Hawai’i Preparatory Academy’s football team was dealt its worst loss of the season, 49-0, at the hands of Kamehameha Schools-Hawai’i Friday night on the road.
Missing their star running back due to injury, Ka Makani struggled to make headway on offense, and its defense gradually also gave in to KSH.
With this victory, the Warriors have completed their first slate of BIIF DII outings — and have a firm grasp on the top standing with a 5-0 DII record and 6-0 overall record.
Excluding Pahoa High’s forfeit, KSH has averaged 44 points scored and five points allowed in DII tests.
“We’ve overcome huge obstacles,” head coach Kealoha Wengler said, “things that were difficult for us in the past — which was coming together and not being individuals, but being one team. That’s the biggest hurdle. They’re all playing for each other, they’re playing for their team — they’re buying into our team ‘ohana concept.
“That’s why everything is working. Nobody is standing out, trying to be different. It’s unselfish football. That’s the difference that we’re looking at now.”
KSH’s running back Ethan Bowden had a massive game, rushing for 127 yards on 11 carries (11.5 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.
Friday’s game started as a defensive battle, as both teams struggled to make headway.
KSH’s Xander Hoopai intercepted a pass early on, but Ka Makani held the Warriors and forced the punt.
KSH got on the board with three minutes left in the first quarter after making a redzone drive that ended with Ethan Bowden scoring on a four-yard carry. Lucas Kay-Wong made the PAT kick for a 7-0 lead.
Shortly after the kickoff, KSH’s Cole Walker recovered a fumble at the 28-yard line. However, Ka Makani quickly got the ball back as Kena Craven intercepted a pass near the goal line.
Though HPA couldn’t capitalize on offense, they notched another redzone pick during KSH’s next drive — this time by Kekai Haines.
The Warriors forced the punt, which was clipped by a defender’s hand. As the ball tumbled, an HPA player attempted to retrieve it, but it bounced off of him toward the goal line. Hoopai scooped the ball and scored a touchdown.
With momentum on their side, a 14-0 lead and less than a minute left in the first half of the game, the Warriors swiftly drove toward the goal line on pass plays before quarterback Adam Perry connected a touchdown pass to Kekainalu Fuerte as the final second left the clock. KSH led 21-0 going into halftime.
In the second half, KSH’s momentum increased exponentially.
Less than five minutes into the third quarter, the Warriors mounted a ground-drive that saw Bowden barrel through defenders play after play — eventually carrying in a 13-yard rushing touchdown.
HPA fumbled the following kickoff, which Jacobjames Ramos recovered.
After a smooth drive boosted by a personal foul on HPA, Hoopai scored a 16-yard rushing touchdown — followed by Kay-Wong’s fifth straight successful PAT kick — for a 35-0 lead.
A running clock was imposed, but the Warriors made the most of the fleeting time.
On the first play of Ka Makani’s subsequent offensive effort, Andrew Boshard recovered a fumble.
HPA almost immediately returned the favor, as Kela Livingston recovered a fumble by KSH.
After forcing another punt, the Warriors returned to their ground game. Bowden notched a 30-yard carry with multiple broken tackles, then rushed 18 yards to the goal line for his second touchdown— breaking two more tackles along the way.
HPA’s Alaka‘i Aipia returned the kickoff 45 yards, but KSH dealt HPA’s offense a four-and-out and a turnover on downs near the 50-yard line.
Shortly after, Perry connected a 20-yard touchdown pass to Ramos, the last touchdown of the game.
Perry completed 14 of 26 pass attempts (53.8%) for 218 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
On Friday (Sept. 22), KSH will host Honoka‘a. In late August, the Warriors defeated the Dragons 30-7. They are looking to repeat their success against a more-prepared Honoka‘a squad.
“We’ve just gotta play cleaner football,” Wengler said. “We need to focus on ourselves. We had a tremendous amount of calls and holding penalties (against HPA) and against Honoka‘a. We gotta watch those flagrant things that happen. We’re learning, we’re trying to tighten those up.”
Ka Makani is now 3-2, and will play away against Pahoa on Thursday at Keaau HS. HPA routed the Daggers 33-0 during their last meeting.