LIHU‘E — It was business as usual for the ‘Iolani Raiders in their home away from home at Aloha Stadium, Friday night as they used a fast start to put up a 49-14 vicotry over the Kaimuki Bulldogs. Sophomore quarterback
LIHU‘E — It was business as usual for the ‘Iolani Raiders in their home away from home at Aloha Stadium, Friday night as they used a fast start to put up a 49-14 vicotry over the Kaimuki Bulldogs.
Sophomore quarterback Reece Foy completed 20 of 24 passes for 297 yards and a record five touchdowns, reports a game story filed by Wes Nakama of the HHSAA, as ‘Iolani won its fourth straight First Hawaiian Bank/Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II Football State Championship at Aloha Stadium.
The Raiders finished the season at 10-3 with their fifth title in six years. Kaimuki, appearing in its first state championship game, ended the year at 12-3.
Kaua‘i High School, following its Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation championship, was eliminated in last week’s semifinal contest held on ‘Iolani’s home field. The two teams worked through a defensive slugfest with ‘Iolani, the Div. II top seed, coming away with the 14-0 win.
Foy had one touchdown pass in that one, a 25-yard strike to Kevin Barayuga. He got going early and much more often against the Bulldogs in the title contest.
‘Iolani took a 7-0 lead two minutes into the second quarter after Ammon Baldomero’s 1-yard touchdown run and Jordan Lee’s extra point. Scott Tan recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and the Raiders capitalized two plays later on a double-flea-flicker pass from Foy to Trevyn Tulonghari for a 34-yard TD.
‘Iolani took a 21-0 lead into halftime after a 22-yard scoring pass play from Foy to Baldomero, who ran it in after Josiah Sukumaran caught a swing pass to the right side and lateraled the ball.
The Raiders made it 28-0 three minutes into the second half after Foy’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Dane Arakawa. Kaimuki responded with its own trick play — a swing lateral from quarterback Nahoa Spencer to Wiseman Demei, who threw it to Kevin Tofiga, who ran in untouched to complete a 68-yard TD.
‘Iolani came right back, scoring on Lee’s 15-yard touchdown run and PAT to make it 35-7 with 4:46 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs cut it to 35-14 after Spencer’s 1-yard TD pass to Mason Kualii-Moe, but the Raiders answered with Foy’s 33-yard scoring pass to Sukumaran with 1:47 still left in the third quarter.
‘Iolani then sealed it with Foy’s state title game record-setting fifth touchdown pass, a 15-yard strike to Arakawa with 8:27 remaining.
Baldomero finished with 105 yards rushing on 23 carries, and Lee added 71 yards on eight rushes. The Raiders finished with 472 yards of total offense.
Kaimuki, which lost three fumbles and had one pass intercepted, finished with just 93 yards rushing on 26 attempts. Bulldogs running back Chester Su‘a, who gained 229 yards in last week’s victory over Lahainaluna, was held to 77 yards on 16 carries.
The Div. I title game between second-ranked Saint Louis and eighth-ranked Leilehua was not completed before press time.
Game story and statistics provided by Wes Nakama of the HHSAA.
