The last two weeks have felt like an eternity for Konawaena, but finally, the wait is over.
The last two weeks have felt like an eternity for Konawaena, but finally, the wait is over.
The Wildcats (10-1) will host ILH Division II champion Damien (6-1) in a HHSAA state tournament first round game at Julian Yates Field on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“This game couldn’t have come fast enough,” Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto said.
After the celebration from a fourth BIIF title in five years simmered, the Wildcats quickly shifted focus to the program’s fifth state tournament appearance.
But there was one problem. The Wildcats were uncertain of who would be visiting Kealakekua to take them on.
“This was the first time this season we had a week off before a game,” Uemoto said. “It was hard for us to prepare not knowing our opponent.”
The Monarchs had a similar layoff, defeating Pac-Five 28-16 on Oct. 17 for the ILH crown. The win locked up Damien’s firstleague title and state berth since 2003, and also resulted in a second trip to the Big Island this year. The Monarchs visited Hawaii Preparatory Academy in the preseason, winning in dominant fashion 41-7.
For the sake of looking at a common opponents, Konawaena knocked off Ka Makani 41-6 during league play. The Wildcats also played Damien’s ILH II brethren Saint Francis in the preseason, knocking off the Saints 18-6. Damien went 1-1 against Saint Francis during the year.
Damien runs a split back option attack on offense and will test an aggressive defensive unit for Konawaena.
Marcus Faufata-Pedrina is expected to get the start for the Monarchs at quarterback, and the sophomore is the epitome of a dual-threat. Faufata-Pedrina leads Damien with 430 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, while completing a shade over 50 percent of his passes for 417 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
If Faufata-Pedrina hands the ball off, its usually to Kepono Kawaakoa and Justice White, who have combined for almost 700 yards and seven touchdowns out of the backfield.
“Against the option, everybody has to do their job,” Uemoto said. “It’s such a different look. We can be aggressive, but we have to follow our assignments. And they can also spread you out, so there is that component too.”
While all parts of the Konawaena defense stepped up during the team’s BIIF title run, the defensive line duo of Austin Santos-Johnson (104 tackles, 13 TFL) and Torin Tuppein (81 tackles, 15 TFL) have been nearly unblockable in the BIIF.
On offense, there have not been many speedbumps for the Wildcats when healthy. Konawaena sophomore quarterback Austin Ewing is the leading candidate for BIIF Division II offensive player of the year, racking up 1,760 yards and 22 touchdowns to just four interceptions in his first year as starter.
Ewing has made the most of his uberly talented and speedy supporting cast. Five players have over 300 yards receiving, led by Kamakana Ching with 467 yards and nine touchdowns.
Algene Kelekolio has helped the Wildcats stay balanced, doing the damage on the ground. The senior back has 733 yards and 15 touchdowns this season.
“We have spent a lot of time practicing keeping our tempo up,” Uemoto said. “Damien can show a lot of different looks, but I’ve never really been concerned about the type of defense we are facing. We just need to execute.”
No matter the opponent, it’s never as much about adjustments as it is consistency for Konawaena. In their 10 wins this season, the Wildcats have outscored opponents by more than 30 points per game and have shown the ability to contend with just about anyone. Not to mention, the Wildcats have not lost a game at home in the jungle since Aug. 29 of 2014.
“No doubt, it’s big for these kids to play in front of their home crowd,” Uemoto said. “But this is just another game. We can’t build it up bigger than it should be. We just have to play the same football that got us here.”
The winner moves on to play undefeated OIA champion Radford (11-0) at Roosevelt next Saturday.