Sports Update
Rainbows bracing for neighborhood bully
San Diego State is the bully patroling the University of Hawaii's playground.Over the last seven seasons, the Aztecs have roughed up the Rainbows and left them face down in the dirt, beating them by an average score of 47-20.
Second-year head coach Fred vonAppen got a heavy dose of it in last year's one-sided 56-8 whipping at old Jack Murphy Stadium. From the outset, he could feel the fear and frustration of this long-standing losing streak permeating the Rainbows' sideline.
Perhaps that's one reason why he felt so frisky at this week's practices. If the players didn't respond to the good cop in vonAppen, the next time they got the bad cop right down their throats.
VonAppen wanted the intensity to begin Monday during the breaking down of the Brigham Young University films detailing the 17-3 loss, and carry it through to Saturday's Western Athletic Conference home game with Pacific Division rival San Diego State.
He knows it's a statement-making game. Are the Rainbows ready to puff out their chests and knock off the neighborhood bully? Or will San Diego State come in here as Wyoming did a month ago and teach Hawaii the meaning of the word "respect?"
One thing working in vonAppen's favor is Hawaii's remaining five opponents haven't lived up to advance billing or aren't as healthy as they were a month ago. The Aztecs fall into both categories.
Campbell, Waianae advance in OIA playoffs
The Oahu Interscholastic Association football playoffs got under way Friday night at six home field sites and there were no surprises.Red Conference top seed Campbell earned the right to meet the winner of tonight's McKinley at Castle game on Halloween night at Aloha Stadium.
Meanwhile, defending OIA champion Waianae will meet Blue Conference top seed Mililani on Oct. 30 at Aloha Stadium.,
Campbell 19, Pearl City 6: At Campbell, Kerwin DeMello's 25-yard return of an interception with 5:19 left in the third quarter proved to be the difference for the Sabers (6-1).
Campbell turned the ball over three times, twice in the first half.
Pearl City was intercepted four times and lost two fumbles.
Waianae quarterback Kana Kawai connected with running back West Keliikipi on a 13-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. But Kawai had to leave the game when it was noticed that he was bleeding from head as a result of an earlier hit.
"He got stitched up and came back to the sideline," Taaca said. "But we don't know the prognosis for next week."
Backup quarterback Joe Valdez threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Kamuela Black to give the Seariders a 20-0 halftime lead. Valdez completed 2 of 4 passes with one interception for 77 yards.
Kailua had 115 yards rushing and 50 yards passing.
An interception by Kailua's Kaiwa Kita in the fourth quarter gave Kailua the ball deep in Waianae territory, setting up Rocky Alo's four-yard touchdown run.
Beter also kicked five extra points.
Mililani (6-1) had 380 yards of total offense while holding the Rough Riders (0-7) to 187.
Hausia Faleofa and Ashton Tevete were sidelined last night for the Red Raiders,
Kahuku amassed 290 yards - all on the ground - in a game that saw no turnovers by either team.
Sam You made it close when he scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter to bring the Golden Hawks (5-2) within a point (14-13) of the Red Raiders.
But 42 seconds into the fourth quarter, Andreas Manumaleuna scored on a three-yard run for the Red Raiders.
Waipahu dominated Moanalua, outgaining it in total yardage, 337 to 112.
Sagadraca and Santo both scored twice as the Marauders jumped to a 30-0 halftime lead.
Seumalu finished with 12 completions in 21 passing attempts for 181 yards. In addition to his two touchdown passes, he also scored on a 6 yard run for Waipahu's first points of the second half.