HILO – When Kobe Antolin walked off the field after Kealakehe’s possession in the first overtime, there was a chance he had just lost his team the game.
When Antolin went to his sideline in the second overtime, he had given his team a chance to win the game, and just moments later the Waveriders did.
Antolin atoned for a fumble with a 10-yard touchdown run Friday night, and Kealakehe won 30-29 at Wong Stadium after the Vikings botched the extra point after their score, clinching homefield advantage in the BIIF Division I playoffs.
The teams traded touchdowns in the second overtime, and Hilo looked like it was going to send the game to a third OT after Kahale Huddleston scored on a 17-yard touchdown reception. But Lukas Kuipers never got a chance to kick the extra point.
Taking over at the 20, neither team scored on their first possession of overtime.
Antolin fumbled for Kealakehe and Kuipers missed a 44-yard field goal after Randy Hatori pushed the Vikings back with a sack.
Ka’ale Tiogangco’s 51-yard touchdown pass to Josiah Factora and a two-point throw to Kuipers tied the game midway through the fourth quarter, stopping a streak that saw Kealakehe (5-1 BIIF, 6-2) score three consecutive touchdowns to erase a 15-3 lead.
Markus DeGrate threw two long touchdown passes to Anthony Trevino and Riggs Kurashige in the second half as Kealakehe suddenly rediscovered how to score against Hilo.
DeGrate’s 9-yard pass in the second OT set up Antolin’s winning run.
Kurashige finished with 71 yards on the ground and a score as the Waveriders ended a four-game losing streak to Hilo.
The Vikings (4-2 BIIF, 4-4) managed just 74 yards on the ground in regulation and turned the ball over three times. They saw their three-game winning streak end.
Kealakehe dominated the first quarter, holding Hilo to minus-3 yards, but it led only 3-0 because a bevy of penalties bogged down two drives. The Waveriders were flagged nine times in the first half.
Hilo took its first lead after a bad punt snap, setting up at the 1, and Iosaia Lavatai connected with Huddleston for a score.
Lavatai, the usual backup, played the first half and threw two touchdown passes, but he also had a costly interception near the end of the half.
Just after Kaiana Lewis’ interception for Hilo, Pulama Lewis picked off Lavatai and returned it 49 yards to the Hilo 8.
Three plays later, Kurashige plowed into the end zone from a yard out, the Waveriders’ first touchdown against Hilo in 10 quarters dating back to 2013.
If Waiakea avoids an upset Saturday at Keaau, the Division I playoffs will be set. Hilo finishes the regular season at home against Keaau on Oct. 8, and – if the Warriors win Saturday — would host Waiakea the following weekend in the semifinals. Under that scenario, the Waveriders would play Keaau in the league semifinals in two weeks. The Warriors and Kealakehe finish the regular season next Friday in Kailua-Kona.
Kealakehe 3 7 13 0 0 7 —30
Hilo 0 15 0 8 0 6 — 29
First quarter
Kealakehe – FG 19 Anthony Trevino, :46
Second quarter
Hilo – Kahale Huddleston 3 pass from Iosaia Lavatai (Lukas Kuipers kick), 5:50
Hilo – Isaac Lerma 30 pass Lavatai (Lavatai pass to Pono Lanford), 1:43
Kealakehe — Riggs Kurashige 1 run (Kolby Martin kick), :14
Third quarter
Kealakehe – Anthony Trevino 46 pass from Markus Degrate (kick blocked), 4:53
Fourth quarter
Kealakehe – Riggs Kurashige 67 pass from DeGrate (Martin kick), 9:44
Hilo – Josiah Factora 51 pass from Ka‘ale Tiogangco (Kuipers pass from Tiogangco), 7:16
Second overtime
Kealakehe – Kobe Antolin 10 run (Martin kick)
Hilo – Huddleston 17 pass from Tiogangco (kick failed