KEALAKEKUA — One of the biggest games in south Kona history kicks off at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Mililani High School on O‘ahu.
Konawaena football will be taking on Kauai powerhouse Kapa‘a in the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I Football Championship, competing in their third consecutive state title game. Kona will attempt to secure its second state crown.
The two teams also faced off in the DI semifinals a year ago, in which Kona won 37-19.
Several Wildcats will be playing in their storied green-and-white uniforms for the final time. For senior star wideout Austin Takaki, tonight is more than just his last high school game — it’s the pinnacle of everything he’s worked for over his four years at Konawaena, on and off the field.
“I love Konawaena … I’ll always bleed green,” Takaki told West Hawaii Today at practice this week. “Walking down those steps every weekend and representing not just you and your family, but the whole community and the Big Island, is just insane. I wouldn’t want to play for anyone else.
“If we win this game, this will be for the entire Kona community. I’m just blessed for this opportunity. We’re excited to represent our island and try to go make history.”
Takaki will be a critical piece in the Wildcats’ game plan against the Warriors this evening. A star on both sides of the field, Takaki has thrived as Kona’s No. 1 wide receiver in 2024 — collecting 87 receptions for 1,209 yards and 21 touchdowns across 12 games. He’s also been a lockdown defensive back in the Wildcats’ secondary, grabbing a crucial interception during the state semifinals against Leilehua last week.
Takaki is one of the several athletic, shifty playmakers that Kona (10-2) deploys on each side of the field. Head coach Brad Uemoto uses his athletes to his advantage, as the team’s overall speed and agility overwhelms opponents each week.
“We’re a smaller team, but we’re a family here,” Takaki added. “We’re like a small group of dogs — we got each other’s backs no matter what and we’ll fight to the end. We all have big hearts and love to play the sport, so we feel like we belong here on this stage.”
While this year’s Wildcats team has several other key players that were a part of the 2022 state title, many teammates are experiencing this opportunity for the first time. This includes sophomore quarterback Keenan Alani, who has broken out as a superstar in his first season as a starter. Alani has completed 61% of his attempts for 2,745 yards, 48 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Last week against the Mules, he posted 359 passing yards and five touchdowns in his state tournament debut.
“In the beginning of the season, it was kind of hard connecting with Austin (Takaki) and Malu (Tan) because I had never played with them before, but game after game, our chemistry got a lot better,” Alani said.
While tonight is a whole new experience for Alani, he is confident in himself and the team’s chances of bringing home another title.
“I’m excited and confident,” he added.
“If we can execute offensively and stop the run, then we should be good.”
Like last week against Leilehua, Kapa‘a (8-2) poses a strong threat in the run game — led by senior feature back Nainoa Simmons, who has rushed for 1,501 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. His backfield partner, senior quarterback Evan Daligdig, has tallied 540 yards on the ground and 13 rushing touchdowns. The pair has led the team’s powerful offense to average over 40 points per game.
In last weekend’s 55-33 semifinal win against Damien, the Warriors’ run game rushed for 316 of their 383 scrimmage yards. Needless to say, stopping the run will be the key to victory for Kona.
“They’re more dependent on the run,” Uemoto said of Kapa‘a. “They’re going to pass when they feel like they can get a big shot on you, so it’s more about discipline and assignment. Tackling is going to be a huge factor for us, and being in the right position so we don’t give up extra yards.”
The Wildcats’ preparation this week has been upbeat and business-only. With Kona being at this stage several times before, Uemoto noted that the team has held a cool, calm demeanor in the final days of the season.
“We’re not overly-excited as we have been in the past,” Uemoto said. “I feel that just comes with being here for three consecutive years, and just knowing what to expect a little bit more.”
Uemoto also praised the group’s grit and mental toughness, adding that winning this game would be a testament to the work ethic they’ve displayed all season long, as well as the community’s support from the beginning.
“We’ve been trying to make this a yearly thing and put ourselves on the map,” he said. “We want to make our community proud. We have a lot of followers and supporters, and we know they want nothing less than a state title.”
See the paper early next week to read coverage of tonight’s championship.
