Kamehameha RB Tyler Meditz ran for 143 yards and a touchdown to help the Warriors earn their first victory of the season. Scott Nishi | SL

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082711033_IMG_6984.jpg - Scott Nishi | SL

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ALIAMANU - The third time proved to be a charm for Kamehameha.

After an 0-2 start to the season, the Warriors got 143 rushing yards from Tyler Meditz and picked up their first victory with a 31-14 win over host Radford Friday night. A crowd of about 1,700 fans at the Rams' John Velasco Stadium witnessed No. 6 Kamehameha rally from an early deficit to improve to 1-2.

"It is nice to have a win, especially the first one of the season," Warriors' coach David Stant said. "(We were) coming off a big game last week, so I was kind of worried about the guys coming out flat. We started off a little bit slow, but we found a rhythm so that was good."

Meditz, a 5-foot-9, 155-pound junior tailback, carried 14 times, including an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, to help his team finish with 206 yards on 42 rushing attempts.

"We just wanted to pound the run, pound the run," said Meditz, who averaged 10.2 yards per carry. "The O-line did an awesome job. We've been working hard during practice and it showed during the game."

Kamehameha picked up 17 first downs - 10 by rush - and was 4-of-5 on fourth-down conversion attempts. Its defense was just as impressive, holding the Rams to just 14 rush yards and under 200 yards of total offense.

"The defense did a good job tonight, but there's still a few things we need to work on back at practice," said Stant, who avoided his first 0-3 start to a season as head coach.

The Rams scored first with three minutes and 27 seconds left in the opening quarter. Quarterback Cody Lui-Yuen connected with Andrew Togiailua on a 4-yard touchdown pass to cap a 10-play, 58-yard drive that took just over four minutes off the clock. Cayman Conley added the extra point to give Radford an early 7-0 lead.

However, the Warriors answered quickly with an 80-yard run to paydirt by Meditz, who broke free from a pack of defenders about five yards after the line of scrimmage, on their very first play of the drive. The PAT was converted by Braydon Prothero to tie it at 7 after the first quarter.

"I just didn't want to go down," Meditz said of the run. "Our coaches preach to us to 'Keep moving our feet' and that's what kept going through my mind."

After a Radford punt, Kamehameha extended its lead to 14-7 early in the second quarter following a 21-yard scoring strike from Cid Camanse-Stevens to Hoopono Costorio-Carvalho. Camanse-Stevens took a high snap on the play, rolled to his right to evade the Radford rush and lobbed a high pass to the deep right corner of the end zone to Costorio-Carvalho, who made a diving reception.

It appeared the Warriors' took a 20-7 lead on a 69-punt return for a touchdown by Raymond Pedrina several minutes later, but a block-in-the-back penalty negated the score and put the ball back on their own 35. However, Nephi Stevens picked up 22 yards on first down on a pass to Makualii Perry and two plays later, running back Cheyne Holt broke free for a 32-yard jaunt to give Kamehameha goal-to-go with minutes remaining in the second. Holt punched in a 3-yard TD run following the block of 6-foot-4, 300-pound left tackle Kiha Sai on third-and-goal and Prothero's kick was good to make the score 21-7.

Radford returned the favor on its ensuing drive, going 76 yards on just four plays to make it a one-score game following an 8-yard touchdown pass from Lui-Yuen to Dorsey Norris. On the scoring play, the Rams lined up three receivers to the left of the formation with Norris aligned wide right. Lui-Yuen received the shotgun snap, took a short dropback and aired out the pass to the 6-foot-1 Norris, who shielded his defender while hauling in the pass.

The touchdown was set-up by a 55-yard pass from Lui-Yuen to Jay Mamea on the previous play. Mamea cut in front of Togiailua, who drew three Kamehameha defenders, hauled in the pass and raced down the middle of the field. Conley's PAT with 50 seconds until halftime made it 21-14.

Togiailua finished with eight receptions for 78 yards - both game highs.

After neither team found the end zone in the third quarter, Prothero made good on a 33-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth to give the Warriors a 24-14 lead.

Radford turned it over on downs on its ensuing drive and Kamehameha - utilizing a short field - added a late insurance score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Stevens with 5:39 to play.

Noah Yap picked off Lui-Yuen on the Rams' final possession and Kamehameha ran out the clock to hold on for the win.

"We really needed it, the morale was getting kind of low at school," Meditz said. "We had to get this win so everyone keeps coming out to our games and helping us out and keeping us going."

Kamehameha opens the Interscholastic League of Honolulu season against No. 2 Saint Louis at Aloha Stadium Friday night. Radford, which fell to 1-2 overall, has a bye next week.