At 5 feet, 9 inches and 220 pounds, Kohala pondered putting Kobie Kaholoaa-Aguilar on the offensive line.
At 5 feet, 9 inches and 220 pounds, Kohala pondered putting Kobie Kaholoaa-Aguilar on the offensive line.
But instead of using him as a blocker, the Cowboys decided to give him the ball and make him a problem for would-be tacklers.
Kaholoaa-Aguilar rumbled for two touchdowns Saturday, and Kohala gained a key early season win by beating Ka’u 28-6 in a BIIF eight-man opener in Kapaau.
“We saw that he has good vision and that he’s like a bowling ball,” Kohala coach Reggie Tolentino said. “He carried half of the team on his touchdowns.”
Running the ball and controlling the clock is the master plan this season as the Cowboys (1-0 BIIF, 1-1) replace athletic quarterback Hana Caravalho, and they executed it seamlessly against the defending champion Trojans (0-1, 0-1). Kaholoaa-Aguilar, who played on the Honokaa junior varsity last season, scored on two short runs, and Kainalu Emeliano-Solomon and Isaiah Villacorte-Carvalho scored on longer runs.
Ka’u beat Kohala twice last year in what was the Cowboys’ inaugural season in eight-man.
“I told the boys we have to redeem ourselves,” Tolentino said. “I told them they are coming to roll us.”
Instead, it was Kaholoaa-Aguilar who led the stampede and Kohala shut out Ka’u in the second half, taking control when Emeliano-Solomon found the end zone on a quarterback keeper for a 14-6 lead.
Kamaehu DeRamos hooked up with Kainalu Medeiros-Dancel to account for the Trojans’ touchdown, but Tolentino credited middle linebacker Zerex Abellera and defensive back Cayson Carlos-Ellazar for spearheading the defensive effort.
“We kept putting pressure on the quarterback,” Tolentino said.
Emeliano-Solomon didn’t complete a pass on limited attempts.
Note: Tolentino said the game was live-streamed by KNKR in North Kohala, and more broadcasts are planned this season. … Kohala heads to Pahoa on Saturday, while Ka’u get a week off before travelling to Pahoa on Sept. 12.
Ka’u 0 6 0 0 – 6
Kohala 0 7 7 14–28