Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto came away with a handful of positives from the Wildcats season-opening 18-6 victory over ILH opponent Saint Francis, but he knows his Wildcat squad is still far off from working at its maximum potential.
“We did enough,” the first-year head coach said.
That enough translated to Konawaena scoring 18 points in the first 15 minutes of the game, the defense holding the Saints to just 137 yards of offense. The Wildcats defense pitched a shut out for the majority of the game, until a tipped pass set up a 7-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
“We made a lot of mistakes but cleaned up some of it early this week,” Uemoto said. “The promising thing was what we did in the first quarter on offense. And our defense was outstanding. We were a little upset to give up the shutout late, but our goal was to get out of there with a win, no matter the score.”
The final tune-up for the Wildcats before the BIIF season beings comes in the form of a road test against Kauai (0-1) on Saturday.
The Red Raiders of the Garden Isle lost to Damien 34-19 last weekend.
“We have watched the film. They have two big running backs that are tough to bring down,” Uemoto said.
The Red Raiders started sophomore QB Aukai Albao against Damien, and Uemoto expects the KIF squad to lean on the run.
“The Saint Francis game was a great physical test for us and I think we showed we can stop the run,” Uemoto said. “We will want to use our speed up front to get in the backfield.”
Defensive end Torin Tuppein led the way for Konawaena against the Saints, recording eight tackles and forcing two safeties on a forced fumble and blocked punt. He will play a vital role in containing Kauai running back Jhustin Balisacan, who rumbled for 128 yards and two touchdowns against Damien.
Konawaena will be looking for a four-quarter performance from its offense. After two quick scores, the offensive unit produced just enough for the win — especially on the final drive of the game that ate up more than five minutes of clock to keep the Saints off the field.
A shorthanded offensive line — playing with just one returning starter in Zack Kaiwi — held up enough to give sophomore QB Austin Ewing time. Although an adept passer from the pocket, Ewing’s TD strikes both came on improvised plays outside of the pocket.
Konawaena is sending both its JV and varsity squads to Kauai. The Wildcats open the BIIF season against Waiakea on Aug. 28.
Honokaa (0-1) at Saint Francis (1-1)
The Dragons will be the second BIIF squad in a row to face the Saints, and will be looking to end the preseason on a high note after a loss to Waialua.
“An ILH team is great competition for us,” said Honokaa head coach Morgan “Hana” Hanohano. “The boys have been working hard since Waialua and we feel confident heading in.”
Against the Bulldogs, quarterback Nainoa Falk accounted for two touchdowns — one rushing and one passing. He found Jonathan Charbonneau four times for 103 yards in the contest, but also threw three interceptions.
Falk also led the Dragons in rushing, with 69 yards.
While the Wildcats kept the Saint Francis offense in check last weekend, the Saints reeled off 62 points in a shutout victory over Anuenue in their preseason debut.
“We will start implementing more stuff we have been working on in practice this game,” Hanohano said. “We just want to see the boys give 100 percent and never give up.”
Kealakehe (1-1) vs. Vincent Massey (Canada)
The Waveriders will welcome Canadian foe Vincent Massey on Saturday.
The game closes out a busy preseason for Kealakehe that has included a 28-7 win against Maui and a lopsided 37-0 loss against Iolani last weekend on Oahu.
A strong running game and aggressive defense carried Kealakehe over Maui, but the offense could not get going against Iolani, just cracking the 100-yard mark. Ini Paio and Kobe Antolin — the Waveriders top options at running back — are both sidelined with injuries.
Quarterbacks Markus Degrate and Anthony Trevino will be the focus against Vincent Massey. Neither have gained any separation in the position battle so far this preseason — Degrate going 8 of 21 for 93 yards with an interception, and Trevino 9 of 25 for 71 yards and two picks.
Hawaii Prep (0-0) vs. Damien (2-0), 2 p.m.
Ka Makani gets its first and only official test of the preseason against the Monarchs on Saturday.
Damien has used a balanced attack in its two victories against Kauai (34-19) and Aiea (14-13) this season. The Monarchs are averaging 122.5 yards through the air and 149.5 yards on the ground.
Hawaii Prep is looking to replace the production of three-year starting QB/DB Koa Ellis and All-BIIF pass catcher Nicky Palleschi. Speedy senior Justin Perry is expected to play a big role for Ka Makani on both sides of the ball, but was injured in a scrimmage against Keaau last week and will be limited, if not sidelined.
Other players to watch for Ka Makani will be defensive tackle Anthony Palleschi and utility player Alex Brost.
Hawaii Prep opens its BIIF campaign against Hilo at home on Aug. 29.