They’ve dealt with their share of adversity early, overcoming key injuries and suspensions.
But a 2-1 nonconference record and a dominant performance in a game in which they played short-handed have the Kealakehe Waveriders where they want to be before heading into their Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I opener against Waiakea (1-0 BIIF Division I, 2-2 overall) on Saturday.
The contest will follow a 5 p.m. junior varsity game between the schools at Waverider Stadium.
Kealakehe comes off a 35-13 win over San Diego-area school El Capitan, and the Waveriders played that game without seven players who served one-game suspensions for what Kealakehe coach Sam Papalii called “off-the-field violations.’’
Most of the players, Papalii said, were offensive and defensive linemen. Regardless, the Waveriders still gained 301 total yards of offense while yielding just 142 yards and collecting seven sacks defensively.
“We got most of our players healthy, and we ended with the win we needed,’’ Papalii said. “We got some momentum.”
That wasn’t the case before the Waveriders played their first game on Oahu against Kailua of the Oahu Interscholastic Association. Kealakehe played the contest without two of their best offensive weapons in starting quarterback Jordan Cristobal and Vincent Paogofie, a sure-handed wide receiver and the team’s backup quarterback.
For the most part, Papalii couldn’t run the option or spread offense he planned to employ at the beginning of the season, saying the team used “only five plays” in a grueling 10-3 victory on Aug. 10.
Then it took two weeks — the team suffered a 34-0 home loss to Kamehameha-Oahu with Cristobal and Paogofie back on the field on Aug. 24 — for Kealakehe to hit its stride.
But against El Capitan, Cristobal showed his versatility, breaking off big runs while running the option and completing a high percentage of passes in the spread offense.
Over two games, Cristobal has completed 22 of 35 passes for 308 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 103 yards and a score.
“I thought they would be hurting with the graduation of (2011 Offensive Player of the Year) Tyler Yates, but Cristobal, he’s just as good, maybe a little better runner,’’ Waiakea coach Fred Lau said. “We’ll have to contain him somehow.”
Meanwhile, Lennox Jones, who will play at tailback and wide receiver, has displayed an ability to make defenders miss in the open field and gain extra yards after receptions. The 5-foot-6 senior has rushed for 177 yards on 36 carries and caught 12 passes for 117 yards.
Kealakehe’s skill players operate behind an offensive line that averages 318 pounds per man.
“They’re gigantic,’’ Lau said.
But Lau also referred to Kealakehe’s defensive front, which features junior Travis Lualemaga (6-1, 312) and senior David Fangupo (6-2, 348).
Papalii said his defense didn’t perform up to his expectations against Kamehameha-Oahu, blowing assignments in pass coverage that led to two easy touchdowns and not applying enough pressure on the quarterback.
That all changed against El Capitan.
“I think we’re getting the secondary playing together more,’’ Papalii said. “We played against a passing team (in El Capitan), and we did pretty good.
“I thought the guys up front swarmed, attacked and hit the way we like to hit.”
Kealakehe’s defense must try to contain another dual-threat weapon in senior quarterback Kean Wong, who will attend the University of Hawaii on a baseball scholarship.
Wong, who didn’t start practicing with Waiakea until the second week of August, needed to meet the league’s 15-practice minimum before becoming eligible to play.
In his first game, he rushed for 92 yards on 14 carries and completed both of his pass attempts, helping the Warriors top Keaau 31-27 at Wong Stadium last Saturday.
As a team, Waiakea has flourished running the ball, leaning on junior tailback Devin Preston, who has rushed for 287 yards and five touchdowns in his past two games.
However, Lau said the Warriors can throw the ball downfield if opponents key on the run.
“We didn’t have to pass too much (against Keaau),’’ Lau said. “But we have a pretty good passing game with Kean. If our running game comes to a halt, we can pass the ball.”
The Waiakea coach did express concern over turnovers, saying his team botched a handful of snaps against the Cougars. In fact, that problem plagued the Warriors the last time they played at Waverider Stadium.
Waiakea moved the ball well against Kealakehe on the ground last September, with Preston rushing for 93 yards and Wong running for 68. However, the Warriors turned the ball over three times in Waverider territory in the first half, allowing Kealakehe to take a 24-0 halftime lead and roll to a 48-13 victory.
Waveriders senior linebacker Manase Hungalu recorded four of his team-high 10 sacks in the game.
“We have to minimize turnovers,’’ Lau said. “We have to keep (Kealakehe’s) offense off the field — (have) ball control as much as me can.”
Lau said the Warriors’ defense has performed much like Kealakehe’s in that particular contest, allowing teams to march down the field before making big plays — many of them coming from linebackers Taz Preston and Suwaiter Poch — that stall drives.
“Defensively, we give up a lot of yardage, but when we need to, we stand our ground,’’ Lau said.
Lau wants the Warriors’ secondary to harness its aggression against Kealakehe, saying his defensive backs pursue the football aggressively on run plays but become susceptible to play-action passes.
“We have to coach them up and (tell them) the linebackers have everything in front of them,’’ Lau said.
Ka‘u at Konawaena, 7 p.m. Friday
Averaging 44 points per game, the offense for the defending BIIF Division II champion Wildcats (1-0 BIIF, 3-1 overall) has been virtually unstoppable.
In the team’s BIIF opener last Saturday, junior quarterback Lii Karratti threw four touchdown passes for the second time this season, finishing with 381 passing yards in a 49-13 home win over Honokaa.
Karratti, who leads the state with 1,004 passing yards, has three receivers who have caught 10 passes or more this season in seniors Domonic Morris (14 receptions), Kenan Gaspar (13) and Chase Takaki (10).
Morris and Gaspar rank first and second in the state in touchdown receptions with five and four, respectively.
Meanwhile, senior John Kamoku, who has rushed for 208 yards and six touchdowns, gives the offense balance at running back.
Ka‘u (0-1, 0-1) comes off a 41-0 home loss to Hawaii Prep in which junior quarterback Chance Emmsley completed 6 of 10 passes for 59 yards and an interception.
Konawaena has won the past three meetings between the teams, outscoring the Trojans by a combined score of 102-0 in two games last season.
Keaau vs. Hilo, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Under first-year coach David Baldwin, the Vikings (0-0, BIIF Division I, 1-1 overall) won their first game since a 51-47 win over Waiakea on Oct. 9, 2010, stopping a 12-game losing streak with a 21-18 nonconference victory over HPA on Aug. 18.
Hilo will try to end a seven-game BIIF regular-season skid when it takes on Keaau (0-1, 0-3) at Wong Stadium.
The Vikings rallied for a 12-0 deficit to beat HPA, with sophomore quarterback Donovan Kelley throwing two touchdown passes in the game.
But Hilo junior quarterback Drew Kell, who suffered a finger injury early in the season, will start for the Vikings under center.
Meanwhile, the Cougars, behind quarterback Keha Wong, will try to stop a four-game losing streak dating back to last year.
Last week, Wong threw for 312 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-27 loss to Waiakea.
Keaau has won the past three meetings between the teams.
Kohala at Hawaii Prep, 2 p.m. Saturday
In essence, the contest serves as the Cowboys’ season opener.
Kohala (0-1 BIIF Division II, 0-1 overall) forfeited last Friday’s game at Kamehameha because several players failed to meet the league’s 15-practice eligibility minimum, leaving the team short-handed.
Last week, Cowboys first-year coach Reginald Tolentino said his team will suit up against Ka Makani.
Kohala will face a Hawaii Prep team that comes off a 41-0 win at Ka‘u in which Ka Makani (1-0, 1-2) rushed for 278 yards.
Senior Mike Nakahara had an 84-yard touchdown run and a 25-yard touchdown reception, collecting 97 rushing yards and 40 receiving yards.
Junior running back Bobby Lum added 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns on five carries.
KS-Hawaii at Honokaa, 7 p.m. Saturday
The contest pits two teams that rely heavily on the ground game.
Kamehameha-Hawaii (1-0 BIIF Division II, 4-0 overall) has run the ball effectively, with rugged junior running back Ina Teofilo rushing for 318 yards and two touchdowns on 51 carries in the Warriors’ past two games.
The Dragons (0-1, 1-2), behind the full-house backfield of Justen Kawamoto, Sione Epenesa and Caleb Pacheco, has rushed for 312 yards in its past two contests.
Kawamoto, a 210-pound senior, has 96 rushing yards and two touchdown runs on 25 carries.
The Warriors enter the contest with a four-game winning streak against the Dragons.
Follow Joe Ferraro on Twitter (@jf_hawaiisports).
