When Waiakea’s defense leaked a little, Honokaa quarterback Nainoa Falk found a hole and turned into a flying Dragon, rushing for productive gains to keep his offense humming.
Last Saturday, the junior quarterback led a spirited Honokaa ballclub to a 35-29 victory over Waiakea in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation football game at Wong Stadium.
It was a significant win, considering last season the Dragons, a BIIF charter member, suffered their first losing season in the program’s 45 years of gridiron play.
That’s ancient history as far as they’re concerned because Honokaa played hard all game long. That’s the biggest intangible coaches always preach: play hard, followed by play together and play smart. And first-year coach Hana Hanohano had his guys prepared.
His offensive line did a pretty good job blocking down, and Falk played with commanding patience on his zone-read options in Honokaa’s spread sets.
The best example is his 80-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left in the first quarter. When the Warriors lost containment on the edge, Falk tucked the football, turned the corner, and bolted to the end zone.
It was just one of his correct and brilliant reads. Falk finished with 155 yards on the ground and three touchdowns on 13 carries. He went 8 of 19 with a scoring strike and pick, accounting for four TDs.
For Week 2, Falk is the BIIF Player of the Week with an honorable mention nod to several Hilo standouts he’ll see at his home field Friday in what should shape up as a monster measuring stick.
Honorable mention (as nominated by coaches)
• Hilo senior running back Tristin Spikes, 132 yards and overtime touchdown on 27 carries in 27-20 win over Kamehameha.
• Hilo senior linebacker Ofa Fahuia, interception, game-ending fumble recovery.
“Ofa was the stalwart of our defense, and rose to the occasion showing that he is a big-game player,” Vikings coach David Baldwin said. “He’s the heart of the defense.”
• Hilo senior special teams ace Donavan Kelley, 85-yard kickoff return in third quarter.
“Down 20-7 at the half, he showed his big-play ability running the kickoff for a touchdown and allowing us to seize momentum,” Baldwin said. “We would ride that for a come-from-behind victory.”
• Hawaii Prep senior quarterback Koa Ellis, 19 of 30 for 259 yards with a TD and pick in 14-7 loss to Kealakehe.
“Koa is a great competitor and team leader for us,” Ka Makani coach Jordan Hayslip said. “He works hard in practice every day.”
Hilo (2-0 BIIF D-I, 3-0 overall) at Honokaa (1-1 BIIF D-II, 1-1), after 5 p.m. JV Friday
The Dragons couldn’t have asked for better preparation for Spikes than facing Waiakea’s Pono Auwae, who racked up 153 yards on 26 carries.
The rest of the Warriors went for a meager nine yards on 14 attempts, clearly displaying Auwae’s offensive value.
What makes Auwae (5 feet, 4 inches, 171 pounds) and Spikes (5-9, 195) stand out is their ability to dodge a direct hit right before the point of contact. They’ll quickly lean one way, like a motorcycle, making them tough to wrap up.
If a defender attempts a one-arm tackle, they’ll power through. Even if a defender or two squares up on them, both running backs have strong lower bases, and understand how to run with leverage to get extra yards.
The main thing for the Dragons is to stop Spikes. That’s the obvious part. The catch, of course, is they need to play with discipline.
Both teams run zone-option reads out of a single-back spread, and use the jet sweep to stretch the field. Make a mistake, like a defensive end crashing in and losing outside contain, and it’s an 80-yard TD.
Falk showed the league he’s a big-time threat, a reason he’s the BIIF player of the week.
As for the Vikings, they committed a whopping eight turnovers and still rallied to defeat Kamehameha.
How does that happen? Answer: When in trouble rely on your big-time playmakers. That’s why Baldwin nominated three of his top guys.
Kealakehe (2-0 D-I, 2-1) at Kamehameha (1-1 D-II, 1-1), after 5 p.m. JV Friday
Last season, the Warriors struggled with their run defense. They tackled much better against Hilo, and held Spikes to a 4.9-yard-per-carry average, not exactly something to shout about. But at least, Spikes didn’t go off for 250 yards or more.
Kamehameha’s biggest problem is finding someone to kick the the point-after attempts. Coach Dan Lyons said after the loss that there isn’t anyone the team is comfortable with.
It’s a math war the Warriors won’t win when opponents score a TD and kick the PAT for seven points, and they go for the two-point play, and convert 1 of 3, like they did against Hilo.
Waiakea (1-1 D-I, 1-3) at Konawaena (1-1 D-II, 2-1) Saturday
Along with Auwae, wide receiver Hunter Rapoza is another deserving honorable mention. Rapoza (5-6, 140) is a little guy, but don’t overlook him because he’s dangerous.
Throw single coverage on him and cross your fingers because he doesn’t drop deep balls. Rapoza had four receptions for 118 yards, including a 51-yard TD bomb, against the Dragons.
The Wildcats and their ground attack went to the woodshed for 381 yards against young-and-rebuilding Keaau in a 36-7 victory. Algene Kelekolio led the way with 180 yards on 19 attempts.
HPA (0-2 D-II, 1-3) at Keaau (0-2 D-I, 0-3), 4 p.m. Saturday
Bern Brostek is no longer an assistant for HPA, but no school has a better history at producing tough-nosed offensive linemen, starting with one of Brostek’s favorites, Seattle Seahawks center Max Unger.
Hayslip praised quarterback Ellis’ work ethic, leadership and competitive fire. Those are all quality intangibles, plus the senior QB always gives his team a fighting chance because he reads coverages, and can make third-down throws – often the difference between extending plays and winning games.
But it’s really difficult to consistently move the ball if a running game is always stuck in neutral, even for the best passing teams like those on Oahu.
The Cougars are young. Ellis will need a supportive ground game, especially come playoff time. There’s no better time for HPA’s offensive linemen to establish themselves.
8-man football
Pahoa (0-1 BIIF, 0-2 overall) at Ka‘u (1-0, 1-1), 6:30 p.m. Friday
The Daggers took their lumps against Kohala, falling 47-0 last Saturday at Kapaau. It was a return to the gridiron for the Cowboys, who dropped their 11-man program for two years.
Pahoa was playing their first regular-season BIIF game since 2001. It doesn’t get any easier in its second contest against the experienced Trojans, in their second year of 8-man football.
If talent is the best asset for a football team, a close second would be experience. Ka‘u showed a double dose of both in a 61-40 loss to Seabury Hall on Maui.
Trojan quarterbacks Cy Tamura and Jordan DeRamos accounted for five touchdowns. Which QB should the Daggers focus on? That’s a tough call because DeRamos threw two scoring strikes to Tamura.
And what to make of that score on the Valley Isle? To the surprise of no one, 8-man football is often high-scoring and always exciting.