Cowboys look to build off Week 1 against Ka’u

Last weekend, Kohala football fell to Kamehameha in its season opener. However, head coach Earl Hoshida thought the matchup was a great stepping stone for his players — considering many played in their first-ever game with little-to-no experience.

“We saw some good stuff,” he said of Week 1. “There was also some stuff I know we are able to fix.

“We had a long talk with the boys, and practices have been going well (this week).”

The Cowboys have a fresh opportunity to build off last week’s lessons in Week 2. Kohala will match up against Ka’u on Saturday in its home opener.

“We’re looking forward to having fun and executing,” Hoshida said. “I also want to give some other players more opportunities to play.”

In terms of strategy, Hoshida plans to run the ball more this week. He wants to utilize a few running backs — Isaiah Antonio will receive the majority of the workload, followed by some sprinkles of Kahaka Catrett and Tiras Perez action.

On the other side of the ball, Hoshida has been working exclusively with the secondary to continue the foundation it laid against Kamehameha in defending the spread offense. The Cowboys forced two turnovers — both interceptions — in the outing.

“We’re looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd, doing our best and having fun,” Hoshida said.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Kohala.