For Harry Tuimaseve, seventh-ranked Farrington's workhorse of a running back, the mission is clear: carry the offense by carrying the ball.

So far, mission accomplished.

In a 20-17 victory over Roosevelt in Friday's Oahu Interscholastic Association Red East opener, Tuimaseve rushed for 97 yards on 17 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown run that ended up being the deciding score as Roosevelt scored 10 unanswered points in the second half but fell just short of pulling off the upset

Two weeks earlier, Tuimaseve ran 25 times for 172 yards in a 20-14 preseason win over Campbell.

“;That's the nature of our offense. We like to grind it out and pound the football as much as possible,”; said Farrington head coach Randall Okimoto of his offensive philosophy rooted in the West Coast offense scheme that requires teams to set up a solid running game to open passing lanes.

Tuimaseve unseated fellow senior and last season's starting tailback Siaosi Feleunga to earn the starting nod. However, Feleunga still gets his share of carries as the team's thunder to Tuimaseve's lightning.

“;Harry is a four-year player for us, and moved into the starting role this year, and he's been one of our workhorses,”; Okimoto said of Tuimaseve. “;Siaosi started for us last year and is doing a great job and does a lot of blocking for us. He's a team player. He carries the ball occasionally and we're happy to see him gain some yardage.”;

Feleunga racked up 35 yards on eight carries and caught an 18-yard pass to keep the chains moving against Roosevelt. The bullish back complements Tuimaseve and completes a 1-2 punch that wears out defenses as games progress.

“;That's our offense, and we'll change things here and there,”; Okimoto said. “;We have some other personnel to give a look at, so hopefully we can get everybody involved.”;

The running back tandem will need to carry the team in Saturday's matchup with OIA Red East foe No. 9 Castle. The Knights also have an impressive runner in senior Garrett Paredes, so the task for the Governors offense will be to control the clock, wear down the defense and limit mistakes. Farrington fumbled the ball away twice down the stretch against Roosevelt.

“;I was disappointed in some of the turnovers, and the sloppy play,”; said Okimoto of the miscues. “;We've got a lot of work to do.”;