KEAAU — The simple explanation is that Kamehameha converted a extra point and Honokaa didn’t, but there was more to their BIIF Division II semifinal game than that.
Spencer Yoshizumi scored on a 20-yard run in the first quarter, Elijah Dinkel kicked the PAT, and the Warriors edged the Dragons 7-6 on Saturday night at Paiea Stadium, where the wet weather made it suitable for smash-mouth football.
“Our offense stalled too many times,” Kamehameha coach Kealoha Wengler said. “We were out a lot of players, so I’m glad we came out with more points. We were out a lot of people due to close contact and injuries. We should be getting everybody back for the next week.
“I’m happy that we got through with the personnel that we had. Those boys really stepped up. We ran a lot of freshmen, and they stepped up. But I’m not really happy about our performance. Honokaa really did a good job preparing and planning and scouting us. They had a good strategy against us and did a good job. Hats off to them.”
Kamehameha (5-1) plays at Hawaii Prep (6-0) on Saturday for the BIIF championship and the league’s lone spot to the Division II state tournament.
“HPA gave everything they could the last time, and they came out ahead,” Wengler said. “We will have our guys returning and hoping to have our full team back.”
The season is over for Honokaa (3-3), which loses seven seniors, including their best player in running back Justin Pascua.
Wengler and Honokaa coach Fred Lau understood what the slippery situation called for: ball security, field positioning and adhering to the oldest gridiron motto, the team that makes the least amount of mistakes will win. Neither team had a turnover.
The Warriors and Dragons, historically, have never relied on a passing attack. Both know from generations past that it rains during the end of the fall season, and it’s tough to catch a wet football.
So the Division II elimination game started 30 minutes early on short notice due to weather concerns. There was no lightning during the game, but the artificial turf was wet and so were the footballs, despite no heavy showers, which soaked much of Hilo earlier in the day.
Pascua was sure-handed when he fielded a punt late in the first quarter and scored on a brilliant 52-yard return. But the Dragons couldn’t execute a snap to the holder. It was just a bit high and outside, Bob Uecker’s famous movie line, and the Warriors swamped the ball.
Kamehameha led 7-6 with 3:61 left in the first quarter, an eternity of time for Honokaa to stage a comeback.
But every time the Dragons marched down the field, Yoshizumi, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound linebacker, turned into a brick wall for the Warriors, who bent, bent and bent but didn’t break.
“Spencer did a really good job. He’s an outstanding athlete,” Wengler said. “He can go all over the field, play at any position. He did step it up. He’s a true leader of the team.”
In the third quarter with 9:39 left, Honokaa started at its 41 and went on an eight-play drive. The ball was at the Kamehameha 23 on fourth-and-4, so close to the red zone.
The Dragons passed once on the drive on second-and-18 from their 45. Aka Spencer hit Keaka Cagampang for a 22-yard reception.
Micah Acdal is small at 5 feet 3, 135 pounds, but the junior slotback is shifty and super quick. He ripped off a 15-yard run, followed by a 3-yard gain.
Then came Honokaa’s first big fourth-down moment with 3:02 left in the third quarter.
The Dragons did what they had done for most of the drive: They ran the ball, but Yoshizumi charged ahead, plugged the gap and got the ball back on downs for Kamehameha, which quickly faced its own critical short-yardage, fourth-down situation.
On a six-play drive, the Warriors had the ball at midfield. They, too, brought out the emergency passing play call, and Makaiokalani Snyder caught a 9-yard reception on third-and-10 on a split-back formation.
“We showed that we can pass the ball,” Wengler said.
The Warriors did what they had done for most of the drive: They ran the ball, but got stoned for no gain.
Honokaa took over at midfield and ran five straight times until the fourth quarter. Spencer passed once for an incompletion, and faced fourth-and-8 at the Warrior 37 with 11:55 left in the game.
No surprise, the Dragons ran, Spencer got 7 yards, a yard short, and the Warriors took over on downs.
They went three-and-out, and Honokaa had another scoring opportunity after the offense motored down on a four-play drive to the Kamehameha 38.
On third-and-25, Spencer dropped back to pass, and Yoshizumi sacked him and forced a fumble. The Warriors recovered, and three plays later couldn’t execute a snap on a 45-yard field goal attempt. The snap resembled a sinker. It was low and outside.
The Dragons took over, went three-and-out, and had an 8-yard punt. The Warriors took over at their 39 with 4:21 remaining and eventually ran out the clock.
