The battle of the league's top two quarterbacks lived up to its billing, but in the end, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year prevailed.

Micah Mamiya passed for four touchdowns and ran for another to help top-ranked Saint Louis hold off 'Iolani, 49-34, in Interscholastic League of Honolulu interdivisional football last night at Aloha Stadium.

Mamiya, The Advertiser's Offensive Player of the Year in 2006, passed for 189 yards with three of his four TD passes coming in the second half to help the Crusaders (6-0 overall, 3-0 ILH) pull away from the Kela Marciel-led Raiders (3-3, 2-1), who pulled to within 28-21 at the half.

Marciel was Saint Louis' pain all night, passing for two TDs and rushing for two more. He had 189 yards passing and 121 rushing.

The Crusaders were off and literally running in taking a 21-0 lead after the first quarter. The Raiders could not stop Saint Louis' running game.

"You're not going to shut them down; they're too explosive," 'Iolani coach Wendell Look said. "But we should've done a better job in the first quarter.

"But that's why they're No. 1. They're going to battle and battle."

But that's what the Raiders did, too.

"This is exactly what we expected," Saint Louis coach Delbert Tengan said of the 48-minute battle. "They got so many weapons on offense that it's tough to slow down."

Marciel's scrambling and running brought the Raiders back from a 21-0 first-quarter deficit to keep the half interesting. Down 28-7, the Raiders pulled to 28-14 on an 8-yard TD pass from Marciel to Lionel Fujioka. Fujioka recovered the ensuing onside kick to set up the Raiders' next TD, a 21-yard run by Marciel to make it 28-21 at the half.

The Crusaders did a better job of containing Marciel in the second half, putting the Raiders in more long-yardage situations.

It looked like the Crusaders were going to dominate early, as they literally ran over the Raiders' defense. Saint Louis reeled off yards in chunks on the ground in the first half. Running back Keani Nishigaya had 128 yards on four carries, including TD runs of 63 and 20 yards.

Mamiya got the Saints going on the first series, scoring from 14 yards on an option keeper; he faked a dive to the left and ran right to give Saint Louis a 7-0 lead just 4:12 into the game.

Following an interception by Kalani McLaughlin to the Saints' 37, Nishigaya scored on his 63-yard run off the left side to make it 14-0 with 6:08 left in the first quarter.

Mamiya's 26-yard TD pass to Ryan Iaea made it 21-0 with 1:42 in the first quarter.

But the Raiders started their comeback on their next drive behind Marciel's 18-yard TD run to make it 21-7 with 9:05 left in the half.

Nishigaya's 29-yard TD run increased Saint Louis' lead to 28-7 before 'Iolani cut the deficit to 28-21.

Mamiya blew it open in the second half with his three TD passes: 19 and 80 yards to Gonsalves and 4 yards to Billy Stutzmann.

SAINT LOUIS (6-0, 3-0) 21 7 7 14—49

'IOLANI (3-3, 2-1) 0 21 0 13—34

StL—Micah Mamiya 14 run (Warren Spencer kick).

StL—Keani Nishigaya 63 run (Spencer kick).

StL—Ryan Iaea 26 pass from Mamiya (Spencer kick).

Iol—Kela Marciel 18 run (Kodi Look kick).

StL—Nishigaya 29 run (Spencer kick).

Iol—Lionel Fujioka 8 pass from Marciel (Look kick).

Iol—Marciel 21 run (Look kick).

StL—Lucas Gonsalves 19 pass from Mamiya (Spencer kick).

StL—Billy Stutzmann 4 pass from Mamiya (Spencer kick).

Iol—Kellen Imada 5 run (kick blocked).

StL—Gonsalves 80 pass from Mamiya (Spencer kick).

Iol—Justin Yamamoto 8 pass from Marciel (Look kick).

RUSHING—Saint Louis: Mamiya 6-54, Nishigaya 8-140, Isaac Savella 5-6, Austin Wakinekona 3-17, Vonn Feao 2-9, Gonsalves 1-(minus 6), Hoku Isaia 1-15, Joey Bryant 1-5, Jeremy Higgins 1-(minus 2).

'Iolani: Kela Marciel 19-21, Justin Yamamoto 14-26, Kellen Imada 2-14

PASSING—Saint Louis: Mamiya 11-17-1—237. 'Iolani: Marciel 18-32-2—189.

RECEIVING—Saint Louis: Tamatoa DeMello 2-16, Lucas Gonsalves 3-105, Iaea 2-38, Billy Stutzmann 4-78. 'Iolani: Ronnie Hirokawa 6-79, Lionel Fujioka 5-54, Kellen Imada 2-6, Aaron Fong 3-37, Jordan Nakamura 1-5, Yamamoto 1-8.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.