WICHITA, Kan. >> The Islanders are still learning, and last night their lesson was on how fast things can change in a fast-paced game. Islanders lose third in a row
From staff and wire reports
The Hawaiian Islanders (1-3) dropped their third straight game yesterday, scoring only a single touchdown in the second half to allow the previously winless Wichita Stealth (1-3) a 31-27 win.
"It's not hopeless," Islanders coach Guy Benjamin said. "We are certainly right there. We can compete with any team, like we did with this one, we just gotta keep working through it. We are a lot like scientists. We know what the problems are, we just have to keep trying things until we find the answers."
The Islanders led 21-10 with just over a minute left in the first half, and everything was clicking. The defense took to backfield coach Doug Semones' instruction enough to hold the Stealth scoreless and quarterback Darnell Arceneaux engineered three touchdown drives, scoring on passes to three different receivers.
But then something happened that Benjamin is still trying to figure out.
The defense still got its stops but gave them right back on penalties, allowing Wichita to score 17 unanswered points, 10 of them in the last 1:10 before the half. The offense did not allow the defense any room to make those mistakes, as Arceneaux was limited to 11-for-30 passing with two interceptions and only 154 yards on a 50-yard field. Take out his three early scores and he only moved the team 72 yards.
But Benjamin knows better than to point the finger at one person in a team game. He will be pointing it everywhere, even at himself.
"You are going to see some changes," Benjamin said. "You saw them on the coaching side last week. This week there will be changes on the personnel side from the linemen to the quarterback. When you are struggling you have to find guys that are going to respond."
One player who responded was Chris Paogofie, who scored two of the Islanders' four touchdowns on the offensive side and recorded seven tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery while on defense.
Stealth 31, Islanders 27
At Wichita, Kan.
Islanders (1-3) 7 14 0 6 -- 27 Stealth (1-3) 0 17 7 7 -- 31 HI -- Chris Paogofie 9 pass from Darnell Arceneaux (Jake Huggins kick)
WS -- Pascal Volz 9 pass from Matt Hicks (Dylan Pholman kick)
HI -- Isaac White 40 pass from Arceneaux (Huggins kick)
HI -- Robert Kemfort 33 pass from Arceneaux (Huggins kick)
WS -- Volz 7 pass from Hicks (Pholman kick)
WS -- FG Pholman 26
WS -- Willie Grissom 33 pass from Hicks (Pohlman kick)
HI -- Paogofie 2 run (kick failed)
WS -- Corey McCoy 26 pass from Hicks (Pohlman kick)RUSHING -- Islanders: Paogofie 4-19, Josh White 2-13, Arceneaux 3-13, White 1-0. Stealth: Alex Doran 2-8, Bruce Henderson 3-4, Xavier Patterson 1-2, Hicks 1-0.
PASSING -- Islanders: Arceneaux 11-30-167-3. Stealth: 30-45-279-2.
RECEIVING -- Islanders: Paogofie 4-34, White 2-67, Kemfort 2-40, Darrell Jones 2-25, Tiki Sagapolutele 1-1. Stealth : Volz 10-70, Grissom 7-81, McCoy 5-58, Carl Richardson 5-41, Patterson 3-29.
Elam to try to get back into pro football
Former Hawaii defensive tackle Matt Elam has been invited to try out for the Detroit Lions. He reports to Detroit on Thursday for a minicamp.Elam (6 feet 2, 290 pounds) lettered for Hawaii from 1997 to 1999. He spent the 2000 season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. Two years ago he returned to UH, where he completed his degree and works as an assistant in the weight room.
"I sent out a lot of tapes, highlights from UH and Canada," Elam said. "It's a good opportunity. Working in the weight room keeps me in shape and motivated."
Also, former UH quarterback Jared Flint, now a backup with arenafootball2 team the Hawaiian Islanders, may get a tryout with the Houston Texans.
Hawaiian Islanders