Impressive Kamehameha whips up on another foe
STEVEN ERLER / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-ADVERTISER
Wide receiver Skyler Ramos (5) catches a touchdown pass during a game between the Carson Colts (California) and the Kamehameha-Kapalama Warriors at Kunuiakea Athletic Field on Friday. [MORE PHOTOS Opens in a new tab]
No. 6 Kamehameha has built quite the résumé entering ILH play.
After a win over a traditional OIA power and a victory off-island in a hostile environment, the Warriors defended home turf against a mainland squad with a 33-10 thumping of Carson (Calif.) on Friday night at Kunuiakea Stadium.
Senior quarterback Thomas Yam threw for 262 yards and tossed three touchdown passes to Skyler Ramos to help the Warriors start 3-0 for the third time in the past four years.
“There’s always room for improvement,” said Ramos, who had four catches for 89 yards. “We executed the plays our coaches called and the coaches called some good plays.”
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>> Kaimuki at ‘Iolani, 3 p.m. — Jason Kaneshiro
>> Kalani vs. McKinley at Roosevelt, 5:30 p.m. — Christian Shimabuku
>> Kapolei at Farrington, 6:30 p.m. — Nick Abamo
>> Mililani at Castle, 6:30 p.m. — Billy Hull
>> Nanakuli at Kailua, 6:30 p.m. — Brian McInnis
Kamehameha scored at least 33 points for the third straight game and outscored Farrington, Lahainaluna and Carson by a combined score of 100-35 leading into next Friday’s ILH opener against No. 1 Saint Louis.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Kamehameha coach Abu Ma’afala said. “We can’t make simple mistakes. Little mistakes pile up on you, and in the ILH the game will get away from you.”
Kamehameha turned the ball over on downs on its first two drives against the Colts (0-1), whose defensive coordinator is former Kahuku head coach Vavae Tata.
Ramos’ first touchdown reception gave Kamehameha a 7-0 lead and the defense promptly forced turnovers on five consecutive Carson drives.
Senior Jonah Apo recovered a fumble and picked off two passes and Desmond Unutoa added a pick of his own as the Warriors led 27-0 at the half.
“When we executed we were really, really good,” Ma’afala said.
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Yam sat out the first drive of the second half and came back in to throw one more touchdown pass to a wide-open Ramos from 34 yards out for a 33-0 lead.
Kamehameha had receivers running open all night long against the Colts.
“I’m pretty sure it was just broken coverages,” Yam said.
Yam averaged more than 23 yards a completion and connected on 11 of his 16 throws. Onyx Freitas had four receptions for 115 yards and Davis Mun had two receptions for 30 yards to help set up Kamehameha’s final touchdown.
Carson quarterback Jaja Bellinger threw for 213 yards and a touchdown but completed just nine of 24 throws with four interceptions.
“It’s coming along. Our defensive staff and our players had a heck of a game and they played the way they practice,” Ma’afala said. “They focused really hard on route-reading and stuff like that and that’s why we were successful. Hopefully we can carry that on into the ILH, because we’re going to need a lot of that.”
