Running the dive off the option was the preferred option for Roosevelt on Friday.
Mitchell Camacho rushed 11 times for 183 yards and a touchdown in the first half as Roosevelt beat Kalaheo 49-7 at Kailua.
“I’m proud of the kids, man,” said Rough Riders coach Kui Kahooilihala. “They had a good practice this week. A lot of details into our practices and a lot of walk-throughs. We told them, ‘You guys want to go after this ‘W’? You guys better focus.’ ”
Roosevelt (2-3, 2-3 OIA D-II) racked up 365 rushing yards with most coming on dive plays up the middle. The Rough Riders added 74 yards through the air despite calling 52 run plays and just 11 passes.
Roosevelt quarterback Shastyn Kekahuna did a nice job of reading the defense and giving the ball to Camacho. Kekahuna rarely had to run the second and third legs of the triple-option.
“The O-line, I just read them. I didn’t do anything much,” said Camacho, who called it a night after two carries in the third quarter.
Kalaheo (1-4 1-3) scored on a 90-yard pass from Justus Neufeldt to Jaden Amasiu, which cut the Mustangs’ deficit to 14-7 with 7:02 left before halftime.
“That was something we saw and we called the right play at the right time,” said Mustangs coach Darrell Poole. “Pudgie was wide open. He did the right route and he ran that ball down the field. That was a booster for us.”
Roosevelt seized back the momentum with Camacho’s 13-yard scoring run with 1:01 left before the intermission.
Kalaheo just couldn’t recover in the second half.
“We actually lost focus in the game and by losing focus we let the game get out of hand,” Poole said.
Roosevelt also got two rushing touchdowns from Kekahuna, who finished with 13 carries for 95 yards. Myka Kuhahiwa and Nicholas Ogata each added one rushing touchdown.
Jared Elwin caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Kekakuna and Lansen Fung had a 97-yard interception return for a score.
Kalaheo had 213 passing yards and only 22 yards on the ground. Neufeldt completed eight passes for 191 yards.
COMMENTS