ILH Football
Raiders clinch ILH title, state berth with season sweep of Monarchs


ScoringLive staff
October 7, 2022, 7:22pm

  

Fri, Oct 7, 2022 @ Iolani [ 3:15 pm ]

Damien

13

Iolani

42

Final 1 2 3 4 T
Damien (6-3-0) 0 7 0 613
Iolani (9-1-0) 0 28 7 742
Micah Hoomanawanui 198 yd 1 TD
AJ Tuifua 73 yd
Keao Kawaakoa 53 yd 3 TD
Dayton Savea 69 yd 1 TD



Reigning state champion Iolani is postseason-bound.

Keao Kawaakoa ran in three touchdowns and the Raiders got key stops defensively to run away from visiting Damien, 42-13, Friday afternoon at Eddie Hamada Track and Field at Kozuki Stadium.

Iolani completed the season sweep over the Monarchs with the win to secure the ILH Division I title. The Raiders (8-0 overall, 5-0 league) also punched their ticket into the state tournament, which begins on the second weekend of November.

The Raiders' biggest stop on defense came on the contest's opening possession. Damien was driving down the field and had a first-and-goal situation at the Iolani 6-yard line after converting on fourth down. But the Monarchs went backwards the rest of the way and turned it over on downs.

The early stop helped weather the storm for the Raiders as their offense had a slow start, posting just seven yards of total offense to Damien's 69 in the first quarter.

"Our defense hung in there and made that goal-line stand," said Iolani coach Wendell Look. "That really helped us from not having to play from behind. We were struggling on offense early on and then got it going. The team showed a lot of maturity and showed their character."

The Raiders eventually scored first in the game, on Kawaakoa's 2-yard run at the 9:40 mark of the second quarter. The kick was blocked however to leave the score at 6-0.

Damien (4-3, 2-2) responded on its following possession when Dayton Savea took a jet sweep around right end for a 69-yard TD. Jonah Ching tacked on the PAT to give Damien a 7-6 lead just 16 seconds after Iolani's opening score.

Iolani retook the lead on Micah Hoomanawanui's 8-yard TD pass and 2-point conversion pass to Nela Taliauli.

The Monarchs drove into Iolani territory on their next drive, but disaster struck when Brayden Morioka picked off Damien quarterback AJ Tuifua and returned it down the field for an 81-yard TD. To make matters worst, Tuifua was hurt on the play and never returned. Joshua DeCenzo assumed signal-caller duties the rest of the way.

"That interception turned it and when (Tuifua) went down, that didn't help them at all," said Look. "He's a player, a young kid with skills and a tough guy to bring down."

Kawaakoa added two more TDs down the stretch and Jones Vierra scored on a 2-yard run in the middle of the fourth quarter to put the game briefly into a running clock.

Kaleb Kealanahele scored the final points of the game for Damien with a 1-yard run with 2:32 left in regulation.

Damien is eliminated from postseason play, but will have two games to close out the year after a bye next weekend.

"It comes down to character and attitude," said Damien coach Anthony Tuitele. "We have a bye week next week and then it's just finishing the season the right way. At the end of the day, it's about playing for your seniors and getting them to go out with two Ws."




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