Entering their game Friday night with Roosevelt, the Pearl City Chargers were in control of their own destiny. With a win, they would remain atop of the OIA Division II standings, and tighten their grip on the No. 1 seed in the league playoffs.
Instead, Roosevelt came in and handed Pearl City a humbling 49-14 beatdown. In the process, the Rough Riders now jump ahead of the Chargers in the standings, dropping Pearl City to third behind undefeated Kaimuki, which plays Kalaheo on Saturday.
“Roosevelt just played really well,” Pearl City coach Robin Kami said. “They clearly wanted it more than us, and they deserved to win.”
Roosevelt coach Kui Kahooilihala sensed his team had this performance in them all week.
“The guys came into practice and had a great week, and we knew that they wanted this game real bad, and had to have it,” he said.
From start to finish, Roosevelt was in firm control. Quarterback Sky Ogata had a monster performance for the Rough Riders, accounting for 319 yards of total offense and six touchdowns. The junior rushed for 195 yards and four touchdowns, and passed for another 124 yards and an additional two scores.
“I told them after the game that we have to just move on, and flush this one down the toilet,” Kami said. “We tell the players they have 24 hours, win or lose. Then, it’s time to let it go and move on. If you don’t, then things are only going to linger and get worse.”
Four teams make the OIA playoffs in Division II. If Kaimuki beats Kalaheo on Saturday and Pearl City can upset the Bulldogs next week, three teams would finish tied at the top at 6-1.
“Having a game like that is important for these guys,” Kami said. “I know that they are hungry, and that they’re already ready to get back to practice and get ready for their next game.”
Roosevelt is already 6-1 and closes its regular season against St. Francis, which does not count in the OIA standings. Its 8-1 start overall is its best nine-game mark since 1992.
“There’s one more game to go,” Kahooilihala said. “It’s not over yet. We have to go have another great week in practice, and have the boys finish the job.”
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