Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto knows the value of a win. ADVERTISING Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto knows the value of a win. He can remember when the Wildcats were not perennial contenders and victories were few and far between
Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto knows the value of a win.
He can remember when the Wildcats were not perennial contenders and victories were few and far between — back when all of the current players were still in middle school.
But now, Konawaena is seeking its fourth BIIF Division II title in five years and its most valuable win of Uemoto’s debut season as head coach when they host Kamehameha-Hawaii at 7 p.m. on Friday.
“I told these guys after the semifinal game against Honokaa that we are 9-1 and to never take that for granted,” Uemoto said. “It’s hard to win football games. I was a part of the team before Cliff Walters took over (in 2011), and wins were tough to come by. It helped me realize the value of wins, regardless of the opponent”
A high-powered offense and a speedy, opportunistic defense have led the Wildcats to a lot of lopsided wins this season. But Kamehameha has had Konawaena’s number the last few years, winning the last three matchups, including in the BIIF championship in 2014.
“That was a really tough loss for us, but everybody has their year,” Konawaena running back Algene Kelekolio said. “I feel we can get them this time.”
When looking at the matchup, the conversation inevitably shifts to a regular season game on Sept. 25 when Kamehameha shut out the Wildcats 24-0 on an extraordinarily rainy night.
“We all felt like it was a rewind to last year’s championship game with the pouring rain at their field,” Konawaena defensive back/wide receiver Cameron Howes said. “We got frustrated at first, but the loss actually helped us a lot. It showed us we could not expect to just walk over everyone in the BIIF.”
To that point, the Wildcats had. In the first four games of the season, Konawaena was scoring almost seven touchdowns per game and had won by an average margin of almost 33 points.
Against Kamehameha, Konawaena turned the ball over five times and couldn’t manage any points with starting quarterback Austin Ewing sidelined with an injury.
“We said after that game that it was a good loss. We took ownership of it as coaches and players,” Uemoto said. “We all looked at each other and asked how we could get better. Since then, week in and week out, I think we have improved.”
Since suffering their only loss this season, the Wildcats haven’t allowed more than six points in the three games since, and the offense has poured on 43 per game.
“We try to remain humble, hungry and focused. We always want to get better,” Konawaena wide receiver Tristan Fleming-Nazara said.
Ewing — Konawaena’s sophomore starting quarterback — has had a stellar year, registering 19 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Kelekolio has led the ground attack and a bevy of other weapons have made the Wildcats incredibly hard to slow down.
“Coming into the year I cut down the playbook and wanted us to play faster offensively. I think we have done that,” Uemoto said. “I hear from people in the community that they have fun watching us play. These kids come out and put on a show, and it is just as fun to play in an offense like that as it is to watch.”
Uemoto said his defense has also been a pleasant surprise, picking up and excelling in a variety of new coverages and schemes. The unit will have to play big again on Friday to slow down the Warriors.
“We have to continue to play solid defense. That’s the number one thing,” Uemoto said. “Then, we have to win the turnover battle. We have done it all year except for that night and it showed on the scoreboard.”
A benefit Konawaena has Friday that it did not have in last year’s championship or in the regular season loss is home field.
“I think the best thing about playing at home is our crowd and the vibe up mauka,” Howes said. “We can’t wait.”
