KEALAKEKUA —Konawaena offensive lineman Viliami Kaea, like many of the players on the field Friday night, knew his opponent well.
KEALAKEKUA —Konawaena offensive lineman Viliami Kaea, like many of the players on the field Friday night, knew his opponent well.
After the Wildcats mauled west side rival Kealakehe 44-20, the group surrounding Kaea was boasting not only Konawaena green, but also a bit of Waverider blue.
“I have a bunch of cousins on that team,” Kaea said. “It feels good being able to pull out the win. Before the game, we like talking smack, but it’s all in good fun.”
That’s what comes with a cross-town rivalry matchup, where many of the players and coaches overlap outside of the game. Support for both sides came out in force to Julian R. Yates field, where parking became a rare commodity. But at least for another year, the bragging rights will stay firmly in Kealakekua.
“I’m happy for all the kids,” Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto said. “This was a big night for this community.”
The Waveriders kept it close for just over a quarter, but the quick-strike Wildcats proved too much, reeling off 38 unanswered points at one point to score the victory.
Konawaena’s scoring drives averaged just around two minutes. The no-huddle attack often kept Kealakehe on its heels, and big gains were frequent.
“That’s what we strive for,” Uemoto said. “It does frustrate our defensive coordinator, but that’s who we are.”
The Wildcats are averaging a shade over 51 points in their last three games. Most of that production has come from the passing game, where junior quarterback Austin Ewing has tossed 13 touchdowns and no interceptions. He has played sparingly in the second half of all three of those games.
“The line play is improving and Austin is getting more comfortable in there,” Uemoto said. “They don’t get a lot of credit, but those five guys up front did an amazing job. Kealakehe threw a bunch of different fronts and blitzs at us, and those guys stood strong and protected Austin.”
The Wildcats have not been scared to spread the ball around. Six players had catches against the Waveriders, and new playmakers seem to be surfacing every game.
Against Kealakehe, Kaanoi Rivera-Kelekolio had two touchdown catches, and could have had three if not for a fumble around the goal line (which Konawaena jumped on in the end zone for a score). Jeremiah Causga Llanes Kuahuia Pabre has surfaced as a difference maker both catching and running the ball, and Tyler Kahananui has shown to be more than capable at running back when starter Micah Laban needs a rest. Couple all that with top pass-catcher Kamakana Ching out wide, and it’s a pick your poison type of situation for opponents.
“We are trying to get as many kids experience as possible,” Uemoto said. “If teams key on Kamakana, we have other guys on the field who are tremendous playmakers.”
Even Kaea found a way to get in on the offensive production. After a touchdown, the 6-foot-4 offensive lineman ran untouched into the end zone for a two-point conversion.
“Right when I turned around I saw the open field,” Kaea said with a smile. “Shout out to the Trench Boys.”
As for Kealakehe, the climb to secure one of two playoff spots in Division I got a little tougher with the loss. However, at 1-3, the Waveriders are far from out of it. Keaau (2-2) and Waiakea (2-2) are just a game ahead, and Kealakehe still has matchups against both on the schedule. Also on the docket is a contest against winless Hawaii Prep.
“These next three games are going to be crucial,” Kealakehe head coach Sam Kekuaokalani said. “I think as long as we are executing what we practice and prepare for, we will be fine.”
Kealakehe has made some obvious strides on the offensive side of the ball. After totaling just 18 yards in a rainy win over Kamehameha, the Waveriders had more than that on their first drive alone against Konawaena. In all, the Waveriders tallied 234 yards of offensive production. However, a large chunk of that did come late in the fourth quarter and consistency in the second half was hard to come by.
Late in the game, Anthony Trevino scored on a touchdown run and Travis Grace connected with Swope Conn for a score to make the final result a little tighter.
“There were turning points in this game, and we just didn’t bounce back well from those. We need to be more resilient mentally,” Kekuaokalani said. “The biggest thing for us is taking away the improvements and learning experiences.”