Iolani edges Damien in ILH
By Stacy Kaneshiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
Iolani ruled the air — offensively and defensively — to outlast Damien, 28-25, in an Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II football season opener last night at Aloha Stadium.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Raiders (4-0, 1-0), ranked sixth in The Advertiser Top 10, got two touchdowns on passes from Kiran Kepo'o to Kekai Kealoha and had three interceptions against the Monarchs (2-2, 0-1). An interception by linebacker Jon Takamura was returned 28 yards for a touchdown.
Iolani's Travis Nishioka sprints away from Damien's Kealoha Pilares. Iolani won, 28-25.
"We gotta stop making those young mistakes and put the ball on the ground," Damien co-coach Rudy Alejo said. "Against a team like Iolani, you can't do that because they're a good ball club."
Iolani could not run out the clock in the final two minutes, 16 seconds, eventually punting to Damien, which took over at its 48 with 26 seconds left. After an incomplete pass, Iolani's Landon Patoc sealed Damien's fate with an interception.
Iolani's defense also helped with another score. A second-quarter fumble was cashed in on Kealoha's 15-yard TD reception with 28 seconds left in the half that gave Iolani a 14-10 lead at the break.
Damien running back Va'a Faualo led all rushers with 122 yards on 14 carries. He also added to the scoring when he returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown shortly after he booted a 26-yard field goal that gave Damien a 10-0 first-quarter lead.
"They just ran it up our throat," Iolani coach Wendell Look said. "Going into the game, we knew we had to work on that (defending the run). They exploited us."
Takamura's interception return gave Iolani a 21-10 lead in the third quarter, but Damien answered with Kealoha Pilares going left and cutting back up for a 10-yard TD run. He ran in the two-point conversion to pull Damien to 21-18.
The Raiders responded on their next series with Kepo'o hitting Kealoha on a 45-yard TD strike that make it 28-18, and Pilares later scored on a 20-yard run to get Damien within 28-25.
IOLANI (4-0, 1-0) 0 14 7 7—28
DAMIEN (2-2, 0-1) 10 0 0 15—25
Dam—FG Va'a Faualo 26
Dam—Faualo 55 interception return (Faualo kick)
Iol—Micah Kalama 3 run (Kody Adams kick)
Iol—Kekai Kealoha 15 pass from Kiran Kepo'o (Adams kick)
Iol—Jon Takamura 28 interception return (Adams kick)
Dam—Kealoha Pilares 10 run (Pilares run)
Iol—Kealoha 45 pass from Kepo'o (Adams kick)
Dam—Pilares 20 run (Faualo kick)
RUSHING—Iolani: Kiran Kepo'o 1-(minus 4), Michael Hirokawa 14-15, Kekai Kealoha 2-9, Micah Kalama 2-6, Team 1-(minus 1). Damien: George Martin 3-(minus 16), Kris Herauf 8-17, Kaimana Balanon 10-28, Va'a Faualo 14-122, Kealoha Pilares 10-79.
PASSING—Iolani: Kepo'o 15-27-2—240. Damien: Martin 4-18-3—42.
RECEIVING—Iolani: Kealoha 4-70 , Micah Kalama 3-35, Blayne Yama 3-26, Travis Nishioka 3-90, Hirokawa 2-19. Damien: Landen Dela Cruz 2-24, Faualo 1-17, Rhema Sabate 1-1.
• KAMEHAMEHA 34, PUNAHOU 7: Running back Jayson Rego rushed for three touchdowns and 118 yards for the Warriors in an ILH Division I season opener last night at Aloha Stadium.
The No. 3 Warriors (3-0-1 overall, 1-0 ILH) and No. 5 Buffanblu (2-2, 0-1) were scoreless after the first quarter, but Kamehameha mounted a 10-play, 80-yard drive, which ended with Rego scoring on a 1-yard run that gave the Warriors a 7-0 lead at the half.
The Warriors took command with a three-TD third quarter, two on runs of 6 and 9 yards by Rego, and the other on a 15-yard pass from Pono Kam to Ikaika Hardie.
KAMEHAMEHA (3-0-1, 1-0) 0 7 21 6—34
PUNAHOU (2-2, 0-1) 0 0 0 7— 7
Kam—Jayson Rego 1 run (Kepa Gaison kick)
Kam—Rego 6 run (Gaison kick)
Kam—Ikaika Hardie 15 pass from Pono Kam (Gaison kick)
Kam—Rego 9 run (Gaison kick)
Kam—Hardie 42 pass from Parker Bode (kick failed)
Pun—Steven Dannaway 8 pass from Brett Kan (Thomas Cestare kick)
RUSHING—Kamehameha: Kam 4-4, Rego 18-118, Hardie 3-10, Ryan Montez 3-13, Kamuela Kapanui 1-6, Sherwin Perez 2-5, Jeremiah Dela Pena 3-21, Tyson Fujimoto 2-(minus 1). Punahou: Kan 1-(minus 7), Kainoa Johnson 13-56, Zac Yamagishi 3-2, Dannaway 2-(minus 5), Christopher Wong 1-0, Team 1-(minus 42).
PASSING—Kamehameha: Kam 11-18-0—170, Parker Bode 3-3-0—50. Punahou: Kan 14-31-2—184.
RECEIVING—Kamehameha: Hardie 6-122, Sherwin Perez 1-4, Waika Spencer 3-30, Aaron Nichols 4-64. Punahou: Yamagishi 1-9, Steven Dannaway 4-38, Miah Ostrowski 1-(minus 1), Branden Lee 3-66, Brian Matsumoto 3-63, Johnson 2-9.
Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8042.
