In the first week of the Big Island Interscholastic season, many thought that the matchup between Konawaena and Kamehameha would be a preview of the Division II title game.
Fast-forward more than two months and that prediction has come to fruition, as the Warriors and Wildcats are the last teams standing in Division II.
It is the third time in four years the two teams will square off for the title. Kamehameha is looking to return to the top of the BIIF for the first time since 2010, and put an end to Konawaena’s three-year reign. But the Wildcats won’t give up their throne without a fight.
Here is what to watch for in the matchup:
Konawaena in focus
The Wildcats enter the championship riding the momentum of a 49-14 route of perennial D-II contender Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
Senior captain Bubba Ellis-Noa led the way, finding the end zone four times — twice rushing, once receiving and on a long interception return on HPA’s opening drive. Ellis-Noa even tossed a two-point conversion in the third quarter.
Cameron Howes, another mutlitool player for the Wildcats, threw a 21-yard touchdown and snuck into the end zone on a 1-yard QB sneak.
Full-time quarterback Shelton Grace finished an efficient 9 of 14 for 126 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Running back Algene Kelekolio looked the best he had all year against Ka Makani, exploding through holes and refusing to go down. The junior running back recorded 168 yards on the ground — including a season long 54-yard scamper — and a score.
While Konawaena’s offense operated flawlessly in the semifinal, the defense didn’t allow HPA any room to work. Outside of a 31 second span late in the first half when HPA scored two quick touchdowns, it may have been the Wildcats’ most impressive performance on defense this season — a giant statement considering the unit held crosstown rival Kealakehe to just 26 yards in the regular season finale.
Ellis-Noa set the tone with a 67-yard pick-six on HPA’s first possession, and corner Luca Vartic (six tackles, INT) rose to the challenge of shadowing and containing Ka Makani tight end Nicky Palleschi. Senior Akoni Gouveia-Medeiros brought the pressure, recording two sacks.
Howes is always a factor on special teams returning the ball, but won’t have to worry about kicking any longer. Junior varsity call-up Austin Ewing took over the kicking duties against HPA, going 5 for 6 on PATs.
Kamehameha in focus
It’s hard to talk about Kamehameha without mentioning standout quarterback Micah Kanehailua. The three-year starter has passed for a league-high 1655 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. In his last four games, Kanehailua has an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio.
Out wide, Alapaki Iaea (26 catches, 402 yards nine touchdowns) and Bayley Malinguis (29 catches, 368 yards, five touchdowns) are Kanehailua’s favorite targets.
While Kanehailua was expected to be a big contributor entering the season, the emergence of Kaeo Batacan at running back is something Kamehameha was missing at the start of the season. Batacan has 256 yards on the ground the last two weeks, and has found the end zone at least once in five consecutive games. Chase Peneku has also contributed to the ground game.
The defense has been helped by the play of defensive lineman Pono Davis, who has recorded nine sacks this season. Nine different Warriors have interceptions, led by Preston Kalai with five.
Kamehameha played a top-heavy schedule, starting with Konawaena and then facing three D-I teams in a row. The Warriors emerged from that stretch 3-1, the only loss coming in overtime to Hilo in a game that featured eight Viking turnovers.
The Warriors hit a bump in the road with a road loss to HPA, but were missing a handful of key contributors because of a mix of injuries and academics.
Kamehameha closed out the season back on track, averaging nearly 50 points per game the final three games of the season, including a 48-7 BIIF semifinal win against Honokaa.
Konawaena keys to victory
The Wildcats are not the same team that lost to Kamehameha in the league-opener. While many of the contributors are the same, the coaching staff has found a way to utilize the unique, multidimensional skill sets of many of the team’s playmakers.
Against the Warriors, Konawaena had all the pieces, but had yet to put it together. Howes played the majority of the game at quarterback, Ellis-Noa at running back and Kelekolio only touched the ball on special teams.
The emergence of Kelekolio and the transition of Grace to the No. 1 QB spot has allowed the Wildcats be more flexible with their skill positions. Every week the offense has evolved, adding new wrinkles, like the jumbo set the Wildcats used against Kealakehe.
The Wildcats running their best runs efficiently and expanding upon those plays will be key. For example, against HPA Howes ran a jet sweep once for big yardage, and then, on the same play, he threw the ball 21 yards to Kayson Mahiai for a score.
Ellis-Noa is by far the Wildcats most important playmaker and will have to be a factor for the Wildcats to capture a fourth consecutive title. He was held to just 40 total yards in the loss to the Warriors and had little room to work. Konawaena has found a variety of ways to get the returning two-way All-BIIF selection involved. Ellis-Noa has a team-high 13 touchdowns this season — seven rushing, four receiving and two on defense.
At quarterback, Grace has not done huge damage with his arm since returning from an injury that kept him out two games, but he hasn’t had to. Screen passes are usually the Wildcats most effective weapon in the passing game, and Grace’s lone interception since returning came on a long attempt toward the end of the first half against HPA. Konawaena has to keep it simple in the passing game and continue to take care of the ball.
Tate “Baba” Hing (53 tackles) and Kevin Medeiros (46 tackles, 8 TFL) are big contributors on the defensive side of the ball, and the duo will have to bring pressure and force Kanehailua into bad decisions. Torin Tuppein will likely be in the mix as well. He has a team-high eight sacks this season.
The secondary shut down Ka Makani’s potent passing game last week, but face the league’s best pure passer in Kanehailua. Corners Vartic and Kaneala Kaaihue, as well as the rest of the secondary, will have to rise to the test and prevent big plays through the air.
And despite being on the road, the Wildcats are looking forward to escaping the muddy terrain of Kealakekua and playing on the speedy artificial turf at Kamehameha’s stadium.
Kamehameha keys to victory
Kanehailua had his worst passing performance of the season when the Warriors visited Kealakekua, completing just seven passes for 81 yards. However, Kanehailua managed an uncharacteristic 80 yards rushing — 65 coming on a momentum-changing play. The remainder of the year, Kanehailua recorded just 73 total yards on the ground.
That kind of will to win is what Kanehailua and the rest of his squad will have to bring to the table to knock off the three-time defending champion Wildcats.
The Wildcats have a speedy front seven and love to bring pressure. If Kanehailua can slow down that pressure by getting in rhythm, the entire offense will thrive.
On defense, Kamehameha needs to account for Cameron Howes on every play. While the Wildcats have a bevy of playmakers, Howes has the ability to come out of seemingly nowhere and make a game-changing play.