KEAAU — Konawaena didn’t need a 14-point cushion to capture its second straight Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II championship.
John Kamoku ran roughshod for 231 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries to power the Wildcats over Kamehameha-Hawaii 32-28 on Friday night at a packed Paiea Stadium.
The Wildcats took the overall BIIF championship outright, beating the Warriors twice, including 16-3 in the first round at Julian Yates Field.
Konawaena (9-4) will host Oahu Interscholastic Association runner-up Nanakuli (6-4) at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 in the first round of the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II state playoffs.
Neither home-field advantage nor the school’s first homecoming helped the Warriors (10-3), who committed seven turnovers. The Wildcats had just three turnovers.
Kamoku also scored on a 15-yard screen pass from junior quarterback Lii Karratti, who was 6-of-18 for 89 yards. He threw two interceptions and finished his BIIF season with big numbers: 41 touchdowns and seven picks.
Kamoku, a senior running back, also added to his BIIF totals: 1,074 rushing yards on 106 carries. Kenan Gaspar was a favorite Karratti target. He caught five balls for 77 yards.
Kamehameha’s Micah Kanehailua had a rough night. The sophomore quarterback was 13-of-21 for 256 yards with three touchdowns but four interceptions. Ina Teofilo ran for 122 yards on 23 carries.
The first half was filled with turnovers and frustration for the Warriors, who had five turnovers (three Kanehailua picks and two Teofilo fumbles); the Wildcats had two turnovers (two Karratti interceptions).
Kamehameha was rather lucky to be trailing just 18-14 at halftime. Konawaena scored only once off a turnover, capitalizing when Karratti bulldozed in from a yard out for a 12-7 lead in the second quarter.
On the ensuing series, the Warriors took a 14-12 lead after Teofilo ran for a 12-yard touchdown, with all five plays in the drive on the ground.
The Wildcats immediately answered with a nine-play scoring drive, sticking to a wildcat offense with direct snaps to Kamoku, who ran six times and plunged in from 3 yards out for an 18-14 lead.
In the first quarter, the Warriors got off on the wrong foot with Teofilo fumbling on the first snap of the game.
Konawaena eventually drove to the 1-yard line, but despite a golden red-zone scoring opportunity turned the ball over.
Kamehameha cornerback Kaua Aganus made two key defensive plays. First, on third and goal from the 1-yard line, Karratti ran left on the bootleg, but Aganus maintained his gap responsibility and tackled him for a 1-yard loss. On the next play, Aganus picked Karratti off.
The Warriors looked smooth, scoring on a six-play drive that featured a pair of long passing strikes from Kanehailua to Kama Vincent (27 and 30 yards) in one-on-one coverage. Kanehailua fired a quick slant to Shaun Kagawa, who raced to the end zone from 31 yards out.
That 7-0 lead disappeared on the first play from scrimmage, when the Warriors packed the middle for a run blitz, and Kamoku bounced to the left side of the line, walled off by a green and white shirts, and zipped in for a 69-yard TD.
From that point, Konawaena adjusted its coverage, dropping two safeties deep. Kanehailua went 5-of-11 for 118 yards and three interceptions in the first half.
Teofilo had a big first half with 108 yards on 18 carries, matching Kamoku, who rushed for 132 yards on 10 carries. Karratti went 2-of-8 for 32 yard with two picks in the first half.
Konawaena 6 12 7 7 — 32
Kamehameha 7 7 8 6 — 28
First quarter
Kam — Shaun Kagawa 31 pass from Micah Kanehailua (Logan Uyetake kick), 6:00
Kona — John Kamoku 69 run (kick failed), 5:40
Second quarter
Kona —Lii Karratti 1 run (pass failed), 9:15
Kam — Ina Teofilo 12 run (Uyetake kick), 6:40
Kona — Kamoku 3 run (pass failed), 4:26
Third quarter
Kona — Kamoku 15 pass from Karratti (John Replogle kick), 7:51
Kam —Kagawa 60 pass from Kanehailua (Adri Castro pass from Kanehailua), 6:19
Fourth quarter
Kona — Bubba Ellis-Noa 1 run (Replogle kick), 6:10
Kam — David Lopez 12 pass from Kanehailua (pass failed), :10
