[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
Lave carries Football is such a simple game.
Waianae to
14-point victory
The Searider back rushes
Iolani lights up Edison late
for 128 yards and a touchdown
in a win over Leilehua
Kailua offense roughs up Roosevelt
Prep team standings
By Jerry Campany
jcampany@starbulletin.comPass when the defense expects you to run, and run when the defense is expecting a pass.
Waianae did just that last night, riding fullback Sautia Lave to a 26-12 win at home over Leilehua. Lave did most of his damage by following his interior linemen straight up the middle, then carrying a pack of Mules on his back. After fumbling the first time he touched the ball, Lave became the Seariders' entire offense -- until he softened the defense up enough for the pass.
"Right now he's our go-to guy," Waianae coach Daniel Matsumoto said. "I hope he is durable, he's playing with a lot of pain."
Waianae took over the game in the second quarter when quarterback Solomon Alfapada took advantage of a stacked Leilehua line to hit a wide-open Nathaniel Russell down the left sideline.
The Seariders' coverage team fueled the momentum swing on the ensuing kickoff, when it forced Leilehua to fumble and Chevy Teves came up with the ball. With Leilehua finally respecting Alfapada's throwing ability, the quarterback simply handed the ball to Lave on a fullback plunge, just as he had eight previous times. This time Lave dragged the Mules' defense 22 yards for Waianae's second score.
Lave had 74 yards on nine carries in the first half.
Leilehua got its first score when Cedric Thomas smacked Alfapada as he was throwing a screen and P.J. San Nicholas picked the errant pass and ran it 37 yards the other way. Defensive tackle Chris Medeiros got the points back for Waianae on the next drive when he picked up a fumble and ran it 12 yards to the end zone.
The game was delayed in the fourth quarter when a Leilehua defender went after a member of the chain gang. Waianae was penalized when a player left he bench to join the fracas, but the Seariders drove down the field to end the game.
The surprising thing is they did it without Lave, who finished the game with 128 yards on 17 carries.
"He's a strong runner," Leilehua coach Jake Kawamata said. "I thought we stopped him when we had to, but he ran well against us tonight. Our corners were probably thinking about the run a little too much."
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