So much for good, close competition among rivals. The final week of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation football regular season was marked by mismatches.
Kamehameha’s 46-28 victory at Keaau on Saturday was the closest game of the weekend, and that came after the Cougars closed with two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
While Ka‘u beat Kohala on Saturday to wrap up the eight-man BIIF title, 11-man teams turn to the playoffs.
The victory was important for the Warriors, who needed it to lock up the No. 1 seed in the Division II playoffs and avoid a semifinal matchup with Hawaii Prep, which beat Kamehameha at home earlier this season.
Fresh off a 44-19 victory at Honokaa on Saturday night, Ka Makani (4-3 Division II, 5-4) ride a three-game winning streak into a semifinal against Konawaena (5-2, 6-2) in Kealakekua that is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday. HPA hasn’t lost since a 27-20 setback at three-time defending Division II champion Konawaena on Sept. 20.
Instead of facing HPA, the Warriors (5-2, 5-2) will host Honokaa about 7:15 p.m. Friday. The Warriors already own a 55-7 home victory against the Dragons (2-5, 2-5).
The far more intriguing semifinal in Division I is between Waiakea (2-5, 2-7) and Kealakehe (3-4, 3-5), who are slated to meet about 7:15 p.m. Saturday at Waverider Stadium. The Warriors’ highlight of the season to date was a 24-21 overtime triumph against the Waveriders at Hilo’s Wong Stadium on Sept. 26.
At 7 p.m. Friday at Wong Stadium, top-seeded Hilo (7-0, 8-0) takes on Keaau (0-7, 0-8) in the other Division I semifinal.
Ka‘u athletic director Kalei Namohola said the playoff dates were tentative and would be finalized this week.