Hilo Silences KS-Hawai`i for Fourth Straight Win

Hilo High School’s Donovan Kelley showed off his elusiveness and speed against a short-handed, worn down Kamehameha-Hawai`i defense.

Kelley scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, as the Vikings left KSH’s Paiea Stadium with a 36-10 victory Friday night.

On the evening, Kelley rushed for 80 yards on 11 carries. He also hauled in three passes for 30 yards. He completed one pass out of seven attempts for eight yards.

The versatile Kelley gave Hilo the lead for good toward the end of the first half. The Vikings rode a nine play, 58 yard drive into the end zone when quarterback Sione Atuekaho found Kelley for a 17-yard touchdown pass with 1:25 remaining in the first half, giving Hilo a 10-7 lead.

The scoring drive didn’t come without some breaks along the way. Atuekaho threw what looked to be an interception on a third down play in Warrior territory. The officials ruled that the ball hit the ground, giving Hilo the ball back with a fourth down play to keep the drive going. The Vikings converted the fourth down opportunity and scored a few plays later.

Kelley returned to the quarterback position to start the second half and immediately led a seven play, 53 yard drive against a KS-Hawai`i defense that struggled to wrap up and tackle against Hilo’s elusive rushers. Kelley capped off the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run to extend Hilo’s lead to 20-10 with 9:03 left in the third quarter.

Hilo (5-1 overall, 4-0 BIIF) added pressure on its next drive, marching down 90 yards in nine plays before Kelley found the end zone again. His nine yard touchdown run on a right side sweep surged the Vikings ahead to a 26-10 lead with 2:39 to go in the third period.

The Vikings rarely threw the football against its tired foes. Shifty running back Tristan Spikes scored on an 11-yard touchdown run to increase Hilo’s lead to 33-10 with 6:07 left in the game. Rayce Takayesu added a 30-yard field goal on the next drive to add three more points with 3:53 remaining.

Spikes was able to absorb hits and tackles all evening long. He led all rushers with 135 yards on 23 carries. He also caught a 14 yard pass.

The offense was not the only part of Hilo’s game that stood out. The special teams unit got the Vikings on the board in the games first few minutes when Isi Holani blocked a punt from Kamuela Kawamoto. Holani ran after the football, picked it up near the right sideline at the 12 yard line, and ran it into the end zone to put Hilo ahead 7-0 with 9:59 left in the opening quarter.

On the defensive end, the Vikings sacked Kamehameha-Hawai`i quarterback Micah Kanehailua seven times and forced the signal caller to throw an interception.

Kamehameha-Hawai`i (3-3, 2-2) scored all of their points in the second quarter. Kanehailua engineered a quick drive that led to a 30-yard touchdown pass to Logan Uyetake that tied the game with 10:28 remaining in the first half.

After an interception by Kaua Aganus, the Warriors would methodically engineer a 19 play, 69 yard drive that was capped off by Uyetake’s 18-yard field goal with 3:07 remaining in the first half.

The field goal try was Uyetake’s third on the drive. A bad snap ruined the first try, but holder Kamuela Kawamoto picked the ball up and ran it 13 yards for a first down. Uyetake’s second  try missed, but the Warriors kept the football after a personal foul penalty against Hilo.

Hilo 7 7 12 10 – 36

Kamehameha-Hawai`i 0 10 0 0 – 10

Scoring summary