Islanders get Blitz-ed twice
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Hawaiian Islanders aren't happy about it, but they're going to have to go back-to-back with the Bakersfield Blitz.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
Because of a scheduling oddity, the Islanders (2-9) will play at Bakersfield, Calif., tomorrow, and will host the Blitz next week.
Hawaiian Islanders head coach Chad Carlson, middle, Robert Kemfort, left, and Darnell Arceneaux will play the Bakersfield Blitz tomorrow and next week. Carlson said, "It's terrible scheduling."
"It's terrible scheduling," Islanders head coach Chad Carlson said. "It puts the pressure on us right away that we have to win both these games to stay in the playoff hunt."
The game will be broadcast delayed on KCCN (1420 AM), following Orioles-Giants baseball, which starts at 3 p.m.
Bakersfield (6-4) beat the Islanders, 52-32, on April 13. It was the start of the Islanders' nine-game losing streak, which was snapped last Friday with a 53-34 win over the San Diego Riptide.
"Actually it's revenge and a must-win situation for us," Chris Paogofie said. "Two in a row sounds good to me."
Paogofie, a receiver/linebacker, missed the past two games with two cracked ribs, but said he's "100 percent" for tomorrow's game.
"I've been hungry these two weeks," he said. "I've been watching these guys play. They played their hearts out. Hopefully I can just add to it."
Against Bakersfield, Hawai'i's Darrell Jones had a subpar game with four catches for 42 yards, and averaged 14.2 yards on eight kick returns, eight yards below his season average.
"They took advantage because I wasn't feeling too well the first time," said Jones, who was getting over the flu. "I was sick, dropping balls and didn't feel like playing. Now I'm fresh and ready to go."
Jones will probably start at defensive specialist tomorrow for the first time this season.
"(The offense) is going to miss him, but we need him the most on special teams," said quarterback Darnell Arceneaux. "As long as he's on special teams I'm happy because he cuts the field in half for us (with his kick returns)."
Arceneaux completed a season-low 10 passes against Bakersfield for 160 yards.
"We need to play better against their defensive backs, they're physical and they have a great coach in James Fuller," Carlson said. "He's played in the league as a defensive back so he knows what he's doing back there."
The Islanders will be without backup quarterback Erik Wilhelm who will fly back to Washington state and interview for a high school coaching position.
Carlson said Wilhelm, who signed with the Islanders on May 23, probably won't return until the Arkansas game July 12.
Mike Tillis, who caught 10 passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns last week, will be the offensive specialist and backup quarterback against Bakersfield.
Nian Taylor, a 6-foot-3 receiver/defensive back, will join the team in Bakersfield and make his debut tomorrow. He played for the Richmond Speed (Va.) earlier this season.
Japanese players Satomi Kohei and Rikiya Ishida, who made their debuts last week, may not be eligible tomorrow because of visa problems, which have already cost them the first 10 games of the season. The status of Kohei, a defensive specialist, and Ishida, a fullback/linebacker, will be determined today. If they are cleared, they'll fly to Bakersfield later in the day.
