Battle St. Louis, but Lose Struggle 49-34
by Al Linsky
Score one for Goliath.
St. Louis came into Friday night's game undefeated and ranked number one in the state, having already beaten Punahou and Kamehameha.
Could the Raiders, a strong division II team, stay with the best team in the state?
It didn't start out that way, as the Crusaders ate up large chunks of yardage in the first quarter, taking a 21-0 lead. It was looking like a blowout.
But, someone forgot to tell quarterback Kela Marciel and the rest of the Raiders, who refused to yield to the much bigger Crusaders.
Marciel had an awesome second quarter, mostly running, but also connecting on some big passes. He scored two touchdowns with runs of 18 yards and 21 yards, and also scored on a 8 yard pass to Lionel Fujioka.
It was 28-21 at the half and this observer was ecstatic, along with the Raider fans, band, cheerleaders and dancers, who braved the sometimes heavy rain.
In the second half, the Crusaders showed why they are ranked #1. A lesser team might have lost confidence, but not the Crusaders, as they regrouped, adjusted to Marciel's running, and went on to score three touchdowns of their own.
The Raiders would answer with two more touchdowns themselves, one by Kellen Imada and one by Justin Yamamato, but it was not enough, as the Crusaders took the 49-34 victory.
