Islanders put out Fire
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
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| Islanders player Eddie Klaneski is upended by Louisville. The Islanders won 67-48.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser |
The Hawaiian Islanders may not have known it prior to last night, but they have a game-ready quarterback in Mike Tillis.
Tillis, filling in for injured starter Darnell Arceneaux, completed 17 of 30 passes for 241 yards and six touchdowns as the Islanders beat the Louisville Fire, 67-48, before 3,768 at Blaisdell Arena.
The Islanders (7-2) have won four straight arenafootball2 games, while Louisville (3-6) has lost three in a row.
Tillis played in the eight previous games primarily as the holder on place-kicking attempts.
"Mike had a great week, it's a credit to his hard work," Islanders head coach Cal Lee said. "Being the understudy for Darnell Arceneaux and then coming out for the game, it's the dedication he put in all week long."
Tillis' favorite target was Nian Taylor, who caught nine passes for 179 yards and five touchdowns.
"It feels great, of course. I was trying to pick up my team," Tillis said. "We needed to pick up where Darnell left off and that's what we did as a team.
"I have a lot of great athletes around me so obviously I expected to do well."
Arceneaux's status is still undetermined. He wore a soft cast on his right hand and Islanders director of communications Thomas Yoshida said the quarterback has a hairline fracture of the fifth metacarpal on his right hand.
When asked after the game what his status is, Arceneaux said: "I'm going to get it re-evaluated Monday and go from there."
Prior to last night, Arceneaux had been the only Islander to start every game in franchise history.
"Right now, the way it looks Mike will start and if Darnell is able to play, he'll be a backup," Lee said. "Mike Tillis the performance he did tonight I think he deserves to be the starting quarterback right now."
The Islanders' next game is Saturday at the Arkansas Twisters.
Lee said he knew Tillis would start Friday when Arceneaux "couldn't throw the way he usually throws" at practice. Lee added Tillis usually gets 40 percent of the snaps in practice.
The Islanders' point total was a season high, while Taylor set a team season-high for receiving yards.
The Fire trailed 21-0 with 3:51 remaining in the first quarter, but rallied to take a 42-37 lead on quarterback Josh Rogers' 4-yard run early in the third.
Louisville then fell apart by committing three turnovers in the third quarter, which led to 14 Islanders' points.
"The thing I was disappointed in was us having so many turnovers," Louisville head coach Tommy Johnson said. "It's been plaguing us the past few weeks and we need to eliminate that."
Louisville fire (3-6) 7 28 7 6—48
Hawaiian islanders (7-2) 21 16 14 16—67
First Quarter
HAW—Vai Notoa 1 run (Kimo Naehu kick)
HAW—Nian Taylor 14 pass from Mike Tillis (Naehu kick)
HAW—Chris Paogofie 14 run (Naehu kick)
LOU—Torrey Day 25 pass from Josh Rogers (Marc Samuel kick)
Second Quarter
LOU—Demetri Forney 9 run (Samuel kick)
HAW—Taylor 15 pass from Tillis (Naehu kick)
LOU—Norman Mason 11 pass from Rogers (Samuel kick)
HAW—Taylor 45 pass from Tillis (kick failed)
LOU—Mason 21 pass from Rogers (Samuel kick)
LOU—Forney 2 run (Samuel kick)
HAW—FG Naehu 49
Third Quarter
LOU—Rogers 4 run (Samuel kick)
HAW—Taylor 16 pass from Tillis (Naehu kick)
HAW—Anthony Arceneaux 8 pass from Tillis (Naehu kick)
Fourth Quarter
HAW—Taylor 8 pass from Tillis (Naehu kick)
LOU—Alfon Browning 13 pass from Rogers (pass failed)
HAW—Notoa 3 run (Naehu kick)
HAW—Safety, Taulia Lave sacked quarterback in end zone
RUSHING—Louisville Fire: Day 1-16, Forney 2-11, Rogers 1-3. Hawaiian Islanders: Paogofie 5-21, Tillis 2-8, Notoa 3-6.
PASSING—Louisville Fire: Rogers 16-28-2—202. Hawaiian Islanders: Tillis 17-30-0—241.
RECEIVING—Louisville Fire: Mason 6-78, Dennis Fryzel 3-46, Alfonzo Browning 3-24, Day 1-25. Hawaiian Islanders: Taylor 9-179, Channon Harris 1-13, Morrie Roe 1-12, Arceneaux 1-8, Isaac White 1-4.
