The true meaning of smash-mouth football is that a pure and simple message is being sent: We’re running the ball every single time, and you can’t stop us.
The true meaning of smash-mouth football is that a pure and simple message is being sent: We’re running the ball every single time, and you can’t stop us.
That’s what happened when Waiakea upset Kealakehe 24-21 in a Big Island Interscholastic Federation game last Friday, taking down the perennial powerhouse Waveriders for the first time in a decade at soggy Wong Stadium.
On the game’s last drive, the Warriors ran 11 plays (all on the ground), and marched 65 yards before Tyler Kerr kicked a 25-yard field goal with eight seconds left. That put an exclamation point on the school’s homecoming.
The Warriors (2-3 BIIF D-I, 2-5 overall) play at Hawaii Prep (2-3 D-II, 3-4) at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Against a physically bigger and much quicker Kealakehe defensive unit, Waiakea still won the war at the line of scrimmage, and the rushing attack went off for 213 yards on 53 attempts, a 4.0-yard average.
But it wasn’t easy.
In fact, the Waveriders scored on their last two possessions with quick touchdown runs of three and 28 yards by Kobe Antolin to tie it 21-21, getting the ball back after the Warriors went three-and-out twice.
So what happened? How does a team generate zero first downs on two straight drives, then suddenly play statement football, and run over Kealakehe – a team that held Hilo to 33 total rushing yards a week earlier in a 7-0 loss?
One key to run blocking is firing off the ball at the same time. It’s the best leverage technique to move opponents off their gaps and to the ground, seen so often in gladiator movies. As a bonus, the O-linemen know the snap count, the defense doesn’t.
Waiakea’s big fellas Zachary Devela, Maafu Tei, Moses Mackwelung, Kainoa Torres, Keoki Willett and Nikolas Kamau opened enough holes for Pono Auwae, 18 carries, 88 yards; Joe Ongais, 17 attempts, 55 yards; quarterback Gehrig Octavio, 16 carries, 70 yards; and Joe Alvarez, three carries, 17 yards.
It also helps to have a home-run threat like Auwae, who has reeled off 50-yard runs in his last two games. That forces a defense to spotlight him, and sometimes a split-second of hesitation opens a hole for another Warrior to produce a nice gain.
Octavio’s emergence as a two-way threat (he was 6 of 11 for 63 yards with a touchdown and pick) has spread the attack. All game long, the Waveriders applied tremendous pressure, but couldn’t sack Octavio, who is elusive as an eel.
Most defenses in the BIIF play with a single deep safety with the other within the tackle box for run support or mid-range pass coverage. With a running QB, the offense should have a man-up advantage, an extra blocker somewhere before the deep safety can charge up.
Really insightful coaches can draw up a perfect blocking scheme to double-down on a certain gap or get extra help on an opposing defensive playmaker, like ferocious Kealakehe junior D-lineman Joe Kaopua. He was an All-BIIF first-team pick last year, and plays likes he’s shot out a cannon.
Waiakea coach Moku Pita drew up a pretty good game plan – 213 yards on the ground is solid proof. He’s also been a superb farm director, slowly developing Octavio, a sophomore whose game is quickly sprouting.
Octavio’s only blemish was a red-zone interception in the first quarter. But Pita noted that Octavio made the right primary read and throw, a fade that Keoni Meyers intercepted. The coach credited the Waveriders, and reasoned that the other team wants to win, too.
With the everyone is in the playoffs format, the coaching style in the BIIF is a whole lot different than say the Interscholastic League of Honolulu or Oahu Interscholastic Association, where every week it’s must-win games.
The main thing for Pita’s bunch is to grab the No. 2 seed in the four-team BIIF Division I playoffs. That’s because Hilo owns the No. 1 seed, and both schools share Wong Stadium. The Warriors would much rather play the ’Riders at home than on the road, where the Kealakehe faithful loudly come out in force in the postseason.
All the BIIF coaches talk about throwing the ball and being balanced during the preseason. Then when the season rolls around, almost everyone leans heavily on the run, drawing an obvious question from Joe Fan: Why doesn’t the BIIF throw the ball like those Oahu teams?
All the league coaches know that you play to your personnel as well as the field. In Hilo, it rains. With most teams running the shotgun spread, it’s a not-so-fun challenge to catch and throw a wet football. It’s handy to have an offense where the QB is under center, like Waiakea’s off-set I.
And of all the good things that happened – Waiakea also won the turnover battle 2-1 – Pita highlighted his defense first, then he gave a verbal high-five to Octavio. Kainalu Fejeran had an interception and Manuia Sevao a fumble recovery.
“Our defense held steady, and our guys played great,” Pita said. “Octavio is making good decisions. He’s just slippery as a runner. Fejeran got a pick, and Xylon Takata stepped in for Zac Correa. He was out with the flu. Xylon made some tackles and stepped up.”
The suspense was roller-coaster crazy good when Kerr lined up for the game-winner. The noise inside Wong Stadium was deafening. One Warrior couldn’t even look.
“I turned away and waited for the crowd to roar,” Auwae said. “It just feels amazing.”
Konawaena (4-1 D-II, 5-1) at Hilo (5-0 D-I, 6-0), after 4 p.m. JV Saturday
The Vikings requested a time change on Wednesday because of the school’s homecoming. The junior varsity game will start an hour earlier at 4 p.m.
KHLO 850 AM Radio was set to broadcast the game, but is unable to because of the National League playoff game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Last week, Hilo coach David Baldwin spoke to the media for the first time in three weeks. He said he would check with his players if they wished to speak to the media.
Honokaa (2-3 D-II, 2-3) at Kamehameha (3-2 D-II, 3-2), after 5 p.m. JV Friday
It’s a must-win game for the Warriors, only if they prefer playing in the comforts of home in the playoffs.
If the Vikings beat the Wildcats, and the Warriors defeat the Dragons, Kamehameha and Kona would be tied atop the Division II standings. But the Warriors would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker should both finish with the same record.
Last week, Kamehameha lost 39-28 at HPA. As coaches like to remind players about the emphasis on execution: It’s one thing if you get beat, and it’s a much different deal if you beat yourselves.
The Warriors fumbled nine times and four were lost, including three inside their own 30-yard line. Simply put, execution is all about making plays. The Warriors didn’t do a good job of that.
Keaau (0-5 D-I, 0-6) at Kealakehe (2-3 D-I, 2-4), at 7 p.m. Friday
A decade ago, the Waveriders had this little running back with a lion’s heart named Jinho Tohara, who stood 5 feet, 5 inches and weighed 145 pounds.
In the BIIF Division I championship in 2004, he torched Hilo for 238 yards and six touchdowns on 37 carries to spark Kealakehe to a 41-21 win and the first of four straight titles.
If HPA under former assistant Bern Brostek is known for producing O-linemen (Max Unger, Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, Shane Brostek), then the ’Riders are best known for a punishing running game.
Antolin had zero carries against Waiakea in the first half. When he got the ball in the second half, Antolin infused the offense with energy, and 46 yards, including two TDs, on just six carries.
There isn’t a 2014 Kealakehe roster with listed height and weight for players. But Antolin is a little bigger than Tohara, and his 7.7-yard average suggests that he’s a sparkplug, too.
8-man football
Ka‘u (2-0 BIIF, 3-1) at Pahoa (0-3, 0-5), at 2 p.m. Saturday
The Daggers made history last week, playing their first 8-man football game at home and first gridiron contest in 13 years. It was homecoming, too.
There was no happy ending, at least from a football score perspective. The Cowboys won really big, 71-6.
And it’s pretty obvious that among the league’s three 8-man teams – Ka‘u, Kohala and Pahoa – the Daggers are a step or two behind the Trojans and Cowboys.
For the 8-man football fans, here’s your thriller: Ka‘u at Kohala at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11. There will also be an 8-man BIIF championship. But next Saturday is an entertaining preview.