Star-Bulletin Sports


Islanders looking
for first road win

They can finish third
in the conference
with a win over Fresno


By Nick Abramo
nabramo@starbulletin.com

Today, the Hawaiian Islanders can close the deal.

The wounds caused by their midseason nine-game losing streak can heal with a win in California over division rival Fresno.

But a loss against the Frenzy in the season finale for both teams could result in lingering doubts throughout the whole offseason.

The winner of the 4:30 p.m. (Hawaii time) game will finish in third place in the arenafootball2's National Conference West Division with a 5-11 record. The loser will end up 4-12.

"This is a huge game for us," Islanders coach Chad Carlson said. "We don't want to be last in the standings and we can take the (three-game) series from them. It would be our first series win.

"There's a lot of things about this game that have extra meaning. It would be the first time we win two in a row."

The Islanders have won three of their last five games and are coming off a mammoth 56-55 come-from-behind victory over two-time defending champion Quad City.

The Frenzy have struggled after some midseason success. They've lost four straight games and six of their last seven. Their swoon is directly linked to the loss of highly talented quarterback Ricky Ray, who left the team after a three-game winning streak for a tryout with Edmonton of the Canadian Football League.

Fresno is coming off a 45-7 loss to division-leading Bakersfield.

The Islanders and Frenzy met in the season opener at Blaisdell Arena on March 30, when the Islanders earned their first franchise victory, 50-47.

They met again on May 25 in Fresno with the Frenzy winning 55-48.

The Islanders are 4-4 at home, but 0-7 on the road. They're looking for their mainland breakthrough.

"We treated our fans to a great send-off (against Quad City) and now we want to finish on a great note," Carlson said. "We're taking this game very seriously."

Lamont Webb is the most dynamic Frenzy player. He ranks sixth in the 34-team league in scoring and fourth in all-purpose yardage.

Fresno's Eddie Klaneski, the former University of Hawaii standout defensive back, is on injured reserve.

Carlson gave plenty of credit to his unsung linemen for last week's victory.

"We played with five linemen (Andy Ramos, Taulia Lave, Olen Rosehill, Rikiya Ishida and Tiki Sagapolutele) and they were really our MVPs, going both ways the whole game," he said. "They did the blocking and gave quarterback Darnell (Arceneaux) time to throw."

Banged up linemen Junior Tagoai and Tyrone Buchanan are back for the final game.

Every time Arceneaux gains a yard or runs for a touchdown, he adds to his league record of 442 yards rushing and 25 rushing TDs in a season.

Darrell Jones, who has proved himself as a flashy receiver/returner and a hard-hitting defensive back all season, may change his mind and return to the team next year.

Another big game for the Islanders' Nian Taylor against Fresno wouldn't be much of a surprise. In four games, Taylor has scored 11 touchdowns and is a major reason behind the team's late-season surge.

Today's game will be broadcast on a delayed basis on 1420-AM at approximately 6 p.m.this game that have extra meaning. It would be the first time we win two in a row."

The Islanders have won three of their last five games and are coming off a mammoth 56-55 come-from-behind victory over two-time defending champion Quad City.

The Frenzy have struggled after some midseason success. They've lost four straight games and six of their last seven. Their swoon is directly linked to the loss of highly talented quarterback Ricky Ray, who left the team after a three-game winning streak for a tryout with Edmonton of the Canadian Football League.

Fresno is coming off a 45-7 loss to division-leading Bakersfield.

The Islanders and Frenzy met in the season opener at Blaisdell Arena on March 30, when the Islanders earned their first franchise victory, 50-47.

They met again on May 25 in Fresno with the Frenzy winning 55-48.

The Islanders are 4-4 at home, but 0-7 on the road. They're looking for their mainland breakthrough.

"We treated our fans to a great send-off (against Quad City) and now we want to finish on a great note," Carlson said. "We're taking this game very seriously."

Lamont Webb is the most dynamic Frenzy player. He ranks sixth in the 34-team league in scoring and fourth in all-purpose yardage.

Fresno's Eddie Klaneski, the former University of Hawaii standout defensive back, is on injured reserve.

Carlson gave plenty of credit to his unsung linemen for last week's victory.

"We played with five linemen (Andy Ramos, Taulia Lave, Olen Rosehill, Rikiya Ishida and Tiki Sagapolutele) and they were really our MVPs, going both ways the whole game," he said. "They did the blocking and gave quarterback Darnell (Arceneaux) time to throw."

Banged up linemen Junior Tagoai and Tyrone Buchanan are back for the final game.

Every time Arceneaux gains a yard or runs for a touchdown, he adds to his league record of 442 yards rushing and 25 rushing TDs in a season.

Darrell Jones, who has proved himself as a flashy receiver/returner and a hard-hitting defensive back all season, may change his mind and return to the team next year.

Another big game for the Islanders' Nian Taylor against Fresno wouldn't be much of a surprise. In four games, Taylor has scored 11 touchdowns and is a major reason behind the team's late-season surge.

Today's game will be broadcast on a delayed basis on 1420-AM at approximately 6 p.m.



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