KAPAAU — Ka‘u scored nine touchdowns, in so many entertaining ways it was difficult to remember them all, even for someone like Cy Tamura, who accounted for three scores — each one more exciting than the next.
It wasn’t an official Big Island Interscholastic Federation football championship game on Saturday, but the visiting Trojans defeated Kohala 62-36 to capture the league’s inaugural eight-man title.
If the Cowboys (2-2 BIIF, 4-2) had won, there would have been a rematch for an official BIIF eight-man championship before the Division II title game.
Due to travel costs, the league decided two weeks ago that if the Trojans (4-0, 5-1) won the home and away games against Kohala, they would claim the eight-man title.
“I can’t remember all the touchdowns, but this is the first football championship for us,” said Ka‘u coach DuWayne Ke, who was soaked twice with the traditional ice victory bath.
It was rather nice that he got an ice water soaking instead of a sticky Gatorade bath, because it was sizzling hot and windy at Kohala’s campus football field.
The second-year eight-man coach had a proud father’s moment when his son, senior Kainalu Ke, intercepted a pass in the third quarter and scored on a 27-yard return.
At that point, the Trojans led 56-22 in a fast-paced thriller that was also filled with turnovers. Ka‘u had four giveaways; Kohala had five turnovers.
And it was fun times right from the start. On the game’s opening drive, the Trojans marched 65 yards on eight plays, capped by Tamura’s 3-yard run.
His second touchdown later in the first quarter was his favorite because it was a quickly improvised play. It started with Ka‘u quarterback Kukamaehuikupono DeRamos throwing a short pass to Anthony Emmsley-AhYee.
“I told Anthony to pass me the ball,” Tamura said of that lateral. “I took the ball and ran, and all I saw was open green.”
Tamura took it to the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown. Then Tamura returned the favor to Emmsley-AhYee in the third quarter.
On a designed halfback option, Tamura got the handoff, ran right and drew the Cowboys in. It was one of those bait on a hook deals and Kohala bit hard.
Emmsley-AhYee got behind two defenders, Tamura lofted a rainbow, and his pal scored on a 46-yard scoring strike for a 48-22 cushion.
For the hometown Cowboys, senior Josiah Pacheco had two long moments of brilliance.
In the first quarter, after Kaliikupapalani Apia-Dolan’s 55-yard pick-six for a 14-0 lead, Pacheco grabbed the kickoff, got on his giddy-up and scored on an 80-yard return.
Later in the first quarter, Pacheco found a seam and looked destined to score on a 91-yard run. But he was tackled by that guy, Tamura, at the 2-yard line. Pacheco got credited for an 89-yard run, and one play later Dalyn Kupukaa plunged into the end zone.
“This BIIF championship means a lot,” Tamura said. “It was a tough game but our line was blocking good and our backs made good plays. On our line, No. 52 (James Kuahiwinui) was just an animal and No. 51 (Austin Martin) was on it. He was hungry.”
Ka‘u 20 22 14 6 — 62
Kohala148014—36
First quarter
Ka‘u — Cy Tamura 3 run (run failed), 8:18
Ka‘u — Kaliikupapalani Apia-Dolan 55 interception (Tamura run), 2:17
Koh — Josiah Pacheco 80 kickoff (kick failed), 2:02
Ka‘u — Tamura 43 run (run failed), 1:11
Koh — Dalyn Kupukaa 2 run (Steven Medeiros pass from Hana Caravalho), 36.4
Second quarter
Ka‘u — Kupono Palakiko-Leffew 1 run (run failed), 8:56
Ka‘u — Anthony Emmsley-AhYee 5 run (Tamura run), 6:35
Koh — Pacheco 33 pass from Caravalho (Kupukaa run), 1:56
Ka‘u — Palakiko-Leffew 18 run (Tamura run), 1:10
Third quarter
Ka‘u — Emmsley-AhYee 46 pass from Tamura (run failed), 4:16
Ka‘u — Kainalu Ke 27 interception (Kainalu Medeiros-Dancel run), 3:46
Fourth quarter
Ka‘u — Kukamaehuikupono DeRamos 13 run (pass failed), 8:37
Koh — Pacheco 19 pass from Caravalho (Rocky Carnate pass from Carvalho), 6:00
Koh — Pacheco 35 run (pass failed), 4:07