The McKinley Tigers put on a dazzling second-half display as they dismantled La Salle high school's vaunted defense in a pre-season football exhibition in Corvallis, Oregon last Friday. Traveling all the way from Honolulu, Hawaii the Tigers went up against Oregon's 2011 4A football champions, the La Salle Falcons, on a clear blue sunny afternoon at Crescent Valley H.S. Field. It was a pitched battle through the first half with each team trading touchdowns, and McKinley led by just a single point, 23-22, going into the break. But as the second half got underway the Tigers kicked in the afterburners following a traditional 'haka' warrior dance and the Falcons never recovered. Stand out performances were recorded by wide-receiver Tyrell Tuiasosopo and running back Mathias Tuitele-Iafeta. Asked after the game how he felt, head coach Joe Cho said he was "satisfied" but also "very tired", as the match had required over a year's planning, logistics and fund-raising to accomplish. Plus, Kahuku is now on deck for next week's game, and Farrington the week after. Still, it was worth it. This was the first McKinley H.S. football team to travel to the mainland in over 40 years, back when coach Cho was still playing for the Tigers. And, there were several other members of that long-ago team in the stands watching the game as well, which drew Tiger fans from around the Corvallis area and several other states. Go Black and Gold!
More pictures after the fold:
