KEAAU — Dylan Waltjen and Chris Mamone kept coming up with big plays on defense, and Keaau looked like a gridiron team that was starving for a win.
KEAAU — Dylan Waltjen and Chris Mamone kept coming up with big plays on defense, and Keaau looked like a gridiron team that was starving for a win.
The Cougars played smash-mouth football and overpowered Hawaii Prep 18-8 in a BIIF football game Saturday night, ending a two-year winless streak.
The Cougars took the opening kickoff and drove 73 yards on 11 plays to get their season off to a really positive start, after going winless since the 2013 season.
Keaau came out in multiple formations and ran every time, except for a halfback option pass to advance the ball to HPA’s 33-yard line. Seven plays later, Noa DeMotta-Cobb rumbled in for a five-yard score.
The only thing the Cougars didn’t do well in the first half was prevent HPA from getting good field position on kickoffs. They don’t have a long-range kicker, and the visiting Ka Makani started from near midfield on their drives.
HPA’s first possession started from its 45 and eventually settled at the Keaau 12 for fourth-and-goal. But the Cougars held in the red zone when HPA quarterback Kekoa Ilagan-LeBlanc misfired when pressured.
From there, the Cougars opened up their offense with quarterback Caine Lunsford firing a few fastballs, including 12 and 32 yards to Dilan Santos, the last a touchdown on fourth-and-16.
Santos was so open no was near him within 10 yards. It was a busted coverage by HPA, but also good recognition by Lunsford and solid protections from his offensive line.
Then the two teams traded turnovers. Dylan Waltjen intercepted Ilagan-LeBlanc, but Keaau fumbled.
HPA went three-and-out, despite excellent field position at Keaau’s 40.
The Cougars then played pure smash-mouth football and ran eight straight times, the last a one-yard score by Bronson Castro.
On HPA’s final possession of the first half, Christian Mamone got an interception, but his pick was wiped out by a penalty. No matter, three plays later, his brother Chris Mamone picked off Ilagan-LeBlanc as time eventually ran out.
In the first half, Keaau relied on a stable of running backs and gorged HPA defense for 110 yards on 26 carries. Ka Makani rushed 10 times for negative three yards.
In the third quarter, HPA finally got on the scoreboard with a safety when a Keaau punt snap sailed into the end zone.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ka Makani turned the ball over for the third time when Kaina Vierra, also the starting running back, picked off Ilagan-LeBlanc.
In the fourth, after a 15-yard punt, Ka Makani finally scored a touchdown on a 60-yard drive on six plays, the last a six-yard score by Ilagan-LeBlanc to cut the score to 18-8.
The two-point conversion attempt failed, but HPA recovered onside kick. On the first play from scrimmage, Chris Mamone got his second pick.
After the Cougars turned the ball over on downs, deep in HPA territory, Waltjen recorded his second sack of the game. Two plays later, time ran out on HPA.