KAILUA-KONA — Facing a third down midway through the second quarter, Damien quarterback Marcus Faufata-Pedrina calmly looked towards the sideline for the play, wiped his hands on the turf and went to work.
KAILUA-KONA — Facing a third down midway through the second quarter, Damien quarterback Marcus Faufata-Pedrina calmly looked towards the sideline for the play, wiped his hands on the turf and went to work.
On the next snap, he connected on a 39-yard pass over the middle, followed by a quick touchdown strike that not only tied the game at 7-7, but also righted the ship after what was a tumultuous first half for Damien.
In a game where neither team’s offense lit up the scoreboard, Faufata-Pedrina — a senior and three-year starter — did just enough in key moments to propel the visiting ILH Monarchs (2-0) to a 20-7 victory at Waverider Stadium on Saturday night.
“We can count on him to get a big first down and make a play here or there that can be the difference in a game,” Damien head coach Eddie Klaneski said. “There were still a few more plays to be made, but that’s just the growing pains of the preseason.”
Faufata-Pedrina finished as the game’s leading passer and rusher, connecting on 14 of 24 throws for 226 yards and two scores, while adding 71 yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Kealakehe came out of the gate firing, embarking on a 13-play, 54-yard scoring drive to open its season. But from there, the offense sputtered, struggling to string together first downs.
There were, however, a few bright spots for the Waveriders to take away from their first game of the season, including a swarming front seven and being able to hang within a score until the final minute of play, despite some early-season growing pains.
“It’s something to build on,” Kealakehe head coach Sam Kekuaokalani said. “We kept it close for four quarters. We can definitely get better from this.”
In his Waverider blue debut, senior quarterback Kekoa Ilagan-LeBlanc was 7 of 16 for 61 yards with an interception. He added 25 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
Raymond Skillern was the workhorse for Kealakehe, getting 15 carries, but found limited room against the Monarchs front line, tallying just 30 yards. He also caught two passes for 34 yards.
The downhill running combination of Ilagan-LeBlanc and Skillern proved to be a lethal combo on Kealakehe’s first drive. Assisted by a roughing the kicker penalty on a long missed field goal, the Waveriders struck first with Ilagan-LeBlanc rolling out of the pocket and into the end zone on a 11-yard scamper.
Damien continued to struggle to sustain drives until midway through the second quarter, when the arm of Faufata-Pedrina woke up the Monarchs. During a torrid two-drive tear, Faufata-Pedrina went 4-of-4, racking up 128 yards and two touchdowns. The experienced passer capitalized on some blown coverage in a Kealakehe secondary that was missing a few starters, finding Logan Lauti and Lindon Sevilleja for long scores.
Lauti and Sevilleja combined for 103 yards receiving in the game, while Akila Arecchi racked up 109 yards on just four catches for Damien.
Ilagan-LeBlanc exited the game in the fourth quarter with cramps, which only expanded Kealakehe’s offensive struggles. The most successful drive of the second half came out of the break for the Waveriders, but resulted in the fumble after five plays.
Damien played the ball control game on its final fourth quarter drive, chewing up clock, looking to the air just twice and amassing 64 yards on the ground to set up Faufata-Pedrina’s final touchdown — a six-yard run on a roll out to the left corner of the end zone.
“We came out a little flat and took a bit to get going,” Klaneski said. “It was a little frustrating because we feel like we can play better and cleaner. We had a few breakdowns and missed tackles, but in the end, we were able to persevere.”
Kealakehe will continue the preseason on Friday against visiting San Clemente, California squad St. Margarets before opening its BIIF slate at home against rival Konawaena on Aug. 25.