HONOLULU — Hilo was giving it to Kahuku, and making a statement about Big Island football on Friday night that even underdogs will fight to the fourth quarter. ADVERTISING HONOLULU — Hilo was giving it to Kahuku, and making a
HONOLULU — Hilo was giving it to Kahuku, and making a statement about Big Island football on Friday night that even underdogs will fight to the fourth quarter.
But the Red Raiders pulled out big plays, like a rabbit out of a magician’s hat, and defeated the Vikings 20-10 in the first round at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state championships at Aloha Stadium.
The Big Island Interscholastic Federation’s streak of futility against the state’s best of the best in football will live on for another year. The league is now 0 for 16 at states.
But under the bright lights and on statewide television on OC16, the smaller Vikings had a lot of people thinking upset, especially with a 10-0 halftime lead, and the Red Raiders struggling to find their footing.
“We showed that a team from a small town in Hilo can put together something big and make it this far,” Hilo senior cornerback Kui Mortensen said.
Still, there’s a reason Kahuku has pocketed state championships in 2000, ‘01, ‘03, ‘05, ‘06, ‘11 and 2012. The North Shore football factory produces a lot of talented players.
There’s no one in the BIIF like Salanoa-Alo Wily, who’s 6-feet-1, 270 pounds, built like a defensive tackle, but blessed with the nimble feet of a running back.
And football practice is all about repetition, preparing for something for the game, so there are no surprises. Wily’s skill-set throws that theory out the window because the University of Hawaii verbal commit is a unique talent. That’s why it’s so hard to execute a well-prepared game plan when the test is suddenly a different and much tougher subject at game time.
The Kahuku senior punished Hilo’s defense for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. If there was an MVP award for the game, Wily would have earned it.
Then there’s that bruising Red Raider defense, which held Hilo running back Tristin Spikes to 35 yards on 14 carries and shackled quarterback Sione Atuekaho, who was 7 of 20 for 68 yards with a touchdown and two picks.
All that hard, physical tackling took a toll on the Vikings, who lost Spikes, D-lineman Kiliona Pomroy, free safety Donavan Kelley and a few others.
The BIIF is the only league still winless since the state tournament started in 1999. The Oahu Interscholastic Association, Interscholastic League of Honolulu, Maui Interscholastic League and even the Kauai Interscholastic Federation have all won first-round games.
The two-time BIIF champion Vikings will have a tough challenge next year to even reach states. They lose seven senior starters on offense, including Atuekaho, Spikes and key lineman Kacey Hall. On defense, there are six departures, including valuable linebacker Ofa Fahiua and safeties Haili Mahoe and Kelley.
As proof that size or brand-name recognition at the Division I level shouldn’t be an impossible macadamia nut to crack, Waimea was always one of the smallest teams in roster depth and physical stature. But in 1999, the KIF champs beat Kailua 20-18 in the first round.
“We’ve been outsized all year,” Baldwin said. “Waiakea is huge and Kealakehe was bigger than us. But I give credit to my coaching staff for teaching technique and fundamentals that allowed us to be successful.”
The appropriately nicknamed Menehune showed it wasn’t a fluke, and smashed Castle 41-20 in 2001, and put a good scare into Kahuku before falling 21-7 in the semifinals at Aloha Stadium.
Then Waimea, which relied on precision, especially in firing off the ball, discipline and determination, got Kailua in a first-round rematch in 2002. The Menehune took down the bigger Surfriders again, 24-21.
The Menehune dropped down to the Division II level in 2003 when statewide classification started that year.
The BIIF is 2 for 11 at the Division II state tournament. Hawaii Prep took first-round games over Waipahu in 2004 and Moanalua in 2009.
After it was over and the lights were turned off at Aloha Stadium, a wave of Red Raiders coaches stopped by and complimented Baldwin on how hard his Vikings played.
“Last year, we lost one of the best front seven on defense and were able to reload,” he said. “Next year, we’ll see whether we’re reloading or rebuilding. A lot will depend on the offseason.”
The Menehune made their mark at the Division I level because they had a firm commitment to weight training in the offseason — something Baldwin has been preaching since he took over as Hilo coach in 2012.
It’ll be a new batch of Vikings trying to crack that macadamia nut next year. But for one Hilo senior, it was a memorable Friday night for all the right reasons.
“I’ll remember playing in this big house with all my brothers and working hard, and having fun at the same time,” Mortensen said.
Kahuku 0 0 3 17 — 20
Hilo 0 10 0 0 — 10
Second quarter
Hilo — Isaac Lerma 4 pass from Sione Atuekaho (Rayce Takayesu kick), 6:44
Hilo — FG 29 Takayesu, :42
Third quarter
Kah — FG 26 Gabriel Pinheiro-Alves, :55
Fourth quarter
Kah — Salanoa-Alo Wily 25 run (Pinheiro-Alves kick), 7:43
Kah — Wily 2 run (Pinheiro-Alves kick), 2:34
Kah — FG 31 Pinheiro-Alves, :50
