Tanikeni “Isi” Holani and Tristin Spikes were dominant, outstanding and valuable in their own way for the Hilo High football team, which experienced its most successful season in a decade.
Despite facing constant double teams, Holani, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound senior lineman, was a defensive terror and piled up 40.5 tackles and 13.5 sacks. Better yet, he earned high praise from Hilo coach Dave Baldwin.
“He was one of the most dominant players in the history of Hilo High football,” Baldwin said. “He was a force to be reckoned with. He was double and triple teamed and still influenced the game. That allowed the other guys to have the seasons they had. It was the best front seven in the league this year.
“It doesn’t show on the stats when they had to double him, and somebody else made a play, despite getting cut or a high-low block on him. He still created havoc and had an impact. Those are the things that are immeasurable, beyond his stats.”
On the other side of the ball, Spikes, smaller as a 5-8, 175-pound junior running back, ran with an inspirational fire for 1,227 yards on 158 carries, and scored nine touchdowns often against a tackle box filled with defenders.
Holani and Spikes powered the Vikings (10-2) to the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I championship, the school’s first since 2003, transforming a team that was winless in 2011.
Waiakea workhorse senior Devin Preston, one of only two returning starters, was productive as a running back, gaining 1,198 yards on 189 attempts while playing linebacker and safety on defense, and filling in on special teams, too.
Spikes and Preston were voted the BIIF Division I Co-Offensive Players of the Year, by the league’s coaches.
Holani was voted the BIIF Division I Defensive Player of the Year.
Preston and Holani are repeat first-team picks, as well as Hilo offensive linemen Jason Tara-Antone and John Funaki, wide receiver Donavan Kelley, defensive lineman Makana Josue-Maa, linebacker Sione Holika and Kealakehe offensive lineman Feke Sopoaga-Kioa.
Waverider senior defensive lineman Travis Lualemaga is a three-time All-BIIF first-team selection.
Other Hilo first-team picks were O-lineman Jamerson Keakualua-Tuiaana, wide receiver and punter Aven Kualii, cornerbacks Tyler Mahoe and Kuilua Mortensen, and linebacker Ofa Fahiua.
Warrior workhorse
It was the final season together at Waiakea for coach Moku Rita and his ironman son Devin Preston, who has a scholarship offer on the table from Division I-A Eastern Washington, which spotted video from Thane Milhoan’s website sportzviz.com.
“He was very valuable. He played pretty much every down. He’ll be missed next year,” Rita said. “I’ve coached him since Pop Warner, little kid time to all the way up. He gave us leadership in school, off the field, on the field. The guys on the team listened to him. He’s a good leader and I’m going to miss that. I’m actually going to miss his hard-hitting, too.”
Preston also has chance to impress more college coaches at the Samoa Bowl on Dec. 29. He leaves with his dad on Saturday for three days of practice with the Hawaii team on Oahu. Then it’s off to Samoa for a seven-day trip.
“It’s a special honor to get co-offensive player of the year,” he said. “It’s pretty amazing. My dad pushed me hard. I took what he gave me to push to the next level. He taught me how to be a leader and gave me the utmost support.
“My favorite memory was just spending time with my team, especially the seniors and all the time we had together.”