KAILUA-KONA — For three straight seasons, Konawaena football has dominated the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF).
The last time the Wildcats lost to a conference opponent was during the 2019 season. On Thursday night against local rival Kealakehe at Waverider Stadium, Konawaena capped off its third consecutive regular season undefeated in the BIIF — winning 77-0 and finishing 9-1 overall (8-0 BIIF).
“These guys work so hard every day, they deserve it,” Wildcats coach Brad Uemoto said of the accomplishment. “From weight training to speed training, to the practices we put them through — the results show on the field.”
Konawaena quarterback Keoki Alani additionally made state history on his first touchdown pass of the game: Surpassing Timmy Chang’s all-time Hawaii prep touchdown record of 113. He posted 268 yards and seven touchdown passes on the night, finishing with 50 touchdown throws for the second straight regular season.
The senior now has 120 career passing touchdowns.
“It really says something about his career and what he’s been able to do for this program, and I’m happy for him,” Uemoto added.
Ali‘imalu Tan was Alani’s favorite target of the evening, as the Wildcats receiver hauled in four touchdown receptions. Konawaena receiver Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio finished with two touchdowns and teammate Abraham Ogata had a touchdown reception of his own. Austin Takaki and Keau Higashi also added a rushing touchdown each.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Wildcats gave the Waveriders nothing to work with — consistently forcing Kealakehe to punt in its own territory, giving Konawaena prime field position nearly every drive. Armenio Blanco each had two interceptions apiece, while Takaki had one of his own. Keawe Navas Loa returned a forced fumble for 30 yards for a score.
The night began with Takaki returning the opening kick all the way to the Waveriders’ 37-yard line. Following a couple of Ogata catches to move the chains deeper into Kealakehe’s territory, Anahu-Ambrosio caught a quick pass over the middle for 20 yards for the Wildcats’ first score. Elias Malapit punched the ball through the middle to convert the 2-point attempt.
After a strong defensive stand shortly thereafter, Konawaena found itself in Kealakehe’s territory once again, moving the chains to set up a 10-yard Tan touchdown reception. The same sequence repeated in the next two possessions : A Wildcats’ defensive stop followed by touchdown from the offense — this time from a screen pass to Anahu-Ambrosio from five yards out.
In the second quarter, Alani found Ogata for a deep connection on fourth down for another Konawaena touchdown, lengthening the lead by 28 points. Takaki then showed off his backfield skills with a 25-yard rushing touchdown. In the ensuing possession, Konawaena picked off the Waveriders to put Konawaena in Kealakehe’s territory once more. Tan then caught a 15-yard pass for another Wildcats’ score.
Konawaena continued to pile it on near the end of the first half, as Blanco grabbed another Wildcats’ interception and returned it nearly 30 yards for the pick six. Konawaena continued to make its defensive presence known — forcing the Waveriders to fumble to set up another Tan touchdown catch.
In the ensuing possession, the Wildcats forced another turnover, as an interception put the green and white in prime position to score another touchdown. Higashi then rushed the ball 28 yards for six, giving Konawaena a 63-0 lead going into halftime.
The Wildcats still wouldn’t let up in the second half. Alani fired a beautiful over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to Tan for an 11-score lead. Navas Loa then scored the final touchdown of touchdown of the night off a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter.
“I’m happy with how we played, but at the end of the day, we have to continue to get better with a big game ahead of us,” Uemoto said.
What’s next?
With the regular season now in the rearview mirror, Konawaena must take care of business in the Central Pacific Bank/BIIF Division I Championship next weekend against Kea‘au, with an official date and kickoff time to be announced. The winner will be crowned this year’s Division-I champion with an automatic ticket to the HHSAA state tournament.
“It’s always tough to play (Kea‘au) three times in a season, and they’re going to throw the kitchen sink at us,” Uemoto said of the upcoming BIIF Championship. “But we have a full week ahead to really dig down and make sure we’re prepared for that game.”
Kealakehe’s season has come to an end, finishing the year 2-8.
