doran 2-8, Bruce Henderson 3-4; Xavier Patterson 1-2, Hicks 1-(-2).

PASSING—Hawai'i: Arceneaux 11-30-2—167, Team 0-0-0—(-13). Wichita: Hicks 30-45-2—279, Team 0-0-0—(-7).

RECEIVING—Hawai'i: Paogofie 4-34, I. White 2-67, Kemfort 2-40, Darrell Jones 2-25, Tiki Sagapolutele 1-1. Wichita: Volz 10-70, Grissom 7-81, McCoy 5-58, Carl Richardson 5-41, Patterson 3-29.