HONOKAA — Nobody in BIIF Division I football reloads like Hilo.
Even as the Vikings appear to be on a waltz to the championship game, their depth could be put to the test again.
Hilo had an easy time Friday night in a 35-6 victory against Honokaa, but the three-time defending champion played the last three quarters without quarterback Ka’ale Tiogangco, who suffered an apparent arm or shoulder injury.
The Vikings (4-0 BIIF, 4-1) were already ahead by three scores and had exerted their defensive dominance when Tiogangco walked off the field after being tackled on a keeper. He favored his left arm and when he got to the sideline he hit a chain-link fence with his right arm in frustration.
The Dragons (1-3 BIIF Division II, 2-3) never gave themselves a chance, losing four more fumbles, and have lost three games in a row.
In the first half, Honokaa had six turnovers — including two interceptions by Kaleo Apao — just four yards of offense and its only first down came on a penalty.
For the second week in a row, Hilo jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead and put it on cruise control.
Tiogangco opened the scoring with a touchdown run after Apao fell on a muffed punt at the Honokaa 5. He also engineered a 55-yard drive that ended with Rylen Kaniaupio’s short touchdown plunge, which was set up by a nifty run by Kalei Tolentino-Perry, who atoned for an earlier drop on the drive.
Hilo’s defense more than did its part.
It scored on a safety, S. Wela Mamone took back a fumble for a score and an Apao pick set up the second of two mid-range filed goals by Tolentino-Perry.
Freshman Kyan Miyasato came in for Tiogangco and finished 6-14 for 56 yards, including a touchdown pass to Lukas Kuipers.
Kahale Huddleston and Nainoa Kane-Yates combined to run for 111 yards for Hilo and Tiogangco added 48 more on the ground.
Honokaa’s offense earned its initial first down against Hilo’s second stringers in the fourth quarter. Ocean Guerpo-Beamer hit Kelvin Falk for a 54-yard reception, setting up the junior quarterback’s short touchdown run. Honokaa finished with 105 yards of offense, with Guerpo-Beamer accounting for all but 13 of those through the air.
Miyasato filled in for an injured Tiogangco (leg) in Week 1 of the BIIF season as Hilo came back to beat Konawaena.
The question now is if the job is his for an extended period of time.
‘’We’ll have to wait and see,” Hilo coach Kaeo Drummondo said. “If Ka’ale is out for an extended period of time, our defense will have to step up”