Ioane Kamanao passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns as Roosevelt stifled Kaiser 34-3 to capture its second straight OIA Division II football championship on a blustery night at Skippa Diaz Stadium. Kamanao also picked up two first downs, rushing eight times for 28 yards as the Rough Riders leaned heavily on their four-wide set. They ran the ball just enough to keep Kaiser on its toes.
“I feel great. I cannot reap all the benefits. I’ve got to give it to my teammates and my defense, special teams.
Everyone played a part in this,” the 6-foot-4, 185-pound junior said. “We’ve bonded, we’re playing for each other. We have that next-man-up mentality.
If we play as one family, as one team, we can really get stuff done in a timely fashion. I want to give all my blessings to all my senior teammates.” Roosevelt (9-2 overall) lost to Kaiser, 24-12, on Oct.
4 but frustrated the Cougars offense with a different look and a unified front. Linebacker Izaiah Nakamura had an interception return for a touchdown and a sack. In all, defensive tackle Aliiuma Kekauoha Lono Kama had two sacks, and Ezekiel Lomu and Taimane Souza-Fautanu had one sack each.
“We have a different mindset. In that first game, we had a lot of adversity going through us. A lot of us didn’t know how to handle that adversity, the coaches and players.
Some guys didn’t truly understand the want, the heart,” Nakamura said. “We needed that loss to help all of it click in our minds.” Kaiser (8-2) and Ro.
