Update 4:12 p.m. Kapaa’s last-ditch pass is incomplete. ‘Iolani takes two knees and runs out the last 32 seconds. Final: ‘Iolani 17, Kapaa 13.
Update 4:09 p.m. Raiders’ punt to the Kapaa 1-yard line. Warriors now facing fourth and 10 with a new QB (#14). Das has moved to WR. Time out, Warriors, 0:42 left.
Update 4:03 p.m. ‘Iolani has fourth and 1 at the Kapaa 43-yard line with 1:52 left. Grinding out the clock.
Update 3:39 p.m. Third quarter rends with ‘Iolani still up 17-13. Raider offense is in a rhythm, while Kapaa went gun-shy in the third quarter, extremely conservative, almost scared to throw the ball. You can’t play scared against ‘Iolani and expect to win, but that’s what the Warriors did in the third.
Update 3:30 p.m. Raiders drive to paydirt again, and Nishioka scores again on an end-around. The 6-yard run gives ‘Iolani a 17-13 lead with 3:06 to go in the third.
Update 3:17 p.m. Raiders drive and score on the opening series of the second half. Tanner Nishoka’s 2-yard run cuts it to 13-10 with 10:11 left in the third.
Update 3:01 p.m. Some halftime thoughts. 1. Kapaa’s primary running back, Sendreck D’Sio has played only as a fullback in the Power I sets, strictly as a lead blocker. Clearly, Kapaa is not going to use him as a running back in the spread option unless absolutely necessary. Bronson Aiwohi is doing the job with 16 carries for 51 tough yards.
2. ‘Iolani’s secondary really got fooled on that third-and-long, Power-I play-action. Just about everyone in the press box knew it was coming, but the tight end slipped deep and nobody was within 10 yards. This won’t happen again, I’m pretty sure.
3. Das is 6-feet, 190, a bigger version of Baldwin’s scrambler, Keelan Ewaliko. He’s smart, is accurate and has hit receivers in seams. At times, when Kapaa is in the shotgun, they look like ‘Iolani.
4. The Warriors have even pooched a kickoff, which surprised ‘Iolani, which is a team infamous for its pooch kicks. Kapaa has ‘Iolani-ed ‘Iolani. So far anyway.
Update 2:51 p.m. Kapaa leads ‘Iolani at the half, 13-3.
Update 2:47 p.m. ‘Iolani gets on the scoreboard with an uptempo, n0-huddle drive that stalls at the Kapaa 8-yard line. Jordan Lee’s 25-yard field goal is perfect. Kapaa 13, ‘Iolani 3 with 1:13 left in the half.
Update 2:39 p.m. Kapaa gets an interception from Keane and drives for another touchdown. Play-action pass on third and long out of the Power I, a 14-yard pass from Das to tight end Aaron Baltazar, who was wide open in the end zone. Kapaa leads 13-0 with 5:05 left in the half.
Update 2:27 p.m. Kapaa grinds away and scores on a 1-yard sneak by quarterback John Das for a 6-0 lead with 8:20 left in the half.
Update 2:18 p.m. Kapaa driving again. Their spread option is churning up yardage and eating the clock, but the score is still 0-0 going into the second quarter. Sendreck D’Sio has not played for Kapaa. He’s a 230-pound running back (ankle), but Bronson Aiwohi already has 40 rushing yards on 10 carries. ‘Iolani has had just one possession so far, driving inside Kapaa territory before stalling.
1:49 p.m. Alma maters for the teams right now. I’m upstairs in the press box at Eddie Hamada Field, a.k.a. Kozuki Stadium. Air conditioning is always appreciated. But it’s also somewhat soundproof up here, so I miss the crowd noise.
Might be a close one if the visiting Warriors can avoid fumbles. Their smashmouth style of football is one way to stay close with the four-time defending champs.
Paul Honda, Star-Advertiser
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