It’ll be a family reunion when Kamehameha and Nanakuli meet on the football field, where cousins Micah Kanehailua and Kale Kanehailua are the starting quarterbacks.
After the Warriors defeated Konawaena 35-13 for the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II championship last Friday, Micah hoped his cousin kept his end of the deal.
Before the gridiron season started, the two senior QBs came up with a dream scenario: the Warriors and Golden Hawks as league champions and first-round opponents in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association state tournament.
It wasn’t smooth sailing for the other Kanehailua and Nanakuli, which needed overtime and a missed Pearl City extra point to win 37-36 for the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II title later on Friday night at Aloha Stadium.
The Warriors (7-2) will host the Golden Hawks (10-0) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Paiea stadium, where one Kanehailua has a chance to make school history.
Kamehameha captured BIIF Division II titles in 2005, ‘06, ‘07 and ‘10, but never got past foes Moanalua (34-20), Waipahu (27-12), Kaimuki (22-0), and Kaimuki (14-9), in successive years, respectively, at states.
“It’ll be a lot of fun. It’ll be the first time we’ll meet playing football,” Micah Kanehailua said. “Kale’s dad is my Uncle Stacy. The real story is his dad’s brother, Uncle Val, grew up in Laupahoehoe and was on the BIIF championship team at Honokaa in the 1970s or 80s.
“It’s a long line of quarterbacks. My uncle Stacy was at Nanakuli. My dad, Marshall, was a Hilo High QB. My grandpa Mitch was another QB at Kohala. That’s why I wear No. 12. He wore No. 12.”
One key matchup will be Kamehameha’s run defense against Makaila Haina-Horswill, who skated around the Chargers for 85 yards on 22 carries.
He’s a little guy at 5 feet 6 and 166 pounds. But the Golden Hawk senior running back is effective. For the season, he’s gained 1,284 yards on 140 attempts.
Nanakuli runs a spread offense with the attack designed around the ground game. Kale Kanehailua has 363 yards on 80 carries, a 4.5-yard average; he’s the second leading rusher.
It’s always a tougher challenge with a run-threat QB because the defense loses that one tackler free advantage. At least, the Warriors have been busy making stops.
Sophomore linebacker Wayne Dacalio leads the way with 31 tackles, and right behind is senior secondary ace Isaiah Tauati with 29 tackles. Two-way lineman Pono Davis is next with 28 tackles and senior linebacker Sean Miday has 21 tackles.
The coverage has been Pick City. The defense has 23 interceptions over nine games, an average of at least two a game.
Preston Kalai leads Kamehameha with five interceptions, followed by Tauati’s four picks while David Kalili and Alapaki Iaea have three each.
“They run the spread but it’s a little different from us,” Kamehameha coach Dan Lyons said. “They run the ball more. Their QB is a playmaker as far as passing and running the ball. They’re relentless and just keep plodding along until they’re winning at the end.”
In the BIIF championship, the Warriors were hindered on offense when lineman Kanaiela Decoito tweaked his ankle. He’s expected to be in the lineup for Nanakuli.
“When he went down, we had difficulty running and couldn’t pass,” Lyons said. “We couldn’t expand the playbook to do everything that we do.
“Bubba Akiona played very well on the defensive line. He stopped everything Kona was pushing his way. Pono was Pono. He had an excellent game.”
Davis leads the team with nine sacks. He’s equally valuable on offense, too.
He’s a member of a tough-nosed O-line that has opened holes for junior running back Kaeo Batacan, who has 766 yards on 116 carries, and Chase Peneku, who has 448 yards on 90 attempts.
Micah Kanehailua has completed 129 of 249 passes for 1,717 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He’s a bit of a run threat, but not quite as dangerous as his cousin, with 153 yards on 13 carries.
In the OIA championship, the Golden Hawks gave the Pearl City receivers a cushion, and from game film the Warrior QB noticed a few other details.
“They’d bring their outside linebacker on a blitz, and go with a cover 3 (three players defending one-third of the field). They’d go with a four-man front and head-up on the (O-line) tackles.”
While Nanakuli’s ends had two-gap responsibility, the linebackers were able to crash down and make plays. And with the soft-press coverage, it was a bend-but-don’t-break philosophy.
Basically, the Golden Hawks wanted the Chargers to churn out extended drives to score. The downside is if the blocking is really good an accurate QB can light it up. Pearl City’s Jordan Taamu went 22 of 37 for 274 yards and three touchdowns, but also had two picks.
“Pearl City runs all our same pass plays,” Kanehailua said. “And almost all our read-option runs and screen plays. They run a lot of slants, shallow crosses, bubbles and quick screens.
“The weather will be a big factor because it’ll allow us to open our playbook. They’ll be a lot of family in the stands wondering, ‘Who’s the better Kanehailua?’ It’ll be a lot of fun. It’s not about who wins or comes out on top. It’ll come down to all my teammates.”
Division I
Hilo (9-0) vs. Kahuku (8-2), 7:30 p.m. Friday at Aloha Stadium
The BIIF is 0 for 15 at the Division I level at states. All of the league’s other Division I sports teams have won a first-round game. Football is the only one still winless.
At least that futility doesn’t extend to the BIIF’s Division II gridiron teams, which are 2 for 11. In 2004, Hawaii Prep beat Waipahu 41-16, and Moanalua 17-14 in 2009 in the first round.
Against the state’s best of the best, the BIIF has run into a familiar, insurmountable obstacle: the competition is often bigger, faster or stronger or all three.
If the North Shore is famous for anything, it’s not really the glamorous surfing spots or the fresh-farm shrimp.
The Red Raiders are annually stock-piled with collegiate Division I-level prospects. No other area has a better production rate at that, whether the players are at Kahuku, Punahou, Kamehameha-Kapalama or Saint Louis.
It’s nice to have history, too. Kahuku is making its 12th state appearance, and won titles in 2000, ‘01, ‘03, ‘05, ‘06, ‘11 and 2012.
It’s Hilo’s fourth state appearance. Last year, the Vikings fell to Campbell 42-27, despite trailing just 21-17 after the third quarter.
Tristin Spikes has rushed for 1,145 yards on 130 carries while Hilo quarterback Sione Atuekaho has completed 72 of 162 passes for 1,276 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 picks.
Ofa Fahiua leads the defense with 131 tackles, including 89 solo. The senior linebacker also has four interceptions. Senior safety Haili Mahoe has 81 tackles and three picks.
Hilo coach David Baldwin couldn’t be reached for comment.
