'Iolani, Saint Louis can clinch ILH titles tonight


'Iolani and Saint Louis can seal Interscholastic League of Honolulu championships with victories tonight at Aloha Stadium.

The Raiders (5-3 overall, 3-2 ILH) face Pac-Five (2-6, 1-4) in a Division II showdown at 5 p.m., followed by Saint Louis (7-1, 5-0) vs. Punahou (5-2, 3-2) in a crucial DI matchup at 7:45. Both games will be broadcast live on ESPN1500 AM.

'Iolani is coming off a 41-14 loss to Saint Louis in which it was outscored 20-0 in the second half. Pac-Five, meanwhile, nearly pulled off what would have been the season's biggest upset when it fell to Kamehameha, 21-17, last Saturday. The Warriors needed a 12-yard touchdown pass from Christian Akana to Brock Ruelke on fourth-and-4 with 52 seconds remaining to win it.

Saint Louis can lock up the DI title with a victory over the Buffanblu. The Crusaders have won five straight since a 49-27 loss at Kahuku on Aug. 27, averaging 43.6 points per game in the process.

Their offense is engineered by senior quarterback Marcus Mariota, a multi-threat senior who has completed 107 of 172 passes (62.2 percent) for 1,464 yards and 22 TDs, against only three interceptions. He also has 288 yards and four touchdowns rushing on 38 carries (7.6 ypc).

Mariota's favorite target is senior receiver Duke Bukoski, who has 33 catches for 624 yards (18.9 ypc) and nine TDs.

Punahou's offense, meanwhile, is looking forward to the return of ILH rushing leader Steven Lakalaka, who rested an injured leg last week. Lakalaka, a hard-running junior, has 636 yards and three touchdowns on 120 carries (5.3 ypc).