KEALAKEKUA — In a rather drizzly Thursday afternoon along the slopes of Mauna Loa, Konawaena girls flag football displayed a perfect performance of offensive execution and defensive intensity in its 41-0 shutout win of the visiting Kohala Cowgirls at Julian R. Yates Field. With the impressive victory, the Lady Wildcats elevated themselves to a 3-0 record in the young season.
Junior Koloe Alani started the game at quarterback for the green and white. She kicked things off by firing a laser to junior receiver Karter Mahelona, who then took the ball to the end zone for the first touchdown of the night. Sophomore running back Nateila Rivera had some impressive rushes to get Kona into the red zone, setting the tone for her big night. The Lady Wildcats earned the one-point extra-point attempt to lead 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Kona junior Ki‘ilei Leleiwi took over signal caller duties for the rest of the game. While she started off on the wrong foot throwing a pick to Kohala junior Alyssa Bautista, the Lady Wildcats got the ball back quickly after forcing a turnover on downs — leading a big Kayzia James catch that placed the hosts in Cowgirl territory once again. Rivera then sealed the drive again with a rushing touchdown. After securing another extra point, Kona was up two scores by halftime.
The Lady Wildcats really started to get into a groove over the final two quarters. Continuing to pound the rock with its run game, Kona set itself up in the red zone again, leading to a Leleiwi 25-yard touchdown throw to James to go up three scores. The Lady Wildcats forced another turnover in the ensuing drive after freshman defensive back Bria Hao caught an interception at the midway point of the third. Rivera kept advancing the ball with her rushes, and Leleiwi then threw a touchdown to freshman receiver Briley Hao to lead 27-0.
Hao then caught two more touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, while sibling Bria Hao caught an additional two picks over the same period to halt the Cowgirls’ offense. She finished the night with three interceptions, while Briley Hao had three touchdown receptions.
Leleiwi finished with four touchdown passes while Alani had one.
Still remaining undefeated in the green and white’s inaugural season, Kona will have a big test against Hawaii Preparatory Academy on Wednesday in Kealakekua. Both teams have displayed high IQ on both sides of the field through the early season, making the matchup a can’t-miss event.
The Cowgirls fell to 0-2, currently posted at an 8-54 point differential through its first two tests. Kohala will look to right the ship against Parker on Wednesday night in Kapa‘au.
Follow the paper all spring for continuous updates on the first-ever Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) girls flag football season.
Other games
• 3/20 Hilo 42, Ka‘u 0
• 3/19 KSH 26, Pahoa 6
• 3/19 Honoka‘a 36, Kanu 1
• 3/19 Waiakea 27, Kea‘au 0