After a midseason lull, Kohala’s eight-man football team is officially back on track and headed where it wants to go. ADVERTISING After a midseason lull, Kohala’s eight-man football team is officially back on track and headed where it wants to
After a midseason lull, Kohala’s eight-man football team is officially back on track and headed where it wants to go.
Next stop: Pahala.
The Cowboys scored in all three phases Saturday in Kapaau and quarterback Maui Hook threw for 255 yards in a 38-20 victory against Pahoa, setting up a winner-take-all season finale next weekend.
“We’re hitting our peak,” defensive coordinator Chad Atkins said. “The boys have been practicing hard and have stared down some adversity.”
The Cowboys (3-2) and Trojans (3-2) will decide the championship at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ka’u in a rubber match. The teams have not only split two games this season, but also the past two eight-man titles.
“It’s going to be evenly matched, and I think we have momentum because we won the last one,” Atkins said. “It’s a matter of who has the most heart.”
He said Hook, a junior, and freshman linebacker Keahou Kaholoaa-Aguilar played “out of their minds.”
Kaholoaa-Aguilar forced a fumble that Peyton Oda returned for a touchdown, and Hook connected early and often with Owen Kaawa-Culp and found Kama Emeliano-Solomon for a 60-yard touchdown.
Marc Francisco returned a kickoff for a score, and Kohala pulled away after leading 18-12 at halftime, getting touchdowns from Stylez Alvarez, who scored from 50 yards out, and Kobie Kaholoaa-Aguilar.
Atkins said he was proud his team remained focused as some on the Pahoa sideline “lost their cool.”
“There were parents out on the field,” he said.
Despite finishing with consecutive losses, the Daggers (2-4) finished their most successful season after going winless in 2014 and 2015.
Atkins praised the play of Pahoa’s Keala Harris, Kaniala Harris, Kealen Sibucao-Kamakaeeaina and was happy to see William Stinnett return from injury.
“They played great football,” Atkins said.
Before the game, the Cowboys made an overture toward Down syndrome awareness when elementary school student Jhace Kaipo took the field with Kohala’s captains for the coin toss.
“He loves football,” Atkins said.
The video is available at https://www.facebook.com/ChealohaE/posts/354617681549826
