WAIMEA – For 48 minutes of game time, neither the Warriors of Kamehameha, nor Ka Makani of Hawaii Prep were able to put points on the scoreboard.
It was only as time expired – on the last play of the game – when HPA’s Mason Hunt finally broke the scoreless tie, lifting his team to a 3-0 victory in the BIIF Division II Championship over Kamehameha. Hunt’s 36-yard field goal secured HPA’s first BIIF title since 2010 and put an end to the Warriors’ quest for three consecutive league titles.
“It was just a dogfight all game,” said Hunt. “We really wanted to give it to the seniors. They’ve been training for four years.”
In a game that wound up being a nearly perpetual fight for field position, the Warriors had the upper hand nearly the entire second half. After halftime, HPA only crossed into Kamehameha territory on their final drive of the afternoon.
Starting at their own 27 with 4:56 left on the clock, Ka Makani turned to the wildcat, with Braeden Samura, Kamuela Gaughen and Tain Lawson alternating taking the direct snap.
“We just felt, we have our big bulls in there,” said HPA’s head coach Kaluka Maiava. “It’s kind of hard to see anybody stopping those guys.”
It wasn’t long before HPA had marched 53 yards down to the right hash on the Kamehameha 20, where they called a timeout with two seconds left and sent Hunt onto the field with the BIIF title on the line.
“The pressure was up,” said Hunt. “Tre (Walker) – the holder – was just like, ‘It’s just another kick; every day, you do this.’ That really helped me. Drilled it.”
Having the ball on the right side of the field proved crucial; on a stereotypically windy Waimea day, Kamehameha had already missed on a field goal attempt earlier in the fourth quarter.
“That’s why we’re Ka Makani; we’re used to that,” said Maiava. We purposely ran it to the right hash; the wind was pushing it left. Aim for the right upright, it went right down the middle.”
Not lost in the mix was a stellar defensive effort on both ends. HPA’s front, which included a rotation between Gabriel Aiona, Kela Livingston, Jakob Honda, Lawson, Gaughen and Samura regularly found their way into Kamehameha’s backfield. Turnovers – crucial in the first matchup between these two teams – ultimately did not sway this contest; both defenses snagged one interception on the afternoon.
The victory lifted HPA to 7-0; they’ll represent the BIIF in the HHSAA Division II State Championships on Dec. 22 at Mililani High School. Kamehameha’s season ends with a 5-2 record, their only losses coming to HPA by a total of seven points.
“Respect to Kamehameha; they’re a tough opponent,” said Maiava. “We’re very fortunate to have them in our division, because it prepares us more for the next challenge. That was our goal from the beginning: BIIF Champ, State Champ. We’ve got some more work to do.”
Hawaii Prep 0 0 0 3 – 3
Kamehameha 0 0 0 0 – 0
Fourth quarter
Hawaii Prep – Hunt 36-yard field goal