KEAAU – Kaimi Like was back in the fold at quarterback and balanced offense was back in vogue for Kamehameha.
Like fired three touchdown passes in his first start of the season and ran for another Friday night as the Warriors buried mistake-prone Honokaa 42-7 in a BIIF Division II contest at Paiea Stadium.
Kamehameha (2-1) was 4 for 4 in turning Dragons mishaps (three turnovers and a punt miscue) into touchdowns in a runaway first half.
In its previous game two weeks ago, the Warriors relied on running back Kilohana Haasenritter and his 200-plus yards to carry much of the offensive weight in a 49-42 loss to Kealakehe.
Haasenritter didn’t have to do it all this time.
Like, a senior, returned from a shoulder injury to go 12 for 18 for 182 yards, including two touchdown passes to Noah Carvalho and a third to Kolten Kaaihue. Bryce Furuli was back as well to add some boom to the running game, gaining 82 yards with a touchdown.
Kalama Anahu caught everything in sight, making six catches on offense along with two interceptions.
In falling to 0-4, the Dragons were held to 137 yards with four turnovers.
Honokaa engineered one good drive in the first quarter, keeping the ball on the ground.
Quarterback Malu Kanekoa gained 8 and 11 yards, then Klayton Gascon’s broke through for 38 to get the ball to the 1. On the next play, Kanekoa punched the ball into the end zone to tie the score 7-7.
But the Warriors marched down the field on their next drive, and the Dragons turned the ball over on their next possessions as Kamehameha reeled off a 28-point second quarter.
After catching his first touchdown pass, Carvalho gathered an interception near midfield. Like and Anahu connected on two passes before Like scored on a short dive.
One the Dragons’ next play from scrimmage, Luke Kaniho returned a fumble to the 7, and three plays later Furuli powered in from the 1.
Soon, there was more of the same, as Anahu’s first interception gave Kamehameha the ball in Dragons’s territory again. On third-and-long, Haasenritter took a screen pass to the 10, where Like found Kaaihue on the next play in the left corner of the end zone for a 35-7 lead.
The opening sequence of the game was an omen of things to come.
Kamehameha forced a three-and-out, and an errant punt snap set the Warriors up at the 7.
Haasenritter did the honors with a run around the left side.
It looked like it might be all him, all the time again, but with Like back the Warriors were balanced on this night.