HILO – If you’re a Hilo fan, the first four-plus minutes of Saturday’s BIIF Division I semifinal game exceeded you’re wildest expectations. Everything went right.
HILO – If you’re a Hilo fan, the first four-plus minutes of Saturday’s BIIF Division I semifinal game exceeded you’re wildest expectations. Everything went right.
If you’re a Waiakea fan, everything that could go wrong did.
Here is something all BIIF fans can agree on: There is one tasty, tempting and tantalizing league championship game on tap.
The Vikings waited an extra day to take the field at Wong Stadium, but they only waited a matter of minutes to blow open their game against the Warriors, cruising to 35-0 victory and advancing to the title game at Kealakehe next Saturday night.
Junior quarterback Ka‘ale Tiogangco tossed four touchdown passes, including two to Kalei Tolentino-Perry, who returned from an injury to give the Vikings another playmaker and reclaim the place-kicking duties.
The two-time defending Division I champion Vikings (6-2, 6-4) and Waveriders (7-1, 8-3) will meet in the title game for the fourth consecutive season. Kealakehe easily dispatched Keaau in its semifinal.
Hilo has won five of their last six games, with the lone blemish during a span that has otherwise seen the Vikings outscore their foes 196-12 coming Oct. 2 in a 30-29 double-overtime loss to Kealakehe at Wong.
There was no drama Saturday night.
On Hilo’s third offensive play of the game, after David Pakele recovered a fumble, Tiogangco dropped in a pass to Josiah Factora along the right sideline for a 37-yard score to give Hilo a 21-0 lead less than 4:30 into the game.
Kore Ohumukini returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a score, and Dallas Mata’s blocked punt set up Tolentino-Perry’s first touchdown a little more than two minutes later.
Tiogangco finished 16 of 24 for 230 yards in guiding Hilo to its second 35-0 win against its rival.
While Waiakea quarterback Gehrig Octavio found some success in the intermediate passing game, hooking up with Hunter Rapoza, the Warriors amassed just 45 yards on the ground.
Octavio (8 of 19) threw for 118 yards and Rapoza hauled in four passes for Waiakea (2-6, 2-9).
The Vikings didn’t punt until the fourth quarter with the backups in, often making it look easy. On the final play of the first half from the Waiakea 38, Lukas Kuipers got behind the defense for a touchdown that seemed like it should have been more difficult.
It likely will be for Hilo next Saturday at Waverider Stadium.
Waiakea 0 0 0 0 —0
Hilo 21 7 7 0 — 0
First quarter
Hilo – Kore Ohumukini 80 kickoff return (Kalei Tolentino-Perry kick), 11:44
Hilo – Kalei Tolentino-Perry 5 pass from Ka‘ale Tiogangco (Tolentino-Perry kick), 9:30
Hilo – Josiah Factora 37 pass from Tiogangco (Tolentino-Perry kick), 7:38
Second quarter
Hilo – Lukas Kuipers 38 pass from Tiogangco (Tolentino-Perry kick), :00
Third quarter
Hilo – Tolentino-Perry 5 pass from Tiogangco (Tolentino-Perry kick), 6:54