KEALAKEKUA — Bad snaps, dropped passes, a steady pass rush and a total lack of a ground attack for most of the game didn’t faze Austin Ewing one bit.
As a result, Konawaena isn’t going anywhere.
Ewing tore up what had statistcally been the best defense in the BIIF on Saturday night, passing for 433 yards and four touchdowns as the Wildcats beat Kamehameha 35-12 to secure home-field advantage in the league’s Division II championship game.
The Warriors (4-2, 6-2) and Wildcats (5-1, 6-1) will do it again back at Julian R. Yates Field on either Oct. 21 or 22 in the finals with the BIIF’s lone state berth on the line.
After a slow start, Ewing broke the ice with a 84-yard touchdown pass to Kamakana Ching, who beat one-on-one coverage all night.
The play covered more yardage than Kamehameha allowed combined during one three-game stretch midseason.
The Warriors briefly gained momentum in the third quarter on the strength of two Kaimi Like touchdown passes, but the Wildcats’ defense frustrated Kamehameha’s ground game and stood tall despite being put in perilous situations.
Kamehameha sacked Ewing seven times, the Wildcats lost the turnover battle (3-0) and were a disaster in the punt game.
However, Ewing and the Wildcats simply used big plays to shine, with receivers repeatedly getting behind Kamehameha’s secondary.
Backed up in their own end late in the first half and protecting a 7-0 lead, Ewing found Ching for 31 yards and Austin Aukai for 35 more, setting up a short touchdown pass to Jeremiah Causga Llanes, Kuahuia-Pabre.
Ching caught 8 passes for 157 yards.
Ewing and Kuahuia-Pabre connected for a 40-yard reception early in the third quarter, and Konawaena appeared to be on cruise control after an Austin Santos-Johnson 2-yard-run capped the drive.
But a bad punt snap set up Like’s touchdown pass to Ayston Motta, and Israel Bowden did most of the work on the next score, catching a short pass and zooming down the left sideline on a play that covered 53 yards.
The Warriors forced a fumble to get back the ball back, but Kamehameha could take advantage of the Wildcats’ third turnover, and Ewing tacked on two more touchdown tosses, including the Wildcats’ final big play of the night: a dump-off pass to Micah Laban, who went 56 yards for a score.
Kamehameha had two golden opportunities to score in the first half after it took over in Konawaena territory after special teams plays — Jacob Perry recovered a muffed punt and Gavyn Cordero blocked a punt.
But each time the Wildcats stopped the Warriors on fourth down.
