HONOLULU — Earn this.
That’s been the mission all season for Iolani, which features largely a new cast from the team that won the program’s first HHSAA Division I state title in 2021.
On Friday, the Raiders left no doubt that they are, at the very least, worthy of the right to defend their state championship in this year’s postseason by routing Damien 42-13 at Kozuki Stadium.
“You gotta work every year. It’s not given to you,” Iolani coach Wendell Look said afterward. “That’s what we try to express to these kids; you can’t live on the past and what other teams did before you. You gotta earn it yourself.”
The victory, thanks in large part to a 28-point second quarter, clinched the ILH D-I title for Iolani (8-0, 5-0 league) and the state berth that goes with it.
Running back Keao Kawaakoa punched in three touchdowns and defensive lineman Ha‘aheo Dela Cruz was a menace with at least four tackles for loss and a blocked punt. Defensive back Brayden Morioka had an 81-yard interception return for a score in the snowballing second.
Dela Cruz, a University of Hawaii commit, swatted Sylas Alaimalo’s punt with his left hand approaching halftime, setting up a Kawaakoa 13-yard score for a 28-7 lead at intermission. Dela Cruz was briefly down with shoulder pain on the play but recovered.
“I feel like in the beginning, we (knew) we lost a lot of people. Stirling (defensive star Sakashita) is gone, (offensive lineman Raynne) Passi’s gone. So, we’re not doubting ourselves, but we had a little doubt in our minds,” Dela Cruz told Spectrum News. “I think we’ve really proved to ourselves that we really can do it again and take it back home again.”
Damien (4-3, 2-2) was attempting to earn a split in the head-to-head season series – Iolani edged Damien 13-12 at Farrington on Sept. 17 – and force a winner-take-all game.
For a little while, the Monarchs seemed game to do just that behind burly freshman quarterback AJ Tuifua. The visitors controlled the clock and claimed a 7-6 lead on Dayton Savea’s 69-yard run early in the second quarter.
But sometime during the snare and return by Morioka that made it 21-7 Raiders, Tuifua appeared to hurt his shoulder. He left the game and did not return; Joshua DeCenzo took his place the rest of the way.
Before he was knocked out of the game, Tuifua sometimes required four or five Raiders to bring down on his keeper jaunts.
“The kid is only a freshman but he’s got some skills. He’s a tough guy to bring down,” Look said. “He’s 250, and he’s got a live arm. He’s accurate. They tried to control the tempo of the game, and they did, they did. But our offense and how we play, it just takes one play to get us rolling.”
Iolani quarterback Micah Hoomanawanui was 15-for-20 passing for 198 yards, per ScoringLive's statistics, including an 8-yard score to Nela Taliauli.
Jazz Priester caught six balls for 97 yards and Tristan Martinez had 68 yards on two grabs.
“What happened differently (from the teams’ first meeting) was they took shots, they challenged our DBs,” Damien coach Anthony Tuitele said. “They got us in 1-on-1 situations and they won those 50-50 balls. I’m going to be honest, that’s what we struggled on all year.”
Iolani has a game against Pac-Five to tune up for state play and Damien, after a bye week, plays Pac-Five and Punahou’s I-AA team to conclude its season.
Some more shots of the game:
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii.