The matchup to watch would have been Waiakea offensive lineman Isaiah K-Aloha against Waialua defensive tackle Matthan Hatchie, who has a Hawaii scholarship offer on the table.
But K-Aloha won’t dress when the Warriors host the Bulldogs on Saturday at Ken Yamase Memorial Stadium.
The All-BIIF first-team pick is out with an injury. K-Aloha is a distinguished power lifter, and the senior stands a sturdy 5 feet 10 and 245 pounds.
Waiakea’s only other All-BIIF selection, wide receiver Kingsley Kalili, won’t play either for a good reason.
He doesn’t have enough practice time. But that’s because he’s been the caretaker for an uncle, who has heart problems.
TJ Higashida is the only returning starter on the O-line. He’ll be in charge of making the line calls and watching out for Hatchie, whose brother Micah played at Washington and spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kalei Young, who was an assistant last year and formerly coached Keaau, will take over as Waiakea’s head coach in place of Moku Pita.
Young knows enough about Hatchie and acknowledges his players, on both lines should Hatchie go two ways, are pumped to face a Division I prospect.
“It’s definitely a measuring stick for us,” he said. “There are not a lot of times you’ll see a Division I player. But our guys like to take that challenge.”
One theme Young pointed to was the team’s chemistry, especially with players taking care of each other.
And he pointed to Kalili as a good example.
“He was torn. He wanted to come to practice but had to take care of his uncle,” Young said. “He’s always texting me, letting me know what’s going on. He’s a family guy, and that’s what our team is about.”
Hatchie is 6-3 and 250 pounds and on his Hudl film against Waipahu in the OIA Division II championship displays the muscle to push blockers backward and the mobility to find gaps and catch ball-carriers.
Last season, through the good fortune of the 20-team three-tiered pilot program, Waiakea and Waialua both qualified for the HHSAA state tournament, a rare trip for each.
The Warriors’ last appearance before that was in 2001 on the Division I level. Since the start of statewide classification in 2003, the Bulldogs never qualified for a Division II state berth until last year.
Last season, Waialua edged Waipahu 36-35 for the OIA Division II championship, the North Shore school’s first title since 1955. On film, Hatchie was seen blowing up double teams.
At states, Damien thumped the Bulldogs 40-0 in the Division II first round. Hatchie was credited with 5 1/2 tackles and no sacks. Waialua finished with a 7-3 record.
Campbell crushed Waiakea 48-0 in the Division I first round. The Warriors finished with a 3-9 record. But a pair of youngsters got a chance to get their feet wet.
Ka‘io Kon started at quarterback in place of Gehrig Octavio (baseball showcase) and Makoa Andres (injury). He went 4 of 13 for 30 yards and three picks.
The junior, who led the junior varsity with sacks last year as a defensive lineman, will have the QB job to himself.
The Waiakea coaches like the way Kon operates the run-and-shoot and decided to stick him on offense.
Cheyn Tam-Switzer, another JV promotion guy, had 2 ½ tackles against the Sabers and had OC16’s Impact Play of the Game with the team’s lone interception.
It’ll a tougher challenge for either team to qualify for states. Instead of a 6-8-6 team format, it’s four across the board. There are no OIA schools in the middle tier or Division I. But there’s only one ILH berth in the Open division, a sticking point for the OIA.
But before thinking too far ahead, the Warriors have a good matchup against the Bulldogs. It’s not an individual one-on-one battle. But rather, it’s a team thing.
“We’re going to make mistakes, but I want to see how we react and adjust,” he said. “I want to see how our team can lift each other up.”
In the other preseason matchup Saturday involving a BIIF team, Kamehameha will travel to the Garden Isle to face Kauai.
With the start of the regular season three weeks away, coach Dan Lyons said only 27 Warriors will suit up in the varsity game.
“We’re just trying to find out where we are after summer workouts and our preseason practices,” Lyons said.
As usual, Kamehameha is busy this preseason. The Division II Warriors welcome Maui on Aug. 12 and Waiakea on Aug. 19 before starting the regular season Aug. 26 at home against Keaau.