KAILUA-KONA — It’s championship week in the BIIF, as the season culminates with a pair of title games. Hilo takes on Waiakea at Wong Stadium tonight, then Konawaena hosts Kamehameha-Hawaii on Saturday.
Here are Sam Papalii’s thoughts as the teams square off for the BIIF title crowns.
With the championship games looming, what’s the most important thing for players and coaches to remember?
At this point, you’ve got to do what you have to do for a championship. There is a philosophy that teams have adhered to over time and it’s got them to the championship game. Stay with it and don’t stray from those identities.
Heading into the championship, teams have to be united. Coaches and players must have true belief, respect and love for each other. If they have each other’s back, it helps make that belief unconditional.
In both division championships, the first meetings between the teams were not very close. How does that affect the approach leading up?
When I coached at Kealakehe, we were in the exact same situation in 2003. We beat Hilo 51-27 in the first matchup of the season, but then they came back and upset us 27-14 in the championship game. I felt that we came out too tight and really felt the pressure of being in the championship game and in the position to win the school’s first BIIF title. We used that as a lesson to stay focused and even-keeled, regardless of the situation.
I think the most important thing is to come out with a great sense of urgency. Reflecting on those first matchups, coaches need to focus on what worked — and didn’t work — for them and their opponent in all phases: offense, defense and special teams. What worked, and more importantly, why? How can it be duplicated? What adjustments are needed to succeed? Is it scheme, personnel or execution?
A head coach’s ability to motivate his players in big games is also vital, in addition to team leaders. My outstanding teams always had outstanding leaders, usually seniors, but special underclassmen as well.
Waiakea and Hilo kick off the championship bouts today. What are a few of the keys for both teams?
Waiakea might have a 3-7 overall record this season, but they have accomplished something that hasn’t been done in 15 years by making it this far and qualifying for the state tournament. They have to continue to fight and embrace being in the big show. Recall the effort and determination it took to beat perennial Division I contender Kealakehe a few weeks ago and bring that mindset to this matchup.
Offensively, the key for Waiakea will be overcoming the injuries in the lineup, finding room to run the football in that bulldozer offense and capitalizing on play action passes. Defensively, the Warriors need to harass the young Hilo quarterback Kyan Miyasato and force him into bad decisions by disguising coverages and disrupting the timing of the offense. The Viks have a lot of big play ability, so understand where those playmakers are and contain the threat.
Hilo has been here before, and has beat everybody along the way to an undefeated season. Offensively, they lost their leader in QB Ka’ale Tiogangco, but have transitioned well to their freshman QB. His time will come, but Miyasato needs to find a way to get the premier playmakers the ball early and often.
Head coach Kaeo Drummondo is a proven defensive mind and does a good job at showing multiple fronts. His players do a good job of executing clean, responsible football, and I don’t expect that to change tonight against the Warriors.
Konawaena and Kamehameha meet up for the DII title on Saturday, as it has been for the last few years. What do you expect from this game and keys for each team.
Despite coming off back-to-back losses, Kamehameha should feel like they belong in the title game. They have been the main challenger to Konawaena’s title reign all these years, and won it in 2014.
The Warriors should come in with some confidence from the regular season matchup, having played the Wildcats close until the fourth quarter. But this time, the team needs to finish the game and continue to play that strong defense. They had seven sacks in that game and need to do that, if not more, to slow down the high-powered Wildcat attack.
The blueprint to survive the Kealakekua Jungle is there. The Warriors just need to execute. Unfortunately, the Warriors had a real lackluster performance in their last game against Hilo. As a coach, that’s the kind of tape you throw away and try not to watch.
For Konawaena, it’s all about continuing to roll, and that starts with protecting QB Austin Ewing better. Another big thing is mastering the center-QB exchange, which was off on a few occasions last time the Warriors came to town. Out of shotgun, timing and rhythm is key, so a stray snap throws that off.
That being said, the Wildcats are a team that will take what is in front of them. They can throw it underneath to some athletic receivers who can make plays after the catch or go over the top to big wide receiver Kamakana Ching. Senior Micah Laban is also the perfect, prototypical back for this offense and has to be accounted for. He is able to capitalize when teams start to focus too much on stopping the pass.
Defensively, the Wildcats have continued an upward trend this season. Paka Cacoulidis and Austin Santos-Johnson are terrors up front, causing headaches for opposing offenses with their pass-rushing abilities. The secondary should be healthy and at full strength, which will be a task for Kamehameha’s first-year starter Kaimi Like to take on.
Lastly, who do you predict will win the titles and why?
I’m taking Hilo in Division I, and it probably won’t be close. The Vikings definitely have the potential to make some noise in the Division I state tournament as well.
In Division II, it might be a little closer, but Konawaena has provided the play to back up the hype this season. If the Wildcats play to their potential, there could be some unprecedented success coming to Kealakekua.
Sam Papalii is a long-time Hawaii high school coach. He also has multiple stops as an assistant at big name college programs around the nation on his resume and is a Saint Louis (Oahu) grad.
