[ HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ]
Second-half binge
gives Kaiser win
Kalani's defense carried the Falcons as far as it could last night in Hawaii Kai, where Kaiser used a big second half en route to a 35-6 victory over its rival in Oahu Interscholastic Association White Conference play.
Kaiser quarterback Steven Pratt, who entered the game leading the White in passing with 203 yards per game, threw 24 times in the first half alone, completing 10 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown with a number of his incompletions the result of dropped balls. He finished 12 of 28 for 186 yards for the night, but not before facing rugged competition from the Falcon defense, which stood tall in the first half by turning the Cougars away on downs on four occasions, including three times inside the red zone.
"I told the kids I felt Kalani was kicking our butts in the first half," Kaiser coach David Maeva said. "We were more focused and had more fun in the second half and things fell into place.
"(The Falcons) were playing really tough. I respect their coaches a lot, and I think their kids just ran out of gas."
The Cougars (2-1) led just 7-6 at intermission before seeing their fortunes improve dramatically, beginning on the second-half kickoff, which saw Kaiser's Vincent Fong corral a wild bounce off of the field, giving the hosts the ball at the Kalani 29.
A Pratt-to-Kainoa Tauotaha collaboration, which passed through the hands of intended receiver Landon Kaaua, covered 17 yards and put the Cougars in business with a first down at the Kalani 12. Five plays later, Pratt snuck in from a yard out to help Kaiser assume a 14-6 lead.
Only moments later, disaster struck again for the Falcons (0-3) when a fumbled snap on a punt attempt gave Kaiser the ball at the Kalani 15-yard line. The Cougars scored on the very next play as Jordan Arakaki (18 carries, 82 yards in three quarters of play) broke outside to help make it 21-6 Kaiser with 6:10 to play in the third quarter.
Arakaki added another score from a yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter, and backup QB Shannon Wise capped the scoring with a 32-yard TD in the game's final minute.
Kalani used the first of its defensive stands to pull within a point before halftime.
After Pratt was stopped a yard short on a fourth-and-one at the Kalani 38-yard line with 2:16 remaining in the first quarter, the Falcons had the momentum and they responded by moving 62 yards in 11 plays (all via the ground) before Preston Pires scored from a yard out. Jeffrey Boyne's attempt for the point after was no good. Three Kaiser penalties in the red zone -- two for grabbing the face mask and a defensive holding call -- aided the Falcons' cause.
Kaiser opened the game in impressive fashion, marching 69 yards in 10 plays, before Pratt found Matt Ching (eight catches, 108 yards) in the back corner of the end zone for an 11-yard score. Curtis Sadd added the first of five point-after kicks to make it 7-0.
