Entering the final week of the BIIF regular season, a lot has already been sorted out for the league’s two-week playoff.
Neither Division I contest carries postseason significance. The seeds are set, with Kealakehe holding the top spot and home field thanks to a thrilling double-overtime victory over defending champion Hilo last weekend. The Vikings are the No. 2 team in DI, with Waiakea and Keaau hold down the three and four spots, respectively.
Division II is not set in stone, but still fairly straight forward. If a one-loss Konawaena squad can take down last place Honokaa at home on Friday, the Wildcats will lock up the top seed and home field in the playoffs. If the Wildcats lose and Kamehameha-Hawaii beats Hawaii Prep on Saturday, it will be the Warriors with the home cooking thanks to a 24-0 win over Konawaena on Sept. 26.
With that being said, there is still a certain amount of pride on the line this weekend. No team wants to enter the playoffs on a low, and while staying healthy is a priority, gaining momentum for a championship run also has to be considered.
Here is a look at what’s happening around the BIIF in the final week of the season:
Waiakea at Kealakehe
Friday at 7 p.m.
The Waveriders (6-3 overall, 5-1 BIIF DI) pulled out their most important win in two years against Hilo last weekend, downing the Vikings in double-overtime after a botched extra point.
It was a big win for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, it locked up home field — where Kealakehe has a history of being stellar in the postseason — and gives the Waveriders confidence heading into the playoffs.
The unit that gained the most of that confidence was the offense. Kealakehe had been held without a point in its last two matchups with Hilo, but posted 30 in the thrilling win.
Markus Degrate connected on a pair of long touchdown tosses, and Riggs Kurashige and Kobe Antolin carried the load on the ground.
The plan should be simple for Kealakehe — take care of business. Play the starters, get the seniors in, and continue to ride the wave of positivity they gained against Hilo.
Meanwhile, Waiakea (2-4 overall, 2-7 BIIF DI) managed just its second win of the season in a 30-0 win over Keaau. Four different Warriors found the end zone in the shutout victory.
Papalii: Kealakehe 21, Waiakea 13
De Groote: Kealakehe 28, Waiakea 7
Honokaa at Konawaena
Friday at 7 p.m.
The return of quarterback Austin Ewing spurred Konawaena to a big win over Hawaii Prep last weekend.
Ewing accounted for four scores and brought stability back to the offense that was missing against Kamehameha-Hawaii. The sophomore threw for 270 yards, and connected with seven different Konawaena pass-catchers.
Wildcat running back Algene Kelekolio has done the most with his touches. The senior scampered for 121 and two touchdowns on 12 carries against Ka Makani.
After a promising start to the BIIF season, Honokaa has been outscored 103-6 the last three weeks, and it doesn’t get any easier with a matchup against the Wildcats.
The key for Honokaa will be to take care of the ball. Against Kamehameha last week, quarterback Nainoa Falk threw six balls to the other team. As a whole, the offense had a tough time producing positive plays and capitalizing on opportunities.
If Honokaa can eliminate costly turnovers, go back to the fundamentals of football and stay patient, it will improve their chance to make it a game and send a message against a team they will likely see next week. If not, it could be a long night for the Dragons in Kealakekua.
Papalii: Konawaena 40, Honokaa 7
De Groote: Konawaena 35, Honokaa 10
Hawaii Prep (2-5 overall, 2-4 BIIF DII) at Kamehameha-Hawaii (7-2 overall, 4-2 BIIF DII)
Saturday, 7 p.m.
By now, most teams have shown what kind of team they want to be.
The Warriors want to be a grinding team, that wears opponents down and has the capability to pull out tight games. However, not much of that was needed in a lopsided 35-0 win over Honokaa last week.
Fresh off a 40 carry game against Konawaena, senior scat back Kaeo Batacan had 12 first quarter touches. He finished the contest with three touchdowns and 114 yards on 21 carries. The stingy Kamehameha-Hawaii defense pitched its second consecutive shutout and racked up six interceptions.
Hawaii Prep has struggled this season to move the ball effectively, but opened up the offense a bit more in a losing effort against Konawaena.
While the core philosophy of the triple option offense was still there, Ka Makani looked for the big play through the air much more. Quarterback Kekoa LeBlanc completed just 25 percent of his passes for 70 yards, but wasn’t helped by some dropped balls. He looked deep early and often for senior speedster Justin Perry, who accounted for 46 yards.
Hawaii Prep has a core group of talented seniors and skill scattered throughout the roster, and now is the time to put it together.
De Groote: Kamehameha-Hawaii 24, Hawaii Prep 13
Papalii: Kamehameha 28. Hawaii Prep 6
8-man: Kohala (3-0) vs. Ka‘u (2-2)
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Kohala can wrap up an unbeaten season and its first BIIF eight-man title with a win over Ka‘u on Saturday. The only way a true championship game will be held is if the Cowboys lose their final three games of the season.
Kohala has outscored BIIF opponents 99-28 this season, and knocked off the Trojans in the BIIF season opener 28-6.