HONOKAA —Honokaa’s Sheltyn Carvalho didn’t get his ultimate wish, but he still had a dream game for a defensive player.
HONOKAA —Honokaa’s Sheltyn Carvalho didn’t get his ultimate wish, but he still had a dream game for a defensive player.
While Carvalho pushed through Waiakea for four sacks, the Dragons pushed the envelope on fourth down, showing not just their trademark P.R.I.D.E., but also a little pizzazz and panache.
Honokaa converted four big fourth downs Friday, two on a momentum-changing drive to open the third quarter, beating Waiakea for the second time this month, 25-8 in a BIIF football opener played under a steady rain for much of the first half with a full reign of terror from Carvalho for the entire game.
“What I really want is a interception return for touchdown,” Carvalho said. “I had one my sophomore year but it was called back.”
The senior linebacker keyed a Honokaa defense that allowed just 86 total yards, and only one in the second half.
“Four sacks, I’m pretty stoked,” Carvalho said.
Klayton Gascon ran for two touchdowns, one on fourth down in the third quarter, and Ocean Guerpo-Beamer hit Thomas Au for a short touchdown pass on fourth down earlier in the third to spur Honokaa (2-0, 1-0 BIIF Division II).
The Dragons lost the turnover battle three to one, Kolten Caravalho had an interception, but they used the extra down to their advantage.
“I trust the defense,” coach Noeau Lindsey said. “The offense was up and down and needed to show me something.”
Nursing a 12-8 halftime lead and taking over near midfield, Guerpo-Beamer ran for 7 yards on fourth-and-4, following that up with a 20-yard scramble to the 7. The drive appeared to stall at the 2, but Lindsey eschewed a short field goal and Akau’s reception gave Honokaa a two-score lead.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Dragons took over at midfield when Kamuela Spencer-Herring hauled in a long pass down to the 8. Three plays later, Lindsey turned down another field goal, and Gascon plowed in from the 1 for his second touchdown.
“We lost some momentum in the second quarter,” Lindsey said. “It was nice to see the offense show drive when they needed it.”
Guerpo-Beamer finished 5 off 11 for 96 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions, and Gascon ran for 63 yards as Honokaa churned out 201 yards of offense.
Oshen Nobriga scored a defensive touchdown, falling on a fumble in the end zone after a bad snap on the first play from scrimmage for Honokaa, which beat the Warriors (1-3, 0-1 BIIF Division I) 28-6 two weeks ago. The Dragons can turn their attention to other teams, though the road gets tougher with trips to Hilo and Konawaena on tap the next two weeks.
“We’re looking forward to playing everybody,” Carvalho said. “We heard Hilo had some bombs, so we’ll have to be ready.”
Lindsey’s first gamble came midway through he first quarter.
Guerpo-Beamer hit Gene Ansagay for 37 yards on fourth-and-11 from the Waiakea 40, and Gascon scored on the next play, putting Waiakea down 12-0.
“If we punt and it goes into the end zone, we hardly gain any yardage,” Lindsey said.
At that point, the Warriors had been outscored 68-0 in the past four-plus quarters, but they answered right back.
Noah Eblacas hooked up twice with Kingsley Kalili, first for 14 yards to give the Warriors’ their second first down, then after Eblacas scrambled to convert a third down, he converted another by finding Kalili streaking down the right sideline on a 27-yard scoring play.
Cheyn Tam-Switzer picked off Guerpo-Beamer on Honokaa’s second possession, and Waiakea moved down to the Honokaa 11 — Eblacas scrambled for 24 yards — but the Warriors had to settle for a Ryden Quitoriano’s 31-yard field-goal attempt, which sailed wide.
Eblacas was 4 of 18 for 52 yards. Waiakea didn’t complete a pass in the second half.
Rylan Evangelista intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter and returned it 70 yards, but the Warriors couldn’t convert a fourth down of their own.
Waiakea 8 0 0 0 — 8
Honokaa 12 0 13 0 — 25
First quarter
Honokaa — Oshen Nobriga fumble recovery in end zone (kick blocked), 11:37
Honokaa — Klayton Gascon 3 run (run failed), 6:203
Waiakea — Kingsley Kalili 21 pass from Noah Eblacas (Ka’io Kon run), 2:27
Third quarter
Honokaa — Thomas Au 2 pass from Ocean Guerpo-Beamer (Paki Akau kick), 5:58
Honokaa — Gascon 1 run (kick blocked), 2:44