Damien running back Keoua Kauhi rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime, in a come-from-behind win over Iolani. Brien Ing | SL

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Damien running back Keoua Kauhi rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime, in a come-from-behind win over Iolani. Brien Ing | SL

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Fri, Sep 22, 2017 @ Iolani [ 3:15 pm ]

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Damien

42

Iolani

35

Final/OT	1	2	3	4	OT	T
Damien (10-4-0)	0	21	6	8	0	42
Iolani (4-6-0)	28	0	7	0	0	35

• Pass
• Rush
• Rec

Tai-John Mizutani 304 yd 1 TD

Marcus Faufata-Pedrina 254 yd 1 TD

Tai-John Mizutani 49 yd 1 TD

Keoua Kauhi 106 yd 3 TD

Justin Genovia 165 yd 1 TD

Lindon Sevilleja 70 yd 1 TD

Deficits don't seem to faze Damien.

The third-ranked Monarchs rallied from a 28-point first quarter deficit to upend No. 7 Iolani, 42-35 in overtime in a thrilling Interscholastic League of Honolulu Division II contest at Kozuki Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Damien (6-1 overall, 4-0) won the first matchup, 35-21 back on Sept. 2, and this was the second week in a row where it rallied from a halftime deficit. 

"It's amazing to see these guys come back. It's hard to explain, we teach these guys toughness and continuing to work hard. These guys are the epitome of that," said Damien coach Eddie Klaneski, on his team's resiliency.

The Raiders, who put up 55 points on PAC-5 last weekend, jumped out to a quick 28-0 lead but only mustered seven points in the second half dropped to 2-4 overall, 1-3 in the ILH. 

Keoua Kauhi rushed for 106 yards and three scores and his third touchdown put the Monarchs on top in overtime. Marcus Faufata-Pedrina passed 254 yards on 18-of-24 passing, one score and one pick and added two rushing touchdowns.

"Those guys are pulling the sled and they are working hard. All that hard work is paying dividends," said Klaneski.

Kauhi gained 15 yards to set up his own 5-yard score and Shiloh Kaeo, who missed a PAT earlier in the game, made the kick in overtime, 42-35.

Tai-John Mizutani's first attempt was incomplete and JT White was there to intercept the pass to end the game.

"I seen the route and the ball thrown in the air and made a break on it and beat the receiver," said White, on the pick.

"They play hard and never give up. They always stick together and come up for us," said Faufata-Pedrina, on the defense.

Iolani scored early and often in the first quarter as it needed three plays and 45 seconds for a 63 yard score from Mizutani to Genovia.

Mizutani threw and rushed for a touchdown and finished the game with 304 yards on 27-of-37 passing and two picks. Justin Genovia racked up 12 catches for 165 yards.

Two plays later, Lanakila Pei recovered the fumble off Faufata-Pedrina's bad pitch to return it 31 yards.

Iolani ran 11 plays capped by Kaua Nishigaya's 2-yard plunge and Kyler Mento recovered Logan Lauti's fumble and returned it 74 yards for a 28-0 lead following Mika Makekau's kick.

"We kept telling them, it was four big plays that hurt us. Mistakes that we made, turnovers that turned into touchdowns and two big plays and mental errors on our part. We kept the boys grounded and they worked really hard in the second quarter," said Klaneski.

It started to look like the game was running away from the Monarchs, but it proved otherwise.

"We were down 28-0 in a blink. It almost didn't faze them, we were calm and no one got crazy. We settled down and made plays," said Klaneski.

After Iolani turned it over on downs, six plays later the Monarchs found the end zone after Marcus Faufata-Pedrina's sneak for Damien's first points.

Two turnovers forced by Damien's defense led to scores. Fosi Ulima recovered the fumble and Damien ran a 14-play drive topped by Faufata-Pedrina's 17-yard touchdown to Lindon Sevilleja. Jarvis Natividad intercepted Mizutani's pass and Kauhi found the end zone from 17 yards out to trail, 28-21 going into halftime.

"Things didn't go our way in the first half. We needed to stay together and we are a special team. Never count us out. We're always going to fight back and stay together and we're going to win ball games like this," said Faufata-Pedrina.

The Monarchs made the Raiders pay after turning it over on downs and Marcus Faufata-Pedrina added his second rushing score of the afternoon, but Kaeo's kick was no good, 28-27 with 5:44 left.

"Our offense powered through and the defense picked it up in the end," said White.

Iolani got into Damien territory in a hurry as Mizutani found Rayden Kaneshiro for 43 yards and Mizutani finished the drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown to make it, 35-27 with 3:29 left in the third quarter, but these would be the only points scored in the second half as Damien put down the clamps.

"We stuffed them on defense. Second half we made adjustments and played much better. We played with more energy and we had more energy toward the end of the game and that's what we need to finish big games," said Klaneski, on the difference in the second half.

The Monarchs lost 13 yards on a bad snap, but immediately made up for it after Akila Arecchi hauled in a 40-yard pass. Damien continued to drive and Marcus Faufata-Pedrina gained 7 yards plus late-hit penalty yards inside the Raiders' 10. Kauhi punched in a 7-yard touchdown and Marcus Faufata-Pedrina's pass to Natividad for two tied the game at 35.

Damien took over after the Raiders punted and ate up almost five minutes of clock and got all the way down to the Iolani 11-yard line, but Marcus Faufata-Pedrina was picked off by Micah Shikada in the end zone. The Raiders and Monarchs would turn it over on downs on each of their possessions as the game headed to overtime.

"That was a bummer," said Faufata-Pedrina, on the interception. "My team was there to back me up and they were there to keep me going and we rallied to come back."

The Monarchs finish the regular season against PAC-5 on Sept. 30 and Saint Francis on Oct. 7. Iolani will face Saint Francis on Sept. 29 and PAC-5 on Oct. 7.