By BILL O’REAR
By BILL O’REAR
Tribune-Herald sports editor
When Kamehameha hosts Hawaii Preparatory Academy tonight, a piece of first place and an unbeaten Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II football record will be on the line.
Junior varsity action between Waiakea and Kamehameha starts at 5 p.m. at Paiea Stadium, with the varsity battle to follow 30 minutes after the JV contest ends.
Both the Warriors (5-0 overall) and Ka Makani (2-2) are 2-0 in league play and share first place with powerful Konawaena (4-1). Both would like to claim a victory tonight in the first round of BIIF action and know the loser will face a tough task the rest of the way trying to catch the league leaders.
“We’re excited and really looking forward to a fun game,” HPA coach Jordan Hayslip said. “It’s going to be a good test for us. They’re a good team and we have a lot of respect for them. They looked really good last week against Honokaa, especially running the ball.”
The Ka Makani are coming off an impressive 52-6 win over short-handed Kohala. Junior running back Bobby Lum led the HPA attack, carrying the ball 11 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns in less than a half as the Ka Makani built a 42-0 lead and never looked back.
“We plan to keep the ball on the ground as much as we can against Kamehameha,” Hayslip said. “Bobby (Lum) will get his touches. But we want to move the ball on the ground and control the time. That will help keep their offense off the field.”
Junior Lii Purdy starts at quarterback for the Ka Makani and can be a passing threat, just like his backup, sophomore Koa Ellis, who threw a 13-yard TD pass to Nicolas Palleschi against Kohala. And although HPA will look to run the ball, Purdy and Ellis provide dangerous throwing arms that could keep Kamehameha’s defense on their toes.
Hayslip knows the Warriors have a productive offense, one that can score from any spot on the field.
“We’re going to have to play tough defense and stop them from running the ball,” he said. “We know this game is going to be a big challenge and we’re excited about it.”
The HPA defense dominated the Cowboys (0-2 BIIF), holding the visitors to 10 yards rushing on 24 attempts.
But Lum & Co. understand that playing against Kamehameha and Kohala is like comparing mountain apples and bananas. The Warriors, under coach Dan Lyons, are loaded with talent and have solid depth at almost every position.
Last week, Kamehameha fought past gutsy Honokaa 19-15 with versatile senior Shaun Kagawa busting loose for 128 yards on 17 carries and two TDs, including a nifty 58-yard run in the second half that proved to be the game-winner.
Kagawa, who plays both offense and defense, saw extended time at running back while the Warriors’ leading rusher, Ina Teofilo, sat out with an injury. But the bruising Teofilo, who’s run for 318 yards and two touchdowns on 51 carries in his past two games, is expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Ka Makani.
“Kagawa is an athlete who can make plays and play a lot of positions,” Lyons said. “He’s versatile and fills in anywhere we need him. He did a great job against Honokaa, filling in for Ina and then making big plays on defense.”
Kamehameha also got a solid performance from improving sophomore quarterback Micah Kanehailua, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 87 yards against the Dragons’ defense. On the season, the young QB has completed 75 percent of his passes and only turned the ball over twice, once on a fumble and once with an interception.
“Micah has done a heckuva of job,” Lyons said. “But we’re pleased with all of our young quarterbacks. They push each other to get better every day in practice.”
And while Lyons is pleased with his offense, he still wants more consistency from that unit.
“We want to get better and be more efficient on offense,” the Warriors coach said. “I’m happy with how we’ve been playing, the guys have really bought into what we’re trying to do this year. Like we tell them, if we can get better every day in practice and it carries over into the games, this could be a special year for this team.”
Lyons also feels Kamehameha’s defensive unit is a key reason why the team in undefeated.
“I’m really happy with our enthusiasm and toughness on defense,” he said. “Of course, we can show improvement everywhere and we’d still like to see everybody on the field at the same time and not have the injuries. But I really like how our defense is playing aggressive and physical.
“And a big key to the defense is our linebackers — they’re athletic and can make plays. We’ve got a lot of depth in that area. I credit my coaching staff for getting the team fired up and ready to play.”
Lyons said he knows HPA is a tough opponent.
“HPA spreads it out and they’re going to do what they do very well,” he said. “We’ll need to make adjustments as the game goes along.
“They’re very well-coached and will be ready to play.”