Algene Kelekolio ran for 269 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, and Konawaena surged to a big lead before having to hold off Damien 42-33 in the opening round of the HHSAA Division II championships in front of 1,124 fans in
Algene Kelekolio ran for 269 yards and three touchdowns Saturday, and Konawaena surged to a big lead before having to hold off Damien 42-33 in the opening round of the HHSAA Division II championships in front of 1,124 fans in Kealakekua.
The Wildcats took a 39-12 lead to the fourth quarter, but the program’s first state D-II victory wasn’t secure until Austin Ewing kicked a 29-yard field goal with 39 seconds remaining. Ewing missed a 34-yarder but got a reprieve on a running-into-the-kicker penalty.
The junior tossed three touchdown passes for Konawaena (11-1), which will face second-seeded Radford (11-0) on Saturday at Roosevelt High on Oahu in the semifinals.
The Monarchs (6-2) rallied for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, getting two touchdown passes and a scoring run by Marcus Faufata‐Pedrina. The sophomore accounted for five touchdowns and nearly 350 yards of offense.
With Kelekolio and Ewing leading the way, Konawaena totalled 588 yards, including 370 on the ground.
Kelekolio’s 69-yard run early in the second quarter was already his third score of the game, and Ewing’s touchdown strikes to Kamakana Ching and Kayson Mahiai gave the Wildcats a 33-6 lead at the half.
Ewing also hooked up with Kupono Kane for score, finishing 17 of 31 for 218 yards and an interception.
Faufata‐Pedrina’s 22-yard touchdown pass to Kepon Kawaakoa was Damien’s third score in a six minute span in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit t0 39-33 with 4:51 remaining.
Konawaena held on to the ball for more than four minutes and drove for the field goal with the aid of a pass interference penalty.
The teams combined for 36 penalties for 257 yards.
Damien 6 0 6 21 –33
Konawaena 12 21 6 3 42
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