Tulsa hammers Islanders, 70-42
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Hawaiian Islanders were without their coach last night against the Tulsa Talons and, for the fourth consecutive week, a victory as well.
Islanders coach Guy Benjamin missed the game with heart problems, according to interim coach Chad Carlson, who also serves as the general manager.
Benjamin didn't miss much.
Mitch Allner returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and caught three touchdown passes as Tulsa (4-1) routed the Islanders (1-4), 70-42, before 2,453 at the Neal Blaisdell Arena in an arenafootball2 game.
"Tonight was my first and second (touchdown) returns I've had in arena ball," said Allner, who had 164 kickoff return yards. "Anybody could have run through those holes and scored tonight."
Allner took a kickoff off in the end zone rebound net by Jake Huggins and returned it 56 yards on the final play of the first quarter to put Tulsa up for good at 16-13.
He took the opening kickoff of the second half and ran it back 57 yards to make it 44-27.
Allner finished with six catches for 106 yards.
He caught 22- and 35-yard touchdown passes from Anthony Buich, and a 15-yarder from Joe Phears.
"We couldn't stop No. 20," Islanders defensive backs coach Doug Semones said. "He's a good receiver and we had a couple of blown coverages."
Buich played the first and third quarters and completed 5-of-7 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Phears played the second and fourth quarters and completed 10-of-18 passes for 125 yards and four touchdowns.
"Our two quarterbacks played awfully well," Tulsa coach Skip Foster said. "It's the second week in a row we played them split time. Right now we have two pretty strong quarterbacks."
The Islanders were mired in horrible field possession throughout the game because Tulsa's Tony Dodson booted 10 of his 12 kickoffs over the endzone nets or for touchbacks, which placed the ball at the Islanders' 5-yard line.
"We never got a return all night." Carlson said. "That guy had a crazy leg. I'm going to send him a bill at Tulsa for all the balls we lost."
At arena games, fans are allowed to keep the football if it goes into the stands.
Carlson said he ran the offense, and defensive line coach Al Noga and Semones ran the defense.
"Al does the defensive line, I do the defensive backs, we work together," Semones said. "He's calling the fronts and I take the secondary and match it to the fronts, and make sure we're on the same page."
As far as Benjamin's condition and return, Carlson said: "From what I understand, he's having some heart troubles. That's all I care to elaborate about. I don't really know when he'll be back."
Tulsa Talons 16 21 21 12—70
Hawaiian Islanders 13 14 7 8—42
First Quarter
Haw—Darrell Jones 12 pass from Darnell Arceneaux (kick failed)
Tul—Mitch Allner 22 pass from Anthony Buich (kick blocked)
Tul—FG Tony Dodson 63
Haw—Josh White 12 run (Jake Huggins kick)
Tul—Allner 56 kickoff return (Dodson kick)
Second Quarter
Tul—Keonta Golson 9 pass from Joe Phears (Dodson kick)
Tul—Allner 15 pass from Phears (Dodson kick)
Haw—Jones 16 pass from Arceneaux (Huggins kick)
Tul—Sean Love 25 pass from Phears (Dodson kick)
Haw—Jones 45 pass from Arceneaux (Huggins kick)
Third Quarter
Tul—Allner 57 kickoff return (Dodson kick)
Haw—Arceneaux 7 run (Huggins kick)
Tul—Allner 35 pass from Buich (Dodson kick)
Tul—Eric Butler 6 run (Dodson kick)
Fourth Quarter
Haw—safety, Morrie Roe sacked QB in end zone.
Tul—Love 11 pass from Phears (rush failed)
Haw—Robert Kemfort 10 pass from Jared Flint (rush failed)
Tul—Shan Jordan 5 kickoff return (kick blocked)
Rushing—Tulsa: Butler 1-6, Phears 3-4. Hawai'i: White 2-23, Derek Zoller 2-11, Arceneaux 1-7, Jones 2-(-1). Passing—Tulsa: Phears 10-18-0—125, Buich 5-7-0—92, Team -11. Hawai'i: Arceneaux 17-37-0—212, Flint 5-12-1—81, Team -9. Receiving—Tulsa: Allner 6-106, Jordan 4-35, Love 3-55, Golson 2-21. Hawai'i: Jones 8-134, Isaac White 5-49, Kemfort 4-76, Chris Paogofie 2-12, Avion Weaver 1-12, Wesley Morris 1-8, Roe 1-2.
