[ ARENA FOOTBALL ]
RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM
The Hawaiian Islanders' Eddie Klaneski, left, and Robert Kemfort brought down Bakersfield's Mel Miller last night.
Islanders hold off
Blitz for 45-40 win
The Hawaiian Islanders defense gave up 291 yards last night, but it was the 1 yard they protected that proved to be the difference in a heart-stopping 45-40 victory over the Bakersfield Blitz in last night's arenafootball2 game at Blaisdell Arena.
The Islanders (3-1) stuffed Bakersfield fullback Ben McCombs at the 1-yard line on the final play of the game to claim sole possession of first place in the National Conference West Division. The Blitz dropped to 2-2.
"I had a feeling he was coming my way," said linebacker Robert Kemfort, who shot through the middle to meet McCombs at the line of scrimmage. "To come out with a win like that is big time, especially for our defense. That's what we pride ourselves on here in Hawaii."
The Islanders surrendered just one second-half touchdown to allow the offense to rally from a 12-point deficit and came up with the last-second goal-line stand to preserve the win.
"It all comes down to pride and being ready to be there to make a play," Islanders coach Cal Lee said. "Tonight we had a lot of guys make some big plays on that last play."
Hawaii quarterback Darnell Arceneaux completed 11 of 13 passes in the second half to lead the Islanders back from a 33-21 third-quarter deficit. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more to earn Offensive Player of the Game honors.
Mike Miller led the Islanders receivers with seven catches for 110 yards. Defensive specialist Joshua Robinson broke up three passes and was the defensive player of the game.
Bakersfield quarterback Chad Elliott, who threw nine touchdown passes in his last appearance at Blaisdell Arena, completed 28 of 40 throws for 304 yards and three scores.
Eric Mahanke caught nine passes for 149 yards and two TDs. McCombs rushed for two scores and was the Ironman of the Game.
Elliott completed his first 11 attempts of the game and led the Blitz to touchdowns on their first three possessions.
"That guy was perfect the first half, he was amazing," Islanders defensive coordinator Doug Semones said. "I couldn't believe the throws he was making. He was so accurate."
The Islanders kept pace offensively as Arceneaux hit Nian Taylor down the right sideline for a 45-yard touchdown and scrambled for two more scores.
But just as the Islanders were celebrating their first defensive stop after halting the Blitz at their 5-yard line, Bakersfield took a 23-21 lead when McCombs sacked Arceneaux in the end zone with 48 seconds left in the half.
Following the Islanders' free kick, Elliott drove the Blitz 41 yards in five plays and McCombs bulled into the end zone to give Bakersfield a 30-21 halftime lead.
After a 46-yard field goal by Bakersfield's Brian Walker, the Islanders got a break to chip into the lead. On fourth-and-goal at the Blitz 1, Vai Notoa fumbled the ball into the end zone, but lineman Mose Tuia fell on it for a touchdown.
A missed field goal by Walker gave the Islanders the ball back and they capitalized with a 14-yard TD pass from Arceneaux to Kemfort to take a 35-33 lead late in the third quarter.
The Islanders limited the Blitz to 18 total yards in the third quarter.
"Coach Cal gave us a motivational speech at halftime and told us, 'Are you guys ready to play the second half? Because you guys look a little low,' " Islanders lineman Tiki Sagapolutele said. "He said, 'Come out to play and leave it on the field.' "
The Islanders extended the lead in the fourth quarter with an 8-yard run by Notoa. But Elliott's 20-yard TD strike to Mahanke cut the Islanders' lead to 42-40 with 4:28 left.
A field goal by Kimo Naehu put the Islanders up by five with 33.5 seconds left.
Bakersfield then covered 32 yards in two plays and moved the ball to the Islanders 1 on a pass interference penalty with 6.6 seconds left.
Elliott threw an incomplete pass into the left corner on first down. McCombs tried to dive up the middle, but the Islanders were there to meet him and preserve the victory.
"The guys rose up and played, nobody quits on this team," Semones said. "We've been in this situation so many times that nobody quits."
Islanders 45, Blitz 40
At Blaisdell Arena
Blitz (2-2) 13 17 3 7 -- 40 Islanders (3-1) 7 14 14 10 -- 45 BB--Ben McCombs 2 run (Brian Walker kick)
HI--Nian Taylor 45 pass from Darnell Arceneaux (Kimo Naehu kick)
BB--Nathan Munson 4 pass from Chad Elliott (kick failed)
HI--D. Arceneaux 2 run (Naehu kick)
BB--Eric Mahanke 6 pass from Elliott (Mahanke pass from Elliott)
HI--D. Arceneaux 16 run (Naehu kick)
BB--Safety, D. Arceneaux sacked in end zone
BB--McCombs 2 run (Walker kick)
BB--FG Walker 46
HI--Mose Tuia fumble recovery in end zone (Naehu kick)
HI--Robert Kemfort 14 pass from D. Arceneaux (Naehu kick)
HI--Vai Notoa 8 run (Naehu kick)
BB--Mahanke 20 pass from Elliott (Walker kick)
HI--FG Naehu 19RUSHING--Blitz: McCombs 3-4. Islanders: D. Arceneaux 5-22, Notoa 5-16, Keiki Misipeka 2-4, Anthony Arceneaux 1-(-2), Tuia 0-0.
PASSING--Blitz: Elliott 28-40-0-304, Team 0-0-0-(-17). Islanders: D. Arceneaux 18-28-0-278, Team 0-0-0-(-5).
RECEIVING--Blitz: Mahanke 9-149, Munson 8-76, Mel Miller 3-20, Steve Wofford 7-58, Damian Romero 1-1. Islanders: Mike Miller 7-110, Taylor 5-94, Kemfort 4-51, A. Arceneaux 1-9, Aaron Smith 1-14.
Att: 3,968
