HONOKAA – There was a time not too long ago that Honokaa’s football team was intent to run every play. Passing only came out of necessity.
Featuring a big-play aerial assault, the Dragons looked nothing like those teams Friday night.
Kealakehe, meanwhile, did resemble some of the squads that dominated BIIF Division I a handful of years ago. The Waveriders pounded the ball on offense, pressured the quarterback and came up with big plays on special teams.
The vintage approach won out. Riggs Kurashige scored two touchdowns, including on a punt return, and Kealakehe held on for a 24-16 victory after making several defensive stands.
Kurashige rushed for 96 yards to go along with five catches, and Akoni Demello added 80 yards running, and the Waveriders needed all of it to withstand Honokaa’s dazzling passing attack.
Nainoa Falk got comfortable in Honokaa’s spread offense, competing 23 of 49 and for 442 yards. Falk and senior wide receiver Jonathan Charbonneau just missed connecting in Week 1, but they put up one big play after another against the Waveriders (2-0 BIIF Division I, 3-2).
Charbonneau hauled in seven catches for 202 yards, including touchdowns of 22 and 10 yards for the Dragons (1-1 BIIF Division II, 1-3).
Kealakehe used a steady of a diet of its run game, but took the lead for good through the air in the second quarter when Anthony “Head” Trevino hit Kanoa Snively on a 52-yard scoring play.
Kealakehe sacked Falk nine times. Joseph Kaopua had a big one for a 14-yard loss to stall a drive after Honokaa took over at the Waveriders’ 24 after a fumble early in the third quarter. Kaopua finished with three sacks.
Both defenses buckled down in the second half. Trailing by a touchdown, Charbonneau’s 28-yard catch set up first-and-goal at 5, but Kealakehe stuffed Falk and forced a fumble.
After a Kealakehe safety, Falk and Charbonneau connected again to reach the Kealakehe 24, but Kaopua busted through again for a sack and the drive ended on downs.
With Markus Degrate in at quarterback, the Waveriders kept it on the ground, getting nice runs from Demello, to drive down for a short field goal.
But Honokaa wasn’t done. Falk found Micah Lorenzo, who dragged defenders down to the 1. After an assisting-the-runner penalty and a sack pushed the ball back to the 11, Klein Hao niftily batted down a ball in the end zone on third down, and Falk was pushed out at the two-yard line on fourth down.
Hao had one of Kealakehe’s two interceptions.
Kealakehe 7 14 0 3 – 24
Honokaa 8 6 0 2 —16
First quarter
Keal – Riggs Kurashige 62 punt return (kick good), 5:09
Hon – Jonathan Charbonneau 22 pass from Nainoa Falk (Trueston Andrade pass from Kainalu Lau), 3:38
Second quarter
Keal – Kurashige 14 run (kick good), 11:53
Hon – Charbonneau 10 pass from Falk (kick failed), 6:40
Keal – Kanoa Snively 52 pass from Anthony “Head” Trevino (kick good), 5:40
Fourth quarter
Hon – Safety, Trevino intentional grounding in end zone, 10:03
Keal – FG, 19, 2:08