KEALAKEKUA — Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto and Hilo skipper Kaeo Drummondo are familiar with each other on the gridiron despite leading their teams to battle in separate divisions at the BIIF and state level.
Their annual match-up is a must see game almost every season, and nearly always comes down to the final drive.
Both coaches met again Sunday night, but this time in a different capacity as they took the helm of the east and west squads for the inaugural Collegiate Prep Bowl, which pitted players from sixth, seventh and eighth grades against each other in a Pro Bowl type atmosphere.
Neither coach gained an advantage on the other for the day as the two came away with a split. Uemoto led the sixth- and seventh-grade west team to a 38-0 victory in the Collegiate Prep Bowl opener, while Drummondo’s eighth-grade East squad won the final game 32-16.
However, the day was not about who won or lost. It was about giving the young student-athletes in attendance a chance to play in a game designed to let them show their skills in their final game at the Pop Warner level, while also learning about what it will take to play in high school and college.
“We wanted to teach these kids how to compete and we wanted them to mingle with coaches at the high school level,” said Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosio, who, along with Sergio Mamone, helped organize the event. “No one thought that we could put an event like this together, but we made it happen. It is good to see a lot of these kids show their talent.”
For Drummondo, the game gave his coaches a chance to see what is coming up and he said his staff “had a blast” teaching the next generation of student-athletes.
“This event helped us get a head start as far as getting to know the players,” Drummondo said. “A lot of these players wouldn’t enter our program until June.”
But it wasn’t just his program Drummondo was excited about. It was what the event does for Big Island football.
“This event helps us grow the quality of football on the island,” he said. “These players out here today just played a long football season and a lot of them took care of their grades in the classroom as well. They deserve to be highlighted.”
Uemoto loved the experience of coaching the Collegiate Prep Bowl, saying he probably had more fun than most of the kids playing in it.
“I definitely had a blast coaching and we had a fun two weeks that helped develop relationships,” he said. “The game was fun, but we also got so close as a group, we are going to kind of miss each other. It was a really nice event.”
The games gave many players a chance to stand out, especially in the eighth-grade contest.
The east was led to victory by the play of quarterback Ricky Mamone (Leward), receiver Rockie Abadilla (Hilo) and defender Michael Perry (Kamehameha).
Ricky Mamone found the end zone twice. He connected with Ezekiel Graggs (Panaewa) on a 51-yard score to put the east up 16-0 just before halftime for his first score.
Also playing QB, Kaohu Kaluna (Hilo) found Abadilla for a 43-yard touchdown to open the second quarter.
Mamone also found the end zone on a 10-yard run, sealing the game late in the third quarter. Abadilla added another score for the East when he returned a kickoff to the house with an 80-yard scamper.
Perry was a factor on defense, with an interception in the third quarter, and nearly a pick-6 afterward before the play was called back do to pass interference. He had a hand in many pass breakups.
Running back Hezekiah Anahu-Ambrosio, who just happens to share the same name as his father, was a difference maker with the west. The younger Anahu-Ambrosio helped cut the deficit to one score in the third quarter with a 15-yard run and dive into the end zone for his team’s second touchdown of the game.
“This was the first time I had a chance to be on the field and see Hezekiah play,” Uemoto said. “He is an excellent athlete, and the offensive line played well too.”
Quarterback Ayzen Cummings (Hamakua) scored the first touchdown for the west early in the third on a 2-yard sneak. Both scores helped to answer a 24-0 run by the east.
However, time would run out for the west.
With many players in attendance eager to continue the tradition, quality coaches on the field for the event, and quite a large crowd in the stands for a pair of free games pitting some of the top young talent on the Big Island, Sergio Mamone is hoping to continue to expand the Collegiate Prep Bowl in the future.
“With help, three years from now I would like to make this a national game, getting kids from all over to come to the Big Island and play,” he said. “We want this game to stay here on the Big Island.”