Posted on: Sunday, July 4, 2004
Withy-Allen lifts Islanders over Riptide
Advertiser Staff
The Hawaiian Islanders and San Diego Riptide finished their four-game arenafootball2 season series last night with more drama and another victory for the visiting team.
Islanders head coach Cal Lee said the winning score was a "flag pattern," and Amey did a great job "freezing" the defensive back with a juke.
"We called the play for Gabe, we had good protection and Shawn threw a perfect pass, and of course you have to catch the ball," Lee said.
The Islanders and Riptide split their four games this season with the visiting team winning each time.
The Islanders (7-5) closed to one game of the idle Bakersfield Blitz for first place in the West Division. The teams will meet Saturday at Blaisdell Arena.
"This was a great win, but the next game is just as big," Lee said. "The ball is in our hands and we don't have to worry about anyone helping us out. We control our own destiny and that's the way it should be."
The Riptide (5-7) have lost two straight after a four-game winning streak.
Withy-Allen completed 20 of 33 passes for 223 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for another score. He started in place of Darnell Arceneaux, who was in American Samoa this week helping at a football camp.
"To come in like he did, being a backup all the way, he did a really nice job and the rest of the team stepped up and contributed," Lee said.
Lee added he'll determine in practice this week whether Withy-Allen or Arceneaux will start against Bakersfield.
Amey, who was activated off the long-term injured list this week, and Anthony Arceneaux each caught two touchdown passes for the Islanders.
The Islanders' defense allowed just two touchdowns in the second half on six Riptide possessions.
Riptide quarterback Kane Claunch, who torched the Islanders in previous meetings, was just 17 of 36.
"The real key is the pressure we put on Claunch in the second half; he wasn't in a good rhythm," Lee said.
Withy-Allen, a 1998 Kalaheo High graduate and backup at the University of Hawai'i from 1999 to 2002, threw only two passes this season entering last night and those came in the season-opener March 27 at the Central Valley Coyotes (Fresno, Calif.).
Eight of the Islanders' 19 players entered the game having appeared in three games or fewer this season and 14 are in their first year with the team.
Withy-Allen threw two interceptions in the first half, which the Riptide converted into nine points. Ehmke's 46-yard field goal on the final play of the half gave San Diego at 23-20 lead.
There were nine lead changes and one tie in the game, and neither team led by more than six points.
Three games between San Diego and the Islanders this season went down to the final play with the outcome being decided by an average of three points. They also set an af2 combined scoring record May 28 in a 91-77 Riptide victory in Honolulu.
Shawn Withy-Allen, making his first start since high school, threw a go-ahead 16-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Amey with 20 seconds remaining, and the Riptide's Rich Ehmke missed a tying 42-yard field-goal attempt on the game's final play as the Islanders pulled out a 40-37 victory at the San Diego Sports Arena.
