Big Plays Spark Konawaena Victory at KS-Hawai`i

Konawaena High School’s big play offense took a while to warm up Friday night under the cool Kea`au air. Once it did, Kamehameha-Hawai`i was left in the dust.

The Wildcats scored 27 unanswered second-half points to burn past KS-Hawai`i 37-3 in the opening regular season matchup of the 2013 Big Island Interscholastic Federation football season.

Konawaena (2-1 overall, 1-0 BIIF) sputtered through the first half, struggling to take advantage of early opportunities. The Wildcats received great field position on their first drive, starting at the Warriors’ 25 yard line. They moved backward, however, and settled for a John Replogle field goal from 46 yards away to open with a 3-0 lead early in the first quarter.

Midway through the second, Kamehameha-Hawai`i methodically put together an 18 play, 94 yard drive that got them down to the Wildcats’ three yard line. It set up a Logan Uyetake 20 yard field goal that missed wide right. The Wildcats would come through this time. Four plays in, Howes found Dishon Cho for a 40-yard completion that took Konawaena to KSH’s 33 yard line. On the next play, Howes dumped a pass off to Kevin Medeiros in the right flat. The junior receiver was untouched on his way to the end zone, putting Konawaena up 10-0 with 5:54 left in the opening half.

The Wildcats fell asleep on the second half kickoff. Uyetake’s kick angled toward the right sideline and Konawaena decided not to touch the ball, hoping that it would go out of bounds. It didn’t, and the Warriors recovered it at the Wildcats’ 11 yard line.

Kamehameha-Hawai`i (1-2 overall, 0-1 BIIF) gained nothing in three rushing plays from Ina Teofilo, forcing the Warriors to settle for an Uyetake 25-yard field goal that cut Konawaena’s lead to 10-3 with 9:34 remaining in the third.

Teofilo was dominant for the Warriors on the ground, amassing 180 yards on 31 carries. However, the rest of his team was only able to pick up just one more yard. The offense, however, was one-dimensional as the Warriors only picked up 51 yards in the air on a combined 6-for-23 passing night.

The Warriors were kept in the game despite their air inefficiency. Grant Shiroma picked off Brandon Howes on Konawaena’s first drive of the second half, but the Warriors couldn’t capitalize in their opponent’s territory, punting the football away after just three plays.

Konawaena sprang to life moments later like high schoolers waking up late for school. Howes connected with running back Bubba Ellis-Noa on an 88-yard touchdown pass off of a simple screen play to the left side of the field, putting the Wildcats ahead 17-3 with 5:56 to play in the third period.

After another three-and-out by the Warriors, Konawaena quickly struck again, this time with an Ellis-Noa 59-yard touchdown run on the very next play from scrimmage, pushing the lead ahead to 23-3 with 3:27 remaining in the third.

The deceptively quick Ellis-Noa ran for 74 yards on six carries and hauled in two passes for 91 yards.

Howes, who entered Friday’s game as his team’s leading rusher, showed off his wheels early in the fourth quarter with a 53 yard touchdown run to grow Konawaena’s lead to 30-3 with 9:36 left the game. The Kamehameha-Hawai`i transfer rushed for 97 yards and threw for 221 on the evening.

The Warriors muffed the ensuing kickoff, giving the Wildcats great field position. Starting offensive lineman Makoa Chapa was given an opportunity to carry the football in the red zone and scored on a seven-yard run to put Konawaena ahead 37-3 with 8:48 left.

Konawaena put up 405 yards of total offense on the Warriors in the victory. Kamehameha-Hawaii put up 232 on their end, mostly via Teofilo’s hard work on the ground.

In the only other league game on the evening, Waiakea blanked Honoka`a 15-0.

Konawaena 3 7 13 14 – 37

Kamehameha-Hawai`i 0 0 3 0 – 3

Scoring summary