With the OIA still four weeks from starting its regular season, ‘Iolani is just one win away from clinching a state-tournament berth.
The seventh-ranked Raiders extended their winning streak over Pac-Five to 16 games dating back to a 2007 with a 47-0 thumping of the Wolfpack on Friday night in the second game of an ILH doubleheader at Aloha Stadium.
Five different Raiders found the end zone to help ‘Iolani move to 4-0. A victory over Damien (2-2) on Friday would secure a berth in the state tournament in Division I, which won’t take place until late December.
Senior Stirling Sakashita scored on a 59-yard punt return and also intercepted a pass for ‘Iolani, which steamrolled the Wolfpack to a 40-0 halftime lead.
Kaeo Miyahira rushed for two scores and Allison Chang was perfect on six extra-point tries and added a 31-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Quarterback Melvin Hoomanawanui finished with 111 passing yards and hit Taniela Taliauli with an 11-yard touchdown pass with 5 seconds remaining in the first half.
Hoomanawanui completed just eight of 19 passes (42.1%) before giving way to backup Kualau Manuel in the second half.
The Wolfpack (0-3), who lost to ‘Iolani 46-7 earlier in the year, were coming off a 27-21 loss to Damien last week.
Pac-Five played without senior Joshua Arcayena, who played one snap at long snapper but couldn’t move to make a tackle due to injury.
Sakashita took that punt back for a score to put the Raiders up 14-0 in the first quarter.
‘Iolani had nine tackles for loss in the first half and held Pac-Five to negative total yards.
‘Iolani junior Asher Matsui, who had 10 tackles in the first two quarters, had a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown called back by a penalty in the third quarter.
The entire second half was played with a running clock due to the 35-point mercy rule.
Pac-Five hadn’t beaten ‘Iolani since winning the second game of a tripleheader at Aloha Stadium 21-14 in 2007.
In the first game on that day, Damien led Saint Louis 7-0 on a touchdown run by Anthony Tuitele before losing to the Crusaders 54-27.
Tuitele is now the head coach for the Monarchs, who lost 34-14 to Saint Louis I-AA in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader.
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At Aloha Stadium
‘Iolani (4-0) 16 24 0 7 — 47
Pac-Five (0-3) 0 0 0 0 — 0
Iol — Brody Bantolina 1 run (Allison Chang kick)
Iol — Stirling Sakashita 59 punt return (Chang kick)
Iol — Safety, Chad Schmidt tackled in end zone
Iol — Kaeo Miyahira 1 run (Chang kick)
Iol — FG Chang 31
Iol — Miyahira 3 run (Chang kick)
Iol — Taniela Taliauli 11 pass from Micah Hoomanawanui (Chang kick)
Iol — Hyrum Horita 2 pass from Kualau Manuel (Chang kick)
RUSHING—‘Iolani: Bantolina 11-93, Cainen Torres 11-64, Miyahira 6-26, Kualau Manuel 1-3, Micah Hoomanawanui 1-1. Pac-Five: Chad Schmidt 15-20, Ezekiel Rodrigues 11-11, Ezekiel Rodrigues 8-10, Judah Lapastora 1-3, Neivyn Kahoopii 2-3, team 2-(minus 24).
PASSING—‘Iolani: Hoomanawanui 8-19–0-111, Manuel 2-2-0-5. Pac-Five: Rodrigues 3-9-2-8, Leighton-Moses Kaai 0-1-1-0.
RECEIVING—‘Iolani: Taliauli 3-52, Tyger Hayashi 2-6, Kai Preusser 1-29, Lathan Mokiao 1-11, Miyahira 1-10, Tristan Martinez 1-6, Horita 1-2. Pac-Five: Daymian Lapitan 1-8, Na’i Iwaki 1-6, Schmidt 1-(minus 6).
