Ka’aina Lewis has been a part of enough BIIF-title winning teams at Hilo High to share a few with his older brothers and still have one or two to spare.
As a seventh-grader, Lewis remembers Hilo winless 2011 season well, because Kamaka Lewis was the quarterback on the 2011 team.
“He trained a lot for that, but unfortunately the team couldn’t’t succeed,” Ka’aina Lewis said.
Prior to that, Makena Lewis toiled away on a few BIIF also-ran teams, graduating in 2008.
“They never won a BIIF title, and here I have four,” Lewis said
And he’s got something more.
With multiple standouts at each level of their harassing defense, the Vikings had no shortage of players worthy of accolade, but Ka’aina Lewis – a free safety who coach Kaeo Drummondo lauds for his passion and leadership – was chosen by the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and West Hawaii Today as BIIF Defensive Player of the Year.
“It feels good to bring it back to Hilo,” Lewis said.
He attends Ke Kula O Nawahiokalaniopuu in Keaau, but it’s evident he beams with Vikings pride.
“It wasn’t really a goal that I had,” Lewis said of the honor. “Just going out with my teammates and enjoying senior year and just kind of getting better each day. That’s what makes it feel good.”
Lewis spearheaded a defense that allowed a shade more than 8.5 points per game in winning all eight of its BIIF contests, compiling 25 tackles and one sack with two interceptions and a forced fumble.
He brought range and physicality to his position along with all the intangibles, said Drummondo, the Division I Coach of the Year.
“He really did serve as the quarterback of our defense, and I think we were better with him due to his football IQ to communicate what we needed on defense in regards to coverages and calls.”
Lewis is an all-league defensive back selection for the second consecutive season, and he’s the goalkeeper on the soccer team, securing honorable mention honors as a junior.
He hopes to continue his football career on the mainland, perhaps starting out at a junior college, and plans to study either criminal justice or psychology with the goal of one day of becoming a counselor and working with children.
One of the mantras he may one day preach: hard work pays off.
“The key for us was the constant day-by-day training,” Lewis said. “Practice in the morning, practice in the afternoon and always in the film room. The little things are what made the big things happen.”
Lewis missed Hilo’s 28-25 victory at Kealakehe on Sept. 10 with a suspension, but when he came back the Vikings became near impossible to score on, allowing only 23 points in six games.
The turning point for Hilo came when quarterback Ka’ale Tiogangco injured his shoulder early at the end of the first quarter Sept. 23 at Honokaa.
“If you go back to that game, as soon as (Ka’ale) went down, our defense had a couple of turnovers, and we had a safety,” Lewis said. “Because we knew we had to be the heart and soul of the team.”
Lewis will pass the torch to Hilo’s returning players for winter workouts, including his younger brother Kainalu, who played defensive back as freshman.
‘That’s what makes it great,” Drummondo said. “I’ll miss working with Ka’aina, but the Lewis family has a strong tradition. I was telling him we have to get Kainalu ready to work hard and compete.”