Islanders rally to knock off Peoria, 44-43
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
No victory in the brief history of the Hawaiian Islanders has been sweeter.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
They not only knocked off the defending arenafootball2 champion Peoria Pirates, but they rallied to score the final 23 points to win 44-43 last night before 3,089 at Blaisdell Arena.
Hawaiian Islander Nian Taylor (7) recovers David Knott's fumble for a second-quarter touchdown.
The winning score came on an 11-yard pass from Mike Tillis to Nian Taylor with 1:41 remaining in the game, which put the Islanders up one. The two-point conversion pass failed.
Kimo Naehu's kickoff hit a speaker, which hangs from the top of the arena, which gave Peoria possession at its 20 with under a minute remaining.
On the Pirates' first play, Charlie Peterson was looking for Jack Walker near the goal line, but defensive specialist Eddie Klaneski got a piece of the ball and defensive back Anthony Arceneaux came up with the interception.
The Islanders ran out the clock on three rushes and an incomplete pass.
"Because you come back from such a big deficit the victory is so much more sweeter," Islanders head coach Cal Lee said. "You come back ... It's a big emotional win for us and we're going to ride it for the next game."
The Islanders (8-3) maintained their one-game lead over the Wichita Stealth in the National West Division. Wichita beat the San Diego Riptide, 54-53, earlier yesterday.
Peoria (3-7), of the National Midwest Division, looked to have things wrapped up when Jack Walker caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Peterson with 12:19 remaining in the game, which put the Pirates up 43-21.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
That's when the Islanders, in their second af2 season, got things going.
Peoria's William Bumphus runs into Hawaiian Islanders defender Isaac White and on to the end zone after a reception.
Tillis scored on a 1-yard run and a two-point conversion pass from Tillis to Arceneaux with 9:13 remaining cut the deficit to 43-29.
Tillis' 27-yard scoring pass to Taylor made it 43-36 with 4:47 remaining.
Islanders lineman Taulia Lave sacked Peterson in the end zone for a safety on the Pirates' next possession to make the score 43-38 with 3:29 left.
Klaneski fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Peoria's Bryan Archibald recovered.
On Peoria's next play, Peterson's pass was intercepted by Arceneaux, who returned the ball deep into Pirates' territory but was ruled down at the Islanders' 4 because of an inadvertent whistle.
"It's just being in the right place at the right time," Arceneaux said of his two late interceptions. "I was just lucky if you ask me."
The Islanders then drove 46 yards on two plays, culminated with Tillis hitting Taylor over the middle at the goal line.
"There's no panic," Tillis said. "We've been behind before. We maintained our poise, class and played 60 minutes."
The Islanders fell behind because Peoria scored 28 points off four turnovers. The Pirates also stopped the Islanders just short of the goal line on a fourth-and-goal from the 2 in the first half, and then drove 49 yards for a touchdown and 2-point conversion.
The Islanders lost four fumbles, including three in the third quarter. Tillis also threw two interceptions.
"Anytime you give them opportunities with turnovers they're going to hurt you," Lee said. "It's something you need to be concerned about."
Peterson threw three interceptions and the Pirates also lost a fumble.
The Islanders improved to 6-0 at home, while the Pirates fell to 1-5 on the road.
Peoria's losses have come by an average of just under five points.
After the game, Peoria head coach Bruce Cowdrey argued with the officials as they left the field and headed into the locker room.
"I'm not saying anything," Cowdrey said after the game.
