Cool and efficient at the controls, Tua Tagovailoa threw for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead No. 2 Saint Louis to a business-like 49-7 win over No. 9 ‘Iolani on Friday at Aloha Stadium.
Tagovailoa completed 17 of 26 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 77 yards and a score in less than a half of play in the Crusaders’ ILH opener.
With close to two weeks to prepare following a 49-7 non-league win over Hilo on the Big Island, the Crusaders came out sharp in the first half on Friday and took a 42-0 lead into halftime.
Saint Louis reached the end zone on six of its seven possessions with Tagovailoa running the offense, the exception coming on a fumble just outside the goal line in an otherwise dominant performance on both sides of the ball for the Crusaders (2-0, 1-0).
They’ll be back in Halawa on Friday for a key early-season showdown with No. 3 Punahou.
“(Tagovailoa) had a good game, we had a good lead and get ready for the next game,” Saint Louis coach Cal Lee said.
“We had a week and a half to prepare for ‘Iolani, so that was a big advantage. This week is a short week, so we gotta hit the books real fast.”
Tagovailoa distributed his 17 completions among nine receivers, with touchdown passes to Leelan Oasay and Jaymason Nunuha, before ending his night with 5:41 left in the second quarter.
“Guys gotta run good patterns and sometimes they cover some people and others will be open, but that’s why he’s got that good vision,” Lee said. “He’s gotta find that open guy.”
On the occasions he didn’t find an open receiver, Tagovailoa remained composed while picking up first downs on keepers and finished as the Crusaders’ leading rusher as well.
On his lone negative play of the half, Tagovailoa circled around in the backfield before being dropped for a 14-yard loss. He more than made up for it on his next snap, firing a deep ball down the left side and connecting with Nunuha in stride for a 58-yard score.
Saint Louis running back Jahred Silofau punctuated two drives with touchdown runs of 2 and 6 yards and Dylan Silva capped the scoring in the first half with a 5-yard touchdown run.
The Crusaders picked up 404 total yards to ‘Iolani’s 98 in the first half and added to the lead when backup quarterback Chevan Cordeiro wove through the Raiders defense for a 22-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the third quarter.
With the running clock in effect, ‘Iolani (3-1, 0-1) broke up the shutout with a 12-play, 80-yard drive bridging the third and fourth quarters, with KJ Pascua finishing the march with a 3-yard touchdown run in the Raiders’ first loss of the season.
