‘Iolani wraps up 10th straight conference crown

‘Iolani arrived at Aloha Stadium on Friday with two chances to retain the ILH Division II championship.

The Raiders were determined to get it done in one.

‘Iolani quarterback Austin Jim On threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns and sophomore running back Tamatane Aga rushed for two scores and the Raiders captured the ILH D-II postseason title with a 28-7 win over Damien.

Paired with ‘Iolani’s regular-season title, Friday’s victory secured the Raiders’ 10th straight ILH championship. They also clinched a Division II state tournament berth as the Raiders continue their pursuit of a seventh straight state crown.

A Damien win on Friday would have forced a rematch next week for the overall title. Instead, the Raiders (7-4) will have the week off to recharge for the state tournament.

"We talked about it and the kids talked about this being the championship game, not going to next week," ‘Iolani coach Wendell Look said. "They were focused in on this week. They knew they had the mulligan, but they didn’t want to use it."

A week earlier, the Raiders weren’t especially sharp in a first-round win over Saint Francis. Following Friday’s win Look said the Raiders "probably played our best game of the year tonight."

Jim On went 28-for-36 in effectively executing ‘Iolani’s short passing game. Twelve of those completions went to Tyler Teruya, who finished with 129 yards and a touchdown. ‘Iolani picked up its 14th straight in the series with Damien.

"He’s been steady all year. He’s the littlest guy out there, but he plays big," Look said of Teruya, a 5-foot-5, 152-pound junior. "He’s probably one of the smartest guys, football-sense-wise, on the team."

‘Iolani defensive back Kevin Togami led the Raiders defense with six tackles, one for loss, and an interception. Quinton Slade-Matautia posted five tackles and set up ‘Iolani’s first touchdown with an interception in the second quarter.

Damien running back/linebacker Leeland Lauti led the Monarchs with 78 rushing yards, including a 30-yard touchdown run, and had eight tackles. The Monarchs ended the season at 4-6.

"I think it’s a pretty successful season, knowing we went to the championship game the first year they had it," Monarchs coach Eddie Klaneski said. "We wish we could have extended our season, but we are just happy we had the opportunity."

‘Iolani finished the game with 356 yards in total offense and held Damien to 149 yards.

With an injury limiting ‘Iolani running back Jordan Ross to 26 yards on four carries, Aga ran for 82 yards on 22 carries to complement Jim On’s passing efficiency.

"I think our offensive line was excellent tonight and Tama Aga, he did a heck of a job," Look said.

Austin Ohira gave ‘Iolani the lead by taking a quick hitch from Jim On and breaking two tackles on his way to the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. Jim On then finished off a 10-play drive with a swing pass to Teruya for a 2-yard TD.

"We didn’t really know coming in," Jim On said of Damien’s defensive game plan. "But when we saw them sit back, we took the under stuff and took what they would give us."

Trevor Caspillo sparked Damien with a 33-yard kickoff return with another 15 yards added on due to a late hit. Lauti then carried the ball on the next three plays, breaking through the middle of the ‘Iolani defense for a 30-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7 going into halftime.

But ‘Iolani marched 65 yards in 10 plays to open the third quarter, with Aga carrying the ball on the final four plays, ending with a 1-yard touchdown.