KEALAKEKUA — If undefeated Konawaena is the pace car in the BIIF, all the other teams better step on the gas.
The Wildcats (5-0 overall, 3-0 BIIF DII) racked up 493 yards of offense and downed Keaau (0-5 overall, 0-3 BIIF DI) in dominant fashion 54-0 on homecoming night at Julian R. Yates field.
In a little more than one quarter of action, quarterback Austin Ewing completed 8-of-13 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown. Running backs Algene Kelekolio and Mahina Ellis-Noa each had a pair of touchdowns.
The Wildcats have outscored BIIF opponents 154-44 so far this season.
There is no way around it — the numbers for Keaau were atrocious. Keaau finished with negative 56 total yards of total offense. Quarterback Dilan Santos finished 5-of-16 for 21 yards and two interceptions. The Cougars longest play came on an 8-yard dump off pass in the flats right before half.
Vicente Cancino caused a lot of the lost yardage with four sacks and Cameron Howes had a pair of picks.
Konawaena came out determined to set the pace. In a hurry up, shotgun set, Ewing hit on passes of 15 and nine yards to get the Wildcats moving in the right direction. When it looked like the drive was going to stall, Ewing showed off some athleticism with three runs that equaled 25 yards.
The sophomore quarterback seemed to make his first mistake of the game on a throw to an end zone into a group of Cougar defenders. The ball bounced off the hands of a Keaau defensive back and safely into the arms of Kamakana Ching for a touchdown.
Howes picked off Keaau’s first pass of the game, but Konawaena could not turn it into points after a projectile fumble by Ewing that translated into a touchback.
Keaau moved the ball on its next drive thanks to 45 yards of penalties on Konawaena. The drive ended abruptly at midfield after an Austin Santos-Johnson sack that pushed Keaau into negative net yardage.
The Wildcats capitalized on their next opportunity with the ball. Ewing hit Kupono Kane with a 15-yard pass, and then floated a lateral to Howes. He left a few defenders in the mud and went 26 yards to make it a two-score game.
After a Jordan Kikugawa interception, Konawaena further padded its lead, this time leaning on the run. Algene Kelekolio ripped off runs of 10 and eight yards, before capping the scoring drive with a nine-yard dive into the end zone.
Dreq Agliam gave Keaau some life with a 66-yard return on the kickoff inside the Konawaena 15-yard line, but the Cougars went 20 yards backwards and turned the ball over on downs.
Kelekolio and Micah Laban kept chipping away in the running game on the next drive. Kelekolio found the end zone on a 10-yard scamper to make it 26-0.
Mahina Ellis-Noa added a pair of touchdowns before the break, and Konawaena entered the locker room with a 40-0 lead.
The starters played the opening series for Konawaena, and it didn’t last long. Kelekolio took an inside handoff, broke a few tackles, and ran 20-yard to make build on the already mountainous lead.
The running clock moved almost as quickly as the Wildcats’ offense, but Konawaena still managed to add a score when Laban found the end zone on a six yard plunge early in the fourth quarter.
Konawaena 20 20 7 7 — 54
Keaau 0 0 0 0 — 0
First quarter
KONA — Kamakana Ching 17 yard pass from Austin Ewing (Ewing kick) 9:13
KONA — Cameron Howes 26 yard run. (Ewing kick) 4:44
KONA — Algene Kelekolio 9 yard run. (run failed) 3:11
Second quarter
KONA — Kelekolio 10 yard run (Harry Hill kick failed) 9:50
KONA — Mahina Ellis-Noa 2 yard run (Hill kick) 6:16
KONA — Ellis-Noa 6 yard run (Hill kick) :34
Third quarter
KONA — Kelekolio 20 yard run (Hill kick) 7:15
Fourth quarter
KONA — Laban 6 yard run (Hill kick) 11:30