Saturday, October 2, 1999

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
St. Louis running back Pesefea Fiaseu looks for
running room against Kamehameha last night at
Aloha Stadium. The Crusaders won the battle
of unbeatens, 28-9.

St. Louis rises above
Kamehameha challenge

Pac-5 26, Damien 14
More prep football

By Ben Henry
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Coming into the season, Kamehameha head coach Kanani Souza had been reluctant to accept the designation as the Interscholastic League of Honolulu team with the best chance of dethroning St. Louis from Hawaii prep football supremacy.

Yesterday, we found out why.

St. Louis debunked any notion that the Crusader dynasty may be in peril, thrashing Kamehameha, 28-9, yesterday before 11,058 at Aloha Stadium.

The victory gives the Crusaders (5-0 ILH, 7-0 overall) the ILH first-round title and puts them in the driver's seat for the ILH's lone spot in the state championship tournament in November.

"I thought this was a very big game, and the boys understood that and played that way," said St. Louis head coach Cal Lee.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
St. Louis receiver Isaac Rodrigues tries to get around
Kamehameha's Baba Martin.

Lee allowed St. Louis quarterback Timmy Chang, who threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns, to finish just his fourth game in 23 career starts, testament to the magnitude of what was at stake.

Kamehameha (4-1, 6-1) was considered St. Louis' biggest threat in the ILH this year, a sentiment that was shared by every league coach but Souza.

"We have a team that has a chance to be good," said Souza prior to the season, not willing to admit anything more. "We're not as big or physical as St. Louis, which is my biggest concern."

As it turns out, his assessment was right. St. Louis' defensive line dominated, holding the usually reliable Kamehameha running attack to minus-41 yards and forcing three sacks.

And this, against a team that was averaging 40.1 points and more than 350 yards on offense a game.

"We were fortunate to take away some of their running game and put them in a one-dimensional alignment, but their passing game isn't bad," Lee said.

Kamehameha opened the game with a 42-yard field goal by Justin Ayat on the game's first possession.

But St. Louis responded. After a 36-yard Pesefea Fiaseu Jr. run, the Crusaders faced a fourth and 8 from the Kamehameha 31-yard line.

Chang delivered a screen pass to slotback Gerald Welch, who took it down the St. Louis sideline for the momentum-seizing score.

Kamehameha then ran off three futile plays -- including two costly procedure penalties on third down -- on its next drive, and punted.

The Crusaders scored the next three touchdowns and never trailed again.

St. Louis	7 14 7 0--28
Kamehameha	3  0 6 0-- 9

KAM -- Justin Ayat 42 field goal
St.L -- Gerald Welch 31 pass from Timmy Chang (Haa Bento kick)
StL -- Isaac Rodrigues 44 pass from Chang (Bento kick)
StL -- Pesefea Fiaseu Jr. 4 run (Bento kick)
StL -- Ross Dickerson 13 pass from Chang (Bento kick)<
KAM -- Puni Ellis 20 pass from Kauka Castro (kick failed)

RUSHING -- St.Louis: Timmy Chang 4-(-6), Pesefea Fiaseu 18-111, Prince Brown 3-14, Damien Cole 7-26, Team 1-0. Kamehameha: Kauka Castro 4-(-46), Everett Hesia 11-38, Kiley Loo 5-(-6), Team 1-(-27).
PASSING -- St. Louis: Chang 21-41-0, 309 yards. Kamehameha: Castro 11-31-1, 184 yards.
RECEIVING -- St. Louis: Layton Aliviado 1-24, Gerald Welch 7-96, Isaac Rodrigues 6-118, Blane Dydasco 3-7, John Paul Kanoa 1-13, Fiaseu 1-8, Ross Dickerson 1-12, Frank Rivers 1-31. Kamehameha: Puni Ellis 4-66, Elia Akau 1-25, Kimo Yates 2-8, Kanoa Alapai 1-12, Michael Akiu 2-36, Tyler Perkins 1-37.

Pac-5 26, Damien 14

The Wolfpack (1-4) won their first game and kept the Monarchs (0-5) winless in the second round.

Damien	6 0 0 8--14
Pac-5	7 7 6 6--26

Game stats not reported.