Iolani football

There are numbers and there is efficiency. ‘Iolani wants the latter. Even after a perfect completion rate by first-year starter Jonah Chong in a 63-0 nonconference win over Kalani, the Raiders aren’t buoyed by gaudy numbers. “Don’t believe in stats,” said Wendell Look, now in his 28th season as Raiders head coach. Look wasn’t disappointed, of course. Chong was 8-for-8, 136 yards and three touchdowns without a pick. The stat lines of most every other Raider just wasn’t enormous. In […]

Wendell Look opened his 28th season as ‘Iolani head coach with a new starting quarterback for the first time in three years. Jonah Chong, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound junior, got off to a perfect start in the record book, completing all eight of his throws for 136 yards and three touchdowns in a 63-0 win over Kalani on Saturday night at Kaiser Stadium. Chong steps in to replace three-year starter Tai-John Mizutani, who finished his prep career fourth all-time in the […]

The best team in Oregon football last season is visiting Hawaii for a game against ‘Iolani at Eddie Hamada Field on Aug. 31, according to Raiders coach Wendell Look. Clackamas went 14-0 a year ago and captured Oregon’s 6A state championship with a 31-30 victory over South Medford. “They were calling around and emailed me,” Look said Tuesday. “That weekend is the first date mainland schools can play a game.” ‘Iolani went 4-6 in 2017 and nearly made it to […]

They were down and out, the ‘Iolani Raiders, and Tai-John Mizutani brought them back on Friday night before they fell to Lahainaluna 35-27 in the state Division II semifinals at Wailuku’s War Memorial Stadium. The senior, who is the school’s all-time passing leader, led the Raiders to 17 second-half points after they fell behind 35-10 in the first 24 minutes. The comeback came up short, thanks to two Lahainaluna goal-line stands. Mizutani’s running ability made the comeback possible. He didn’t […]

No. 7 Lahainaluna 35, ‘Iolani 27 8:55: Game over. 8:49: Mizutani’s long pass is intercepted by the Lunas’ Kaihulau Casco. 1:36 left. 8:47: Rico’s 50-yard field goal attempt is short. ‘Iolani ball at its own 20. 2:11 to go. 8:44: It’s fourth down and 6 at the Raiders’ 33 for Lahainaluna with 2:16 left. 8:40: With 4:02 left, on fourth and 1, Tihada gains 2 yards for a first down to keep the chains moving. 8:35: Onside kick is recovered […]

Last Friday at Kozuki Stadium, ‘Iolani slotback Justin Genovia joined a special group. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior caught a 7-yard pass over the middle against St. Francis to make him the ninth player ever on Oahu to record 2,000 career receiving yards. That accomplishment was quickly overshadowed when Genovia struggled to get up after taking a hit in the middle of the field. Genovia, the Raiders’ leading receiver this season with 869 yards and seven touchdowns on 83 receptions, suffered […]

‘Iolani dropped its final Interscholastic League of Honolulu contest Friday, but still clinched a berth in the state Division II playoffs. The Raiders lost a 49-13 game to St. Francis at home Friday and fell to 4-5 overall. It was a virtual playoff game that the league calls its second round of the regular season. The Saints move on to play Damien (a 30-20 winner over Pac-Five) in the ILH D-II championship game next week and a spot in the […]