In a battle of might versus finesse, No. 4 Kamehameha outlasted No. 3 Iolani, 37-29, last night in interdivisional Interscholastic League of Honolulu football at Aloha Stadium.

The Warriors (5-2 overall, 2-1 ILH), who share the lead in Division I with Punahou and Saint Louis, used brute strength to amass 298 yards rushing, 256 by workhorse running back Bryson Vivas, who carried 36 times.

Vivas had a 36-yard TD run and lost out on another when he fumbled after a 22-yard gain at the 1. But teammate Aaron Nichols recovered in the end zone for Kamehameha's final and clinching TD of the night.

"Every win is important because every team can win this year," Warriors quarterback George Kaai said. "If we lose one game, it would be hard for us to come back. Iolani is a good team, but we played hard and we won."

The Division II Raiders (5-2, 2-1) suffered their first setback in the ILH after going 2-0 against the other Division II teams, but took the Warriors on to the final whistle.

Iolani's Kiran Kepo'o threw his fourth TD pass, a 27-yarder to Travis Nishioka with 47 seconds left in the game. But the Warriors recovered the ensuing onside kick and took a knee to kill the remaining seconds.

"I never question their heart," Iolani coach Wendell Look said of his players. "They're going to play hard. They were physically out-manned. But they played to the end and gave themselves a chance to win. They have so much heart and so much pride. They don't want to lose."

Kamehameha first-year coach Doss Tannehill came away impressed with Iolani.

"Wendell gets so much out of these kids," he said. "They don't give you anything. You gotta beat 'em."

But it was Kamehameha's ability to control the ball behind Vivas.

"I was kind of pressured, but the O-line really stepped up," Vivas said.

The Warriors took a 16-0 lead after the first quarter, thanks to Nichols.

His 29-yard punt return to the Kamehameha 45 helped set up the Warriors' first score, a 36-yard run off right tackle by Vivas.

The Raiders then had a high snap from center from punt formation and the ball sailed out of the end zone for a safety to make it 9-0 with 3:11 left in the first quarter.

Nichols returned the ensuing free kick 20 yards to the Iolani 45, where Vivas ran the first four plays of the series for 12 yards before Kaai hit a wide-open Nichols on the left side for a 33-yarder to make it 16-0.

But the Raiders' quick-strike pass offense got a break when on fourth-and-6 at the Kamehameha 37, the Warriors were called for pass interference on a deep pass to the end zone. The automatic first down led to Kepo'o's 20-yard TD pass in the middle of the end zone to Lionel Fujioka. Kepo'o then hit Mike Hirokawa on a pass for the 2-point conversion to make it 16-8 with 9:23 left in the half.

Kamehameha answered with a 10-play, 73-yard drive with Kaai hitting Nichols on a fade from 28 yards to make it 23-7. During the drive, Vivas rushed the ball nine times for 56 yards.

The drive was kept alive when Kamehameha quick-punted on fourth-and-1 at its 47 with Iolani getting called for illegal substitution.

"We lucked out," Tannehill said of the quick-punt.

But Iolani struck back with a nifty double-reverse pass from Kepo'o to Nishioka from 31 yards out with 2:35 left. On the play, running back Hirokawa, lined up wide as an inside receiver, took the handoff from Kepo'o. Hirokawa handed it back to receiver Mark May coming from the opposite side. May pitched the ball back to Kepo'o, who found a wide-open Nishioka in the end zone to make it 23-15 at halftime.

KAMEHAMEHA (5-2, 2-1) 16 7 7 7—37

IOLANI (5-2, 2-1) 0 15 0 14—29

KS—Bryson Vivas 36 run (Kamakana Osorio kick)

KS—Safety, ball snapped out of end zone from punt formation.

KS—Aaron Nichols 33 pass from Kahaku Kaai (Osorio kick)

Iol—Lionel Fujioka 20 pass from Kiran Kepo'o (Mike Hirokawa pass from Kepo'o)

KS—Nichols 28 pass from Kaai (Osorio kick)

Iol—Travis Nishioka 31 pass from Kepo'o (Kody Adams kick)

KS—Justin Saniatan 11 pass from Kaai (Osorio kick)

Iol—Mike Hirokawa 30 pass from Kepo'o (Adams kick)

KS—Nichols fumble recovery in end zone after Vivas 22 run (Osorio kick)

Iol—Nishioka 27 pass from Kepo'o (Adams kick)

RUSHING—Kamehameha: Kaai 1-(minus 1), Jeremiah Dela Pena 10-25, Vivas 36-256, Jordan Rego 1-8, Justin Saniatan 2-11, Team 1-(minus 1). Iolani: Kepo'o 4-(minus 17), Hirokawa 10-42, Justin Yamamoto 1-2, Team 1-(minus 16).

PASSING—Kamehameha: Kaai 12-16-138. Iolani: Kepo'o 17-34-0—229.

RECEIVING—Kamehameha: Jacob Ho 1-7, Kalani Pickard 1-(minus 3), Kaleo Perez 1-5, Saniatan 3-25, Nichols 5-100, Brandon Ahlo 1-4. Iolani: Blayne Yama 3-30, Nishioka 5-76, Fujioka 1-20, Mark May 2-21, Hirokawa 3-12, Reid Furukawa 3-70.

SAINT LOUIS 34, PAC-FIVE 7

The rich just get richer.

With only a week of practice at his new school, senior Jeremiah Masoli made a nice first-impression by passing for one touchdown and rushing for another to jump-start No. 7 Saint Louis over Pac-Five at Aloha Stadium.

Masoli, a transfer from Serra High in the Bay Area, spelled starter Cameron Higgins on the Crusaders' third series of the game, throwing a 60-yard TD pass to Cameron Bayne to break a scoreless tie in the second quarter. On the play, Bayne caught the pass at the Pac-Five 23, then cut back across the field the rest of the way to the end zone to make it 7-0.

"He gives us some speed," Crusaders coach Delbert Tengan said of Masoli. "He comes from an offense that runs the option. With (backup) Micah Mamiya out with an injury, he'll fill in for the time being."

Tengan said Masoli joined the Crusaders (4-2 overall, 2-1 ILH) this past week.

After the Wolf Pack (2-5, 0-3) tied the game on a receiver-to-receiver gadget play with Jordon Ho-Ching firing a 30-yard TD pass to Matthew Bayan, Masoli broke the 7-all game with a 54-yard option keeper with 20 seconds left in the half to give Saint Louis a 13-7 lead.

The Crusaders pulled away with three unanswered TDs in the third quarter.

The game's start was delayed 22 minutes because Pac-Five wideout Christian Silvia injured his shoulder in pregame warmups and had to leave by ambulance.

PAC-FIVE (2-5, 0-3) 0 7 0 0— 7

SAINT LOUIS (4-2, 2-1) 0 13 21 0—34

StL—Cameron Bayne 60 pass from Jeremiah Masoli (Kenton Chun kick)

P5—Matthew Bayan 30 pass from Jordan Ho-Ching (Josh Mun kick)

StL—Masoli 54 run (kick failed)

StL—Cody Wells 12 run (Chun kick)

StL—Cameron Higgins 2 run (Chun kick)

StL—Kamalu Umu 45 fumble return (Chun kick)

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Higgins 7-51, Shane Ahlo Jr. 4-48, Wells 11-95, Preston Lynch 1-(minus 2), Lene Auelua 5-22, Jeremiah Masoli 3-24, Bayne 1-45. Pac-Five: Jon-Ray Rodrigues 8-(minus 53), Phillip Sarubbi 13-23, Royce Alvarado 2-(minus 5), Ho-Ching 1-(minus 3).

PASSING—Saint Louis: Higgins 6-11-0—57, Masoli 3-6-0—71, Bayne 0-1-0—0. Pac-Five: Rodrigues 13-23-2—179, Ho-Ching 1-1-0—30.

RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Ahlo Jr. 2-16, Bayne 3-79, Kulia Aiona 1-10, David O'Connor 1-11, Jordan Paty-Miner 1-14, Lynch 1-(minus 2). Pac-Five: Ho-Ching 7-130, Alvarado 1-7, Bayan 2-44, Chris Hsia 2-6, Matt Shibata 2-22.

MCKINLEY 24, KAIMUKI 8

Tilton Kaluna rushed for a score and threw for another as the Tigers beat the Bulldogs in an OIA Red East game at Kaiser.

MCKINLEY (2-5, 1-4) 0 8 6 10—24

KAIMUKI (2-5, 1-4) 0 8 0 0— 8

Kaim—Robert Azevado-Ford 8 run (Stephen Harris pass from Sherwen Sarcedo)

McK—Tilton Kaluna 1 run (Haloti Leakona run)

McK—Alan Hashimoto 60 pass from Kaluna (kick failed)

McK—Keawe Kalama 3 run (Chelsie Sato kick)

McK—FG Sato 32 RUSHING—McKinley: Haloti Leakona 17-60, Tilton Kaluna 5-7, Keawe Kalama 2-6. Kaimuki: Mike Vierra 11-62, Robert Azevedo-Ford 4-30, Joshua Salvador 4-19, Chase Nanod 5-21, Craig Cabudol 3-9, Stephen Harris 1-6, Sherwen Sarcedo 1-7, Ikaika Ayers 1-minus 17.

PASSING—McKinley: Kaluna 11-22-2-183. Kaimuki: Harris 10-15-3-91, Cabudol 4-11-1-28.

RECEIVING—McKinley: Juliano Ahlstrand 3-57, Alan Hashimoto 3-102, Josh Nakama 3-16, Rocky Miyagi 1-0, Joshua Ward 1-8. Kaimuki: Swaine Seto-Mook 4-31, Tusi Taufa 3-39, Vierra 1-3, Sarcedo 3-37, Azevedo-Ford 2-1, Salvador 1-8.

JV score—McKinley 34, Kaimuki 0.

'AIEA 42, NANAKULI 0

Kali Kuia threw for three touchdowns and Adrian Labuda returned two punts for touchdowns, helping 'Aiea clinch an OIA Red West playoff berth. Labuda's returns covered 45 and 70 yards. Kuia passed for 192 yards.

NANAKULI (0-7, 0-5) 0 0 0 0— 0

'AIEA (5-2, 3-2) 28 7 7 0—42

'Aiea—Lahaina Olsen-Kuroda 20 pass from Kali Kuia (Mark Atta kick)

'Aiea—Lofa Liilii 5 run (Atta kick)

'Aiea—Adrian Labuda 45 punt return (Atta kick)

'Aiea—Josh Blakemore 37 pass from Kuia (Atta kick)

'AIEA—JUSTIN HUNT 4 PASS FROM KUIA (ATTA KICK)

'Aiea—Labuda 70 punt return (Justin Puckett kick) RUSHING—Nanakuli: Mark Chong 7-21, Chase McGill 9-23, Curtis Wright 2-7, Zachary Tolentino 1-0, Issac Iuta 1-3. 'Aiea: Lofa Liilii 2-5, Alfredo Higa 2-9, Lahaina Olsen-Kuroda 2-14, Kali Kuia 2-(minus 12), Landon Dela Cruz 2-0, Crenston Ioapo 1-(minus 5).

PASSING—Nanakuli: Chase McGill 5-18-1—40, Curtis Wright 0-1-0—0. 'Aiea: Kali Kuia 12-25-0—192.

RECEIVING—Nanakuli: Kalai Kahalekai 2-16, Clemson Kaawa 3-24. 'Aiea: Josh Blakemore 4-65, Olsen-Kuroda 1-20, Liilii 4-61, Bryan Echalas 1-6, Josh Asuncion 1-36, Justin Hunt 1-4.

JV score—'Aiea 24, Nanakuli 14.

REPORTED BY RON IKARI

NEIGHBOR ISLAND

FRIDAY

Kamehameha-Hawai'i 31, Konawaena 21

Hilo 12, Honoka'a 7

Lahainaluna 34, Pac-Three 7

Kaua'i 27, Kapa'a 8

YESTERDAY

Kohala 20, Waiakea 14

Hawai'i Prep 40, Ka'u 0

KING KEKAULIKE 17, MAUI 6

KEAAU 32, KEALAKEHE 28

Baldwin 14, Kamehameha-Maui 7

OIA JV

Castle 49, Pearl City 34

Waipahu 20, Anuenue 0

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.