Islanders hold off Blitz, 50-48
By Kyle Sakamoto
Advertiser Staff Writer
The outcome of a football game rarely comes down to inches, but that was the case in the Hawaiian Islanders' 50-48 victory over the Bakersfield Blitz last night before a crowd of 2,937 at Blaisdell Arena.
Bakersfield scored with five seconds remaining on a 21-yard lob pass from Chad Elliot to Eric Mahanke to close to two.
The Blitz opted to run a roll-out pass to the right side, but Elliot couldn't find anyone open. He chose to run and Islanders defensive specialist Eddie Klaneski delivered a punishing hit that knocked the ball out of Elliot's hands just in front of the goal line to preserve the lead.
"I had to make a play," Klaneski said. "It was either do or die. We wanted to go home and get the game over with, we'd been here too long."
When asked how close Elliot was to the goal line, Klaneski said: "Not too sure, probably a couple of inches. If he would have stretched out he would have got it."
Bakersfield coach James Fuller said Elliot made the right decision to run it.
"He had the option to throw to (Gerrick) Bivens or he could run it in," Fuller said. "He chose to run it in, it was the right choice. He just couldn't hold onto the ball."
Bakersfield's ensuing on-side kick was recovered by the Islanders' Darrell Jones, and the game ended one play later on an incomplete pass from Darnell Arceneaux.
The Islanders improved to 4-2. The Blitz fell to 1-5.
The Islanders led 14-0 early in the second quarter, but the Blitz chipped away and finally caught the Islanders at 36-all on a 15-yard pass from Elliot to Mahanke with 5:10 remaining.
The Islanders answered on the ensuing kickoff when Jones caught the ball off the end zone rebound net and ran it back to midfield. He was about to be tackled, but he lateralled the ball to Klaneski, who returned it the final 23 yards to make it 43-36.
"I followed, he saw me, gave it to me and I ran it in," Klaneski said. "It was all Darrell Jones. I just happened to be there."
The Blitz answered quickly on a three-play, 37-yard drive, which culminated on an 8-yard pass from Elliot to Mahanke with 55 seconds remaining. The play made the score 43-42 and the Blitz went for the go-ahead two-point conversion.
Elliot attempted a lob pass to Mahanke on the right side, but defensive specialist Kohei Satomi batted the ball down.
"They got two touchdowns on (lob passes) and Satomi climbed up and knocked it away," Islanders defensive coordinator Doug Semones said. "Mahanke pushed him in the back on the one before."
Bakersfield's ensuing on-side kick was touched before it traveled 10 yards and Islanders fullback Josh "Zeus" White scored on a 4-yard run with 42 seconds remaining. Kimo Naehu's conversion kick made the score 50-42.
The Blitz drove the ball 44 yards on four plays to get within 50-48.
White tied an arenafootball2 record by rushing for five touchdowns. He carried the ball only seven times and gained 33 yards.
"I love it," White said of short-yardage situations. "Every time I see we need 1 or 2 yards I get kind of pumped up."
The Islanders used a shotgun formation in the first half, but scrapped it for most of the second half.
On the first play of the second half, the Islanders gave up a safety when the snap from center went over Arceneaux's head and out the back of the end zone.
"The snaps weren't that good, the timing with the motion man, plus the noise factor," Islanders head coach Cal Lee said. "I thought we'd be better off going back under center."
Arceneaux completed 12 of 20 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown.
The Islanders will play at the Wichita Stealth on Friday.
BAKERSFIELD BLITZ (1-5, 1-3) 0 19 2 27—48
HAWAIIAN ISLANDERS (4-2, 2-2) 7 17 6 20—50
First Quarter
Haw—Feia Armstrong 9 pass from Darnell Arceneaux (Kimo Naehu kick)
Second Quarter
HAW—Josh White 5 run (Naehu kick)
BAK—Jon Baker 62 field goal
BAK—Melvin Blue 0 fumble recovery (Jon Baker kick failed)
HAW—White 1 run (Naehu kick)
BAK—Eric Mahanke 10 pass from Chad Elliot (Baker kick)
HAW—Naehu 26 field goal
BAK—Baker 46 field goal
Third Quarter
BAK—Team safety
HAW—White 1 run (Naehu kick failed)
Fourth Quarter
BAK—Gerrick Bivins 9 pass from Elliot (Baker kick)
HAW—White 18 run (Mike Tillis rush failed)
BAK—Mahanke 15 pass from Elliot (Bivins pass)
HAW—Eddie Klaneski 23 kickoff return (Naehu kick)
BAK—Mahanke 8 pass from Elliot (Elliot pass failed)
HAW—White 4 run (Naehu kick)
BAK—Mahanke 21 pass from Elliot (Elliot rush failed)
RUSHING—Blitz: Nathan Buergey 3-12; Julia Yearwood 1-3; Elliot 2-minus 2; York Frierson 1-minus 4. Islanders: White 7-33; Arceneaux 3-15; Vai Notoa 6-10; Team 1-minus 5.
PASSING—Blitz: Elliot 20-33-0-201; Baker 0-1-0-0. Islanders: Arceneaux 12-20-0-157; Team 0-0-0-minus 5.
RECEIVING—Blitz: Mahanke 10-104; Bivins 4-43; Frierson 4-24; Yearwood 1-17; Ryan Sloth 1-13. Islanders: Channon Harris 3-54; Nian Taylor 3-41; Darrell Jones 3-29; Morrie Roe 1-17; Armstrong 1-9; White 1-7.
