It didn’t take long for Konawaena to feel the pressure of having a Big Island sized target on its back.
Playing in their first game of the season last weekend against a physically imposing Saint Francis squad, the Wildcats overcame a fourth quarter deficit and clawed back to escape with a 23-22 road victory.
“We knew they were a very legitimate opponent, just from what they returned from last year and how they had progressed,” Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto said. “Going in, I felt they were a top three team in Division II state-wide.”
The Saints will likely be in the running for the ILH DII title this season, so the tight score was no surprise. Instead, four interceptions by standout junior quarterback Austin Ewing were the unexpected. For comparison’s sake, he had just six total last season.
“Everybody forgets as good as Austin is, he’s still young,” Uemoto said of his QB. “At one point I pulled him aside and talked to him. I told him our defense was playing well and we just needed one good drive in the fourth quarter to win the game.”
Ewing, not rattled by his mistakes, continued to hang in there. Eventually, it led to senior running back Micah Laban finding the corner and scoring the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Ewing’s stat line: 30 of 54 for 330 yards with two scores and the four picks — a day most high school quarterbacks would call a resounding success.
“I was very proud of all the boys for hanging in there,” Uemoto said.
The game might have been dubbed preseason or non-league, but it was actually much more than that. If the Wildcats do end up winning the BIIF, the result would surely play a role in the seeding process for the HHSAA state tournament — impacting things like home field and opponent.
“Like I told these kids, you can call it what you want, but if you plan on competing for a state title, those are the games you have to win,” Uemoto said. “When they start seeding teams, they are going to look at that game as a measuring stick. We went there to win it.”
Konawaena will face its first league test when they head to Hilo today. Last week, the Vikings were walloped 49-7 by ILH powerhouse Saint Louis.
Uemoto admitted it’s hard to take away anything from watching that tape, but he still has praise for the reigning BIIF Division I champs.
One drive that stands out came in the second quarter, when Hilo went on a 14-play scoring drive against mostly Crusader starters that took eight minutes off the clock. That’s quite the feat against a Saint Louis squad littered with potential college talent.
Traditionally, the Viks have boasted a bigger team than Konawaena — in sheer numbers and physical stature. This year it’s a little more even, but Konawaena proved last week that size is something they can deal with.
“Hilo might be a bigger team than we are, but I think Saint Francis helped us prepare for that,” Uemoto said. “We understand the challenges Hilo gives us. The way we are going to succeed is adapting to what they do.”
Kickoff at Wong Stadium is slated for 7:30 p.m.