Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Hawaii Tribune-Herald
There are three weeks left in the BIIF regular season, and teams are staring at home-field edges for the playoffs.
Kamehameha are Konawaena unbeaten in Division II while Hilo is in good shape in Division I.
But things can quickly change, starting with Week 5 games.
Hilo (3-1 BIIF Division I, 4-1) at Kamehameha (4-0 BIIF Division II, 4-2), 7:20 p.m. Friday
The Vikings are still a strong favorite to capture a fifth consecutive league title. After all, they’re still sitting in first place in the BIIF standings.
But Hilo had a few issues last week in a loss to Konawaena. The offense managed just 90 yards, and Kahale Huddleston was held to 64 yards on 22 attempts on a muddy field.
However, the Wildcats played on the same field, and Chauncey Mariani-Louis logged 104 yards on the ground while quarterback Austin Ewing lit up Hilo’s secondary with 211 yards and two touchdowns.
It’s a rebound statement game for the Vikings, who suffered their first league loss since 2015.
Kealakehe (2-2 BIIF Division I, 2-4) at Honokaa (1-3, 2-3), 7:20 p.m. Friday
Despite losing their first four games of the season and losing an assistant coach to resignation after a post game confrontation, the Waveriders aren’t any worse for wear. The Waveriders still can host the BIIF Division I title game by winning their final three games of the regular season.
Honokaa has lost three games in a row and returns home for the first time since beating Waiakea in August to open the BIIF season. No matter where the Dragons have played, they have had issues moving the ball consistently, and last week the turnover bug crept in during a loss at Keaau.
Konawaena (4-0, 4-2) at Waiakea (0-4, 1-6), 1:20 p.m. Saturday
On paper, this is another mismatch at Ken Yamase Memorial Stadium.
Losers of six in a row, the Warriors conclude a four-game homestand that so far has consisted of a loss to numbers-deprived Hawaii Prep and losses to Hilo and Kamehameha by a combined 101-0.
Enter the Wildcats, fresh off the best win of the BIIF season.
Quarterback Austin Ewing deservedly gets a lot of attention, but the Wildcats’ defense more than held up its end of the bargain in the victory against the Vikings, providing Waiakea with a challenge to avoid a third shutout in a row.
Keaau (1-3 BIIF Division I, 1-3) at Hawaii Prep (1-3 BIIF Division II, 2-3), 3 p.m.
For once, the Cougars ride into Waimea with momentum.
The good vibes came in part, courtesy of quarterback Iokepa Laa, who accounted for three touchdowns in his first game at quarterback, stabilizing Keaau’s offense in a 30-15 win against Honokaa.
Running back Junior Santiago is a nice safety blanket for a QB. He has touchdown runs of 75, 76 and 85 yards on the season.
A challenge of late for Ka Makani has merely been reaching positive yardage offensively.
In theory, Keaau’s defense should be a fairer fight compared to losses the past two weeks against Kamehameha and Kealakehe.
Eight-man
Ka’u (2-1 BIIF, 2-2) at Pahoa (2-0, 4-0), 6 p.m. Thursday at Keaau
The Daggers can’t clinch their first eight-man title with a win, but a victory would go a long way toward helping the Daggers unseat the Trojans and give them a stranglehold on the three-team league.
In the team’s first meeting Aug. 26 in Pahala, Pahoa running back Keala Harris ran wild on Ka’u, gaining 333 yards and four touchdowns in a 32-8 victory.
Ka’u has picked it up offensively since, amassing 169 points in three games, but Pahoa has added balance as well offensively, getting increased contributions in the passing game from Duane Correa and Paris Hayes-Kai.