With just a week remaining in the 2023 Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF), teams across the west side of the island are going all-in to finish the year on a strong note, despite each team undergoing different circumstances After this week’s slate of matchups, the Central Pacific Bank/BIIF Division I and II Championships will be held next weekend — Oct. 27 and 28.
Tonight
Crosstown classic encore
Konawaena will drive to the other side of Kailua-Kona to face Kealakehe at 6 p.m. at Waverider Stadium for the two school’s second duel of the season — in which the Wildcats won 64-6 on Sept. 14. The Wildcats are coming off a 61-0 rout of Kea‘au, while the Waveriders lost 21-6 to Hilo last weekend.
Konawaena is in prime position to finish undefeated in Division I for the third straight year and punch its ticket to the Division I Championship, currently sitting at 7-0 and 8-1 overall. Quarterback Keoki Alani is in surefire candidacy for another All-State season — currently posting 3,227 yards and 43 touchdowns while completing 73% of his passes. His cumulative passing yards and touchdowns lead all of Hawaii Division I (per Scoring Live), which has help propel the Wildcats to average over 55 points per week.
Alani’s weapons have shown out all season, too. Receiver Austin Takaki leads Division I in receiving yards (1,023) and receptions (66). Teammate wideout Zedekiah Anahu-Ambrosio is right behind Takaki in the No. 2 spot in yards (946) and receptions (59). Anahu-Ambrosio additionally leads Division I in receiving touchdowns with 16. Abraham Ogata, another star Wildcats receiver, is second in the division in touchdown receptions with 15.
The Waveriders, on the other hand, have remained scrappy in games despite dealing with a plethora of injuries to its core players. Kealakehe is currently 2-7, heralded by its two quarterbacks in Cody Jones and Brennen Nishihara. Running back Hercules Nahale has had an impressive junior campaign, tallying 848 yards on the ground and five rushing touchdowns on a healthy 7.3 yards per attempt (Per Scoring Live).
Friday
Kohala seeks revenge
The Cowboys will travel across the island to play Pahoa at 6 p.m. at Kea‘au High School. After being shut out by Hawaii Prep last weekend, Kohala (0-9) will try to avenge its narrow 14-13 loss against the Daggers (2-7) from Sept. 16.
The Cowboys have remained winless and last in Division II, but competitive throughout the year. The offense is captained by quarterback Hezekiah Wilson, receiver Tirus Perez and running back Isaiah Antonio. With one opportunity left to get a win, Kohala plans to leave it all out on the field.
Dragons aim to end with three straight wins
Honoka‘a will travel down to Ka‘u to play the Trojans at 6 p.m. Sitting at 6-3 overall in Division II, Honoka‘a is coming off three straight wins following a mid-season slump — its most recent against Pahoa last Thursday, when it won 35-6.
The Dragons are guaranteed to finish in the top three in the division’s standings.
Honoka‘a’s offense is led by dual-threat quarterback Elijah Kaupi-Alip, who has helped the Dragons average over 27 points per game.
Saturday
HPA looks to set Division II Championship
Ka Makani will host Division-II powerhouse Kamehameha Schools Hawai‘i at 2 p.m. Fresh off a 24-0 win over Kohala, Hawaii Prep has been on a roll, riding a four-game win streak and sitting in the No. 2 spot in Division II at 7-2. Ka Makani’s offensive line has been a pillar to its success in the regular season, creating consistent open gaps for running backs Alaka‘i Aipia and Ekela Livingston. Aipia currently has over 1,000 rushing yards on the season. HPA has averaged 21.3 points per game.
A win against the Warriors this weekend would mean a guaranteed ticket to the Division II Championship, where HPA would face KSH (10-0) for the second consecutive week. If Ka Makani falls, there will be no Division II Championship, and the Warriors would be crowned automatic winners and move on to the state tournament. This is due to the KSH’s 49-0 win over HPA on Sept. 15.
