Hirokawa helps Iolani
run past Damien for a win

Mike Hirokawa rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Iolani Raiders to a 49-7 rout of the visiting Damien Monarchs yesterday at Eddie Hamada Track and Field.

But as good as Hirokawa was on the ground and Iolani quarterback Kiran Kepo'o was through the air, in the early going of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu conference game, it was the defense that gave the Raiders the good opportunities to score.

"The defense, you have to give them a lot of credit for our offensive success," Iolani coach Wendell Look. "We've had short field for the last couple of games. That's why we put up some points, because it's easier when you only got to go 30 yards."

After throwing wide or over his receivers on his first three pass attempts, Kepo'o eventually settled down, throwing his first complete pass to Blayne Yama for a 24-yard touchdown.

Kepo'o was taken out of the game at the start of the second half, with the Raiders already leading 42-0. He finished 8-for-12, throwing for 132 yards and three touchdowns.

"Iolani played well, that's the bottom line," Damien co-head coach Dean Nakagawa said.

Still in the first quarter, a fumbled punt attempt by Damien's Kealoha Pilares resulted in an easy scoring opportunity for the Raiders. Travis Nishioka used his speed to blast to the outside and pick up the 4 yards needed to reach the end zone, giving the Raiders the 14-0 advantage.

Hirokawa made up for the early faltering of the passing game by outmaneuvering Damien defenders to get through and past the Monarch front line, running the ball in from 9 yards out to put the Raiders up 21-0.

"That's an important part of our offense, establishing the run," Look said. "(We've) improved on that tremendously. With (Hirokawa) back there, he's always a threat to take it all the way."

"Coach doesn't practice juking too much, he just tells me to get as much as you can, bowl through them I guess," Hirokawa said. "The defense did a good job getting us the ball back. I didn't really do much, it's all a credit to my line. The rest of the credit goes to my receivers."

Senior running back Vaa Faualo led the Monarchs with 118 yards on 24 carries.

No. 6 Iolani 49, Damien 7

At Iolani School

Damien (3-5-1, 1-4-1)	0	0	0	7	--	7
Iolani (8-1, 5-1)	14	28	0	7	--	49

Iol--Blayne Yama 24 pass from Kiran Kepo'o (Milo Kalama kick).
Iol--Travis Nishioka 4 run (Kalama kick).
Iol--Mike Hirokawa 9 run (Kalama kick).
Iol--Hirokawa 22 run (Kalama kick).
Iol--Nishioka 14 pass from Kepo'o (Kalama kick).
Iol--Micah Kalama 26 pass from Kepo'o (Kalama kick).
Iol--Kyle Fooks 5 run (Kody Adams kick).
Dam--Rein Ota 31 run (Fuava'a Faualo kick).

RUSHING--Damien: Faualo 24-118, Kris Herauf 7-26, Ota 2-34. Iolani: Hirokawa 16-21, Fooks 6-13, Nishioka 1-4, Scott Wada 1-4, Kai Iwasaki 2-1, David Whitehouse 2-(-8), Kepo'o 2-(-9).
PASSING--Damien: George Martin 3-9-2-38. Iolani: Kepo'o 8-12-0-133, Iwasaki 0-2-0-0.
RECEIVING--Damien: Ota 1-30, Bronson Sonico 1-5, Kyle Kawada 1-3. Iolani: Nishioka 3-45, Micah Kalama 2-38, Yama 1-24, Kekai Kealoha 1-19, Mark May 1-7.