HILO – Austin Ewing felt the pressure, escaped the pocket, veered to his left and calmy flicked a pass to Tristan Fleming-Nazara in the end zone.
Playing with the poise of a veteran, one never would have known Ewing was making his first BIIF start.
The sophomore tossed three touchdown passes Friday night, Algene Kelekolio ran for three scores and the Wildcats stuffed Waiakea 57-17 at Wong Stadium.
Ewing’s first touchdown pass was wiped out by a penalty, as was a long Cameron Howes kickoff return to open the game, but Ewing more than made up for it in the second quarter.
Konawaena (1-0 BIIF, 3-0) took advantage of turnovers for its first two scores. Mahina Ellis-Noa intercepted Gehrig Octavio and returned the ball 62 yards to the 5 and Kelekolio plowed in for a score on the next play.
Early in the second quarter, the Wildcats took over at the Waiakea 25 after a fumble, which Ewing turned into a 15-yard scoring pass to Kamakana Ching.
The Wildcats’ best drive of the game covered 72 yards and took just five plays, and Ewing finished it when he improvised and found Fleming-Nazara for a 28-3 lead.
With the Wildcats buttoning up the play calling in the fourth quarter, Ewing finished 12 of 20 for 162 yards, including a 38-yard toss Jeriah Cacal for a score.
Makoa Andres provided a spark for Waiakea (BIIF Division I, 0-3) with two touchdown passes in the second half, but the Warriors managed just 107 yards on the ground despite making a concerted effort to run the ball
Kelekolio ran for 82 yards on 15 carries,
His third touchdown was set up by Konawaena’s second blocked punt of the game.
Micah Laban ran for 60 yards and two touchdowns. The Wildcats also recoverd an onside kick, setting up Leban’s second touchdown.
Fleming-Nazara hauled in seven catches for 61 yards.
Austin Santos-Johnson led Konawaena with 11 tackles, three for loss.
Konawaena 7 21 16 13 — 57
Waiakea 3 0 14 0 — 17