SOUTH KONA — When Konawaena quarterback Keoki Alani took the reins as the Wildcats’ starter as a sophomore in 2021, he was a talented but soft-spoken individual.
Now — after setting multiple conference records and helping Konawaena deliver its first-ever state championship — the incoming senior has evolved into not only one of the best football players in Big Island Interscholastic Federation history, but one of the most respected voices in the locker room.
“I was shy a little bit,” Alani said of his early days as a starter. “But my seniors at the time helped me get through that, and by the time I got to my junior season, I started taking on more of a role (as a leader) — and I’m still building that going into my senior season.”
“Being a three-year starter, it dictates the emotions of our group,” Wildcats head coach Brad Uemoto said of Alani’s leadership. “He’s done a great job, and he’s got some big games under his belt.”
Saying Alani has done a great job would be a severe understatement. Konawaena’s star produced the best statistical season in BIIF history in 2022 — throwing for 3,408 yards, 50 TDs and 12 interceptions while completing 74% of his attempts. He conducted an offense that averaged 52.4 points per game, which reached 70-plus points four times throughout the season — including an 86-0 rout over Kealakehe on Oct. 22.
Alani’s passing yards and touchdowns set the most in a single season by a BIIF quarterback.
The Wildcats cruised to an 11-1 record while winning the BIIF D-I title (8-0) in spite of Alani’s superb play. Konawaena reached the Division I First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA State Football Championship against Waipahu, where Uemoto claims he was most impressed by Alani.
“He played with a good, calm demeanor and made the right decisions,” he recalled. “It was a big part in winning the championship.”
Alani finished the monumental game completing 27 of his 36 passes for 256 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the 38-28 win.
“I felt good, because we all worked hard during the season,” Alani remembered.
The quarterback points to his older brother, Kolu Alani, for motivating him to reach state-championship heights. Kolu Alani, who graduated from Konawaena in 2018, was part of the 2017 team that fell 75-69 to Lahainaluna in the Division II state championship. The seven-overtime battle remains the highest-scoring football game in Hawaii prep history.
Now with a target on his back, Alani is more motivated than ever to replicate his 2022 success in hopes of repeating as a state champion. In front of a thousand-plus Wildcats fans in a scrimmage against Kamehameha on Saturday, the third-year quarterback looked more focused than ever — showcasing his talents by converting multiple tough over-the-shoulder throws and hitting his receivers in-stride in the teeth of the defense.
“I always have something to prove,” Alani said. “Everyone wants to come out for us now, so we have to prove again who we are.”
“Since we’ve been having success in the past few years, it’s always kind of been like that,” Uemoto said of teams potentially coming to play harder against Konawaena in 2023. “Anytime an opponent takes the field against the green and white, we’re gonna get their best.
“We want it no other way. It’s something that we talk about all the time. We try to talk about our past success not meaning anything in terms of this current season. So we’re starting from scratch and we have to prove ourselves.”
The Wildcats will look different compared to last season’s title team. After losing 22 seniors, the once veteran-heavy squad will have more youth to it in 2023 — putting more weight on the shoulders of Alani. However, Uemoto doesn’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing.
“The potential and talent is there — it’s just a matter of this team building as a group,” Uemoto said. “We have a good receiving group back and (Alani has been) putting in a ton of work with them.”
Regardless of the talent on the roster, the nine-year coach has loftier expectations for his veteran quarterback to lead the Wildcats once again.
“Expectations for him are higher,” Uemoto said of Alani. “It’s tough to be what he did last season, but if he can replicate the numbers and it equates to another championship for us — perfect.”
“My mentality is to go out there, give it my all and hold nothing back,” Alani said.
Konawaena will kick off its 2023 season on Friday, Aug. 11 in a non-conference matchup against Long Beach Poly (California) in Hilo. Following their opener, the Wildcats will match up with Waiakea on Saturday, Aug. 19 at home.