Honokaa played smash-mouth football on offense and run-stuffing defense, showing the type of toughness reserved for championship teams.
Honokaa played smash-mouth football on offense and run-stuffing defense, showing the type of toughness reserved for championship teams.
The Dragons looked absolutely nothing like last year’s version that went winless in the league for the first time in the school’s 40-year-plus history of gridiron play.
In fact, on Saturday with a cooling breeze and easy-going weather at Wong Stadium, the Dragons competed with a relentless energy last seen in 2009 when they won the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division I title.
They’re in Division II now, but looked comfortable in beating Division I Waiakea 35-29 in a BIIF game that showcased a pair of Honokaa standouts: junior quarterback/corner Nainoa Falk and senior Kamaehu Richards, a versatile weapon as a D-lineman, linebacker and offensive sparkplug.
Falk went 8 of 19 for 82 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and looked composed in commanding the Dragons (1-1 Division II, 1-1). Richards caught three balls for 51 yards, and scored two TDs — a 12-yard reception and a 25-yard run.
On the ground was where Falk did his best work. He rushed for 155 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, with several long gains: 80 yards, 28 yards and 15 yards. Sione Epenesa was next with 48 yards on 13 carries to help Honokaa rack up 327 yards on 44 attempts, a 7.4-yard average.
The Warriors (1-1 DIvision I, 1-3) severely missed running back Pono Auwae, who left the game with 10 minutes remaining due to injury. He weaved his way for 153 yards on 26 carries. The ground attack piled up 162 yards on 40 carries, a 4.1-yard average, nice numbers but not enough to overtake the hungry Dragons.
Waiakea quarterback Bryce Felipe was 8 of 28 for 176 yards with three scoring strikes and two picks. Hunter Rapoza hauled in four catches for 118 yards, including a 51-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Cody Cuba had two receptions for 53 yards, including a 40-yard score in the second quarter.
If you’re a Honokaa fan, here’s a good sign and something to really cheer about: the Dragons played pure smash-mouth football in the fourth quarter to take a 35-21 lead with under five minutes remaining.
The Dragons started from their 37-yard line, chewed up roughly six minutes off the clock, and had 13 plays — all on the ground, except for one incompletion. They ran the ball, ran the ball and ran the ball. And the Warriors couldn’t stop Honokaa’s avalanche.
Both ballclubs had four turnovers each; all were harmless. But the last ones by each team in the fourth quarter raised the dramatics, and kept the vocal fans on the edge of their seats.
After Felipe winged a 51-yard scoring strike to Rapoza that sliced Honokaa’s lead to 35-29 with 3:45 to go, the Warriors recovered an onside kick. But on the third play, Kelsey Kaniho intercepted Felipe and the Dragons later went three-and-out.
In a last gasp, Waiakea had a fourth-and-18 at their 42-yard line with 1:30 showing on the clock. Felipe’s Hail Mary heave wasn’t answered, the Dragons took over on downs, and later ran out the clock.
After the first quarter the score was 28-7. Honokaa was up on a stunned Waiakea squad. Even better, the Dragons were moving the ball with relative easy, and throwing changeups when the Warriors kept expecting fastballs.
From the start, the Dragons operated out of the shotgun with a single back and a jet sweep as an option to spread the field. Falk depended heavily on Richards, who was a triple threat as a solid blocker, pass catcher out of the backfield or at tight end, and a running bulldozer at 6 feet 3 and 240 pounds.
On their first series, it took the Dragons, who also used the I-formation, just five plays to score after Trueston Andrade blocked a Waiakea punt. Richards eventually caught a 12-yard touchdown pass. Honokaa’s next score was even more thrilling.
After the Warriors went for it on fourth-and-short deep in their territory and failed, the Dragons had the ball in prime position at the 25-yard line. Two plays later, Honokaa faked a run one way, and Richards rumbled in the opposite direction and scored from 25 yards out on a counter for a 14-0 lead.
On the ensuing series, Waiakea marched 87 yards on eight plays to find the end zone, capped with Felipe’s 21-yard scoring strike to Rapoza, making it 21-7 and kick starting all the ensuing excitement.
In the junior varsity game, it was Waiakea 32, Honokaa 7.
Honokaa 28 0 0 7 — 35
Waiakea 7 14 0 8 — 29
First quarter
Hon — Kamaehu Richards 12 pass from Nainoa Falk (Preston Branco kick), 8:34
Hon — Richards 25 run (Branco kick), 6:40
Hon — Falk 7 run (Branco kick), 2:08
Wai — Hunter Rapoza 21 pass from Bryce Felipe (Tyler Kerr kick), 4:39
Hon — Falk 80 run (Branco kick), :27
Second quarter
Wai — Cody Cuba 40 pass from Felipe (Kerr kick), 11:21
Wai — Robert Aku 4 run (Kerr kick), 4:05
Fourth quarter
Hon — Falk 1 run (Branco kick), 4:36
Wai — Rapoza 51 pass from Felipe (Safune Wilson run), 3:45