Hilo’s offensive playmakers made highlight moments on the school’s homecoming, and the defensive standouts shined and simply overpowered Konawaena.
Saturday’s showdown was billed as a battle between the defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation champions from each division, but the game turned into a lopsided rout.
The Vikings didn’t play their best and struggled on the ground and in the air, but still dominated the Wildcats 39-7 in a BIIF football game at Wong Stadium.
Hilo (6-0 BIIF, 7-0) had a first half to remember. The defense held Konawaena’s offense to negative three yards. The Wildcats rushed 12 times for negative three yards while quarterback Cameron Howes was 3 of 15 for zero yards and two interceptions.
The Vikings scored on their first three possessions in the first quarter to seize a 21-0 lead to entertain their homecoming crowd and knock the wind out of Konawaena (4-2, 5-2).
Hilo quarterback Sione Atuekaho wasn’t particularly accurate, but was nonetheless quite effective. He was 5 of 14 for 98 yards with three touchdowns and two picks.
It was pretty much the same thing for running back Tristin Spikes, who rushed for 48 yards on 13 carries, a 3.7-yard average against a Wildcat defense that committed to the run with a stacked tackle box. Still he scored two touchdowns: a 26-yard pass and 14-yard run.
Hilo senior middle linebacker Ofa Fahiua continued to show he has a nose for the football. He had two interceptions, including a 70-yard pick-six in the second quarter.
The running game had 76 yards on 34 carries, a 2.2-yard average, and just couldn’t bust a long one against the Wildcats, who played press defense double-daring Hilo to throw deep. Atuekaho had his shining moments in the first quarter with scoring strikes of 18 yards to Jordan Caoagdan and 14 yards to Cohlby Espaniola.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats struggled all over the place.
Howes finished 8 of 25 for 31 yards with three interceptions. The running attack had 115 yards on 27 carries, and Howes had 73 yards on 11 carries.
But he ran for 53 yards in the third quarter when the score was 39-0. About a half-dozen Vikings had a chance to drop him behind the line of scrimmage, and another three or four had clear shots at tackling him after five yards.
Other than that there were few highlights for the Wildcats, the three-time defending Division II champs.
On Hilo’s first series, a five-play drive covered just 30 yards after a shanked Konawaena punt, capped by Atuekaho’s 18-yard scoring strike to Caoagdan.
Then the Vikings marched 67 yards and required only eight plays to score on their next drive. From the 3-yard line, Atuekaho pitched to Isaac Lerma, who easily scored. Fahiua ran in for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 lead.
On the ensuing series, Howes, who struggled with his accuracy in the first half, threw a pass behind the line of scrimmage, and Hilo’s Rylen Kanapio recovered the fumble.
On the next play, Atuekaho fired a 14-yard scoring strike to Espaniola for a 21-0 cushion.
In the second quarter, Fahiua had a pick-six, intercepting Howes and scoring on a 70-yard run.
Next, the Wildcats went three-and-out, and had their punt blocked. Two plays later, Atuekaho tossed his third TD, a 26-yard jump ball to Spikes.
The second quarter was also a turnover-fest. Hilo had two giveaways while Konawaena had three turnovers. Fahiua had a pair of picks and Kui Mortensen also grabbed an interception.
In the first half, Hilo’s defense smothered Konawaena’s do-it-all player, Bubba Ellis-Noa, who had two rushes for zero yards, threw an interception on a trick play, and caught two balls for negative three yards.
Ellis-Noa finished with four carries for seven yards, and had two catches for negative three yards.
The Vikings also won the turnover battle 4-2.
Konawaena 0 0 0 7 — 7
Hilo211260—39
First quarter
Hilo — Jordan Caoagdan 18 pass from Sione Atuekaho (kick failed), 7:43
Hilo — Isaac Lerma 3 run (Ofa Fahuia run), 3:17
Hilo — Cohlby Espaniola 14 pass from Atuekaho (Rayce Takayesu kick), 3:01
Second quarter
Hilo — Fahuia 70 interception (kick failed), 7:43
Hilo — Tristin Spikes 26 pass from Atuekaho (pass failed), 4:33
Third quarter
Hilo — Spikes 14 run (Keola Kelekolio pass from Donavan Kelley), 4:19
Fourth quarter
Kona — Algene Kelekolio 4 run (Cameron Howes kick), 10:56