'Iolani School football coach Wendell Look has compared his program's yearly thin roster situation to a chess match, and he knew he still had some key pieces on the board entering this season.

As usual, it was mostly a matter of making the right moves.

Look had one of the state's top senior quarterbacks returning to the lineup, but he also had a promising junior waiting in the wings.

"It was a good problem to have," said Look, in his 18th season at the Raiders' helm.

So, in 'Iolani's third game, a nonleague matchup with Kaimuki, Look made his move: He switched senior quarterback Kela Marciel to cornerback and receiver, and made junior Jarrett Arakawa the starter behind center.

The bold decision has paid off big time for 'Iolani, which hasn't lost since. The Raiders are 7-1 and ranked No. 5 in The Advertiser's statewide Top 10 poll of coaches and media heading into Saturday's 7 p.m. game at No. 6 Kamehameha (4-3). They are coming off the season's biggest upset, a stunning 35-30 victory over then-No. 1 Saint Louis last Saturday.

"We're trying to get our groove back, because everybody is still on Cloud 9," Marciel said after Tuesday's practice. "We want to keep the momentum going."

Things are going so well with the switch, Look even abandoned a plan to have Marciel move back to quarterback in the second half against Saint Louis, re-inserting Arakawa after one series.

"We talked about (using Marciel as a quarterback in the second half), as kind of our curveball that we'd throw to see how they would adjust," Look said. "We expected them to bring a lot of pressure, and Kela's elusive. But our line did a pretty good job of protecting (Arakawa), and he was reading the defense well and made some great throws, so we felt we needed to move Kela back."

Arakawa finished with 151 yards and three touchdowns passing, and Marciel made an interception — his third in six games.

For the season, Arakawa ranks fifth among all Hawai'i quarterbacks in passing efficiency, with 1,199 yards and 16 touchdowns, against only five interceptions.

"We haven't missed a beat; there wasn't too much of a dropoff," Look said. "(Arakawa) is coachable, and the team is gonna rally behind the quarterback no matter who is in there. And Kela has helped him along the way."

Marciel was among the state's top five in passing efficiency last year with 172 completions in 282 attempts (61 percent) for 2,518 yards and 22 TDs, but he had no problem handing over the keys to the offense to Arakawa, who also is a teammate in basketball and baseball.

"I kind of had a feeling we would use Jarrett this season, it just happened sooner than I thought," Marciel said. "I prepared to be the quarterback, but I felt Jarrett was intelligent and good enough to take the reins."

Arakawa said he has worked daily with quarterbacks coach Joel Lane in trying to maintain the standard Marciel set last year.

"I'm trying to get better every week," Arakawa said. "I try to hang in the pocket more, make better throws."

Five of his throws have gone for TDs to Marciel, who has 14 catches for 420 yards and leads the state in yards per catch (30.0).

"He's so talented, he's a threat to score every time he touches the ball," Look said. "But he's also unselfish — he wants to do what is best for the team."

On defense, Marciel has been a shut-down corner who also has forced two fumbles and broken up several passes in addition to his three INTs.

And so, the bold chess move has proved to be a winner so far.

"It works," Look said, "because the two of them have made it work."