Kalaheo goes both ways to upset Iolani on the road

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Coach Chris Mellor doesn't hesitate to use his Kalaheo football players on both sides of the ball.

One of the Mustangs' two-way players -- Dillan Hanawahine -- was instrumental in the team's surprise 28-25 victory over Iolani on Saturday night.

A tackle on offense, Hanawahine filled in at center for an injured teammate during the win. He's also a linebacker on defense.

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Seven players start on offense and defense at Kalaheo, somewhat in line with the background of coach Chris Mellor, who was an assistant at national powerhouse De La Salle (Calif.).

ILH on Top Saint Louis tops the Star-Bulletin's prep football poll: 1. Saint Louis 2. Kahuku 3. Punahou 4. Kamehameha 5. Waianae 6. Baldwin 7. Leilehua 8. Mililani 9. Aiea 10. Kapolei

In their win at Iolani, the Mustangs suffered a few injuries, but none more disconcerting than the one to center Dayton Gohier during the third quarter. Two-way starter Dillan Hanawahine moved over from tackle to get the job done.

"It's an instant thing," Mellor said. "He's the lifebeat of this team."

Kalaheo had trouble with three snaps after that, but Hanawahine made the adjustment in time. In addition to O-line, Hanawahine played linebacker and knocked down a pass in the end zone to thwart a key Iolani drive.

"Dillan's a big-time player," quarterback Cody vonAppen said.

Chess game

If Mililani coach Darnell Arceneaux has a solution for the new tactic that Waianae used to shut down the Mililani offense, he won't be saying much about it soon.

Trailing 9-7 at the half, Waianae decided to switch defensive personnel to gain speed.

It worked.

Mililani's smoking hot offense cooled to just 72 total yards after intermission and Waianae pulled out a 13-9 win.

One of the more notable aspects of the game was the talent of Trojans sophomore receiver Dalaunte "Taz" Stevenson. In addition to his pass catching, the former junior-varsity running back was explosive and strong out of the backfield and scored on a 5-yard touchdown run.

Mililani quarterback Rustin Funakoshi tried many times to connect with Stevenson on deep routes, but the Seariders were prepared with double coverage.

This begs the question: Should Arceneaux move Stevenson back to tailback? The Trojans use multiple sets, from the traditional I slot to an offset I to shotgun, which would give him an advantage in most matchups.

If Stevenson stays at wide receiver, another option would be to bring a power running back into the backfield, something akin to UH's use of Reagan Mauia and Nate Ilaoa in recent years. If more and more defenses use a smaller, faster lineup to keep pace with Mililani's burners, a 220-pound running back would wreak havoc via Arceneaux's arsenal of shovel passes and draws.

Star-Bulletin Top 10 Football Poll Team, record Last week This week Pts. Pvs. 1. Saint Louis, 2-0 (24) beat Kailua at Aiea 240 1 2. Kahuku, 0-1 did not play at Bingham (Utah) 202 2 3. Punahou, 1-0 did not play at Leilehua 178 4 4. Kamehameha, 1-0 beat Castle vs. Campbell 152 3 5. Waianae, 2-0 beat Mililani vs. Iolani 146 5t 6. Baldwin, 1-0 beat KS-Hawaii vs. San Clemente 142 5t 7. Leilehua, 2-0 beat Radford vs. Punahou 81 10 8. Mililani, 1-1 lost to Waianae vs. Pac-Five 67 7 9. Aiea, 1-0 vs. Campbell, susp. vs. Saint Louis 38 9 10. Kapolei, 2-0 beat McKinley does not play 33 -- » Voted on by coaches and media from around the state » First-place votes in parentheses; 10 points for first-place vote, 9 for second, etc. » Also received votes: Kalaheo 11, Lahainaluna 9, Kealakehe 6, Iolani 5, Kauai 5, Farrington 3 » No longer in top 10 (last week's rank): Iolani (No. 8)