JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM Iolani's Reid Furukawa was stopped by Kauai's Matt Parr, left, Brysen Saito, and Kupa Graycuchea yesterday.

Iolani overpowers Kauai

In a run-and-shoot showdown, the Raiders showed their Red Raider brethren no love until after the game.

Kela Marciel passed for 253 yards and three touchdowns and Justin Yamamoto ran for 138 yards and a score to lead Iolani over Kauai, 35-21, in the semifinals of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division II football state championship yesterday at Kozuki Stadium.

With the win, the Raiders (4-6) earned a berth in the Division II title game Friday at Aloha Stadium against Lahainaluna, which beat Kaimuki on Maui.

"Any time you get into a playoff situation and you come out with a win, you have to be happy," said Iolani coach Wendell Look.

The Raiders opened the scoring with a six-play drive capped by Yamamoto's 15-yard run around left end with 8:34 left in the first quarter.

The KIF champion Red Raiders (8-2) responded with a seven-play scoring drive. Kauai junior quarterback Trent Allianic fired a dart to John Gebauer with 4:13 remaining to tie the score at 7-7.

On Iolani's first play from scrimmage in the second quarter, Raider receiver Lionel Fujioka took a short inside screen from Marciel and sprinted down the sideline for a 71-yard touchdown run.

Kauai responded with a nine-play, 79-yard drive that consumed almost 4 minutes, and tied the score at 14-14. Allianic went 4-for-5 for 54 yards on the drive, finishing it with an 8-yard scoring pass to Andrew Renaud.

In the second half, turnovers and the afternoon heat took their toll on Kauai, last year's state Division II runner-up.

Iolani's Marciel punted from his own end zone and Raider cornerback Andrew Skalman pounced on a muff on the 48-yard line.

"We shot ourselves in the foot," said Kauai coach Derek Borrero. "We had 'em where we wanted 'em and we let 'em off the hook."

Iolani then pounded the ball up the middle with Yamamoto, who carried five times for 23 yards in the drive. Reid Furukawa scored on a 2-yard reverse out of the pistol formation to make it 21-14 with 6:42 left.

The Red Raiders' next drive was short-lived. Allianic connected with Gebauer, who fumbled after a hard hit by Iolani defensive back J.R. Bunda. The Raiders' Peter Takara recovered, and four plays later, Marciel hit senior slot Aaron Fong with a 6-yard scoring pass to make it 28-14.

The duo connected again early in the fourth quarter when Marciel hit Fong in the left flat. Fong's 33-yard scoring reception pushed the Raiders' lead to 35-14 with 9:55 remaining.

Kauai moved Renaud back to quarterback from slot, and the switch paid dividends. The senior led a seven-play, 63-yard scoring drive, capped with a scoring pass to Sheldon Sakai to bring the Red Raiders within 35-21 with 8:16 left.

Fujioka -- in at nickel back -- thwarted Red Raiders' last drive, picking off a Renaud pass with 41 seconds remaining.