KEAAU – Kamehameha’s first play offensive play from scrimmage Thursday night foreshadowed its dominance.
Makoa Aurello took a short pass from Michael Perry, made one cut and was gone 72 yards for a score. There were many more to come.
One of Pahoa’s last offensive plays from scrimmage underscored its resiliency. His team hopelessly behind, David Martinez dragged a pile of tacklers 15 yards, fighting tooth and nail for each and every inch and showing resolve. There was plenty of that to go around as well.
Thanks to a rapidly moving second half, the halftime score stood as the final: Warriors 60, Daggers 6 – the transition to a five-team BIIF Division II football league clearly is going to take some time.
Kamehameha (3-2, 2-0) scored on five of eight offensive snaps during one juncture of the first quarter – and that’s not counting Izayah Chartrand-Penera’s interception return for touchdown.
At that point, the Warriors almost got apologetic about scoring.
Ahead 47-0 early in the second quarter, coach Shaun Perry elected to kick a field goal on first-and-goal rather than get another touchdown.
“I thought Pahoa did a great job, and as a new (11-man) program they are on their way,” Perry said.
Playing their first season of 11-man games since 2001 after five years of eight-man, the Daggers (0-2, 0-2) have been outscored 111-20.
Still, in their postgame meeting, the Daggers cheered and clapped about scoring those 20 points.
Each of the Warriors’ five games have featured a running second-half clock because of the 35-point mercy rule, but none of the previous four got out of hand as quickly as this one – Elijah Dinkel kicked off eight times in the first quarter.
Apu Alfiche ran around defenders for his first touchdown and over one for his second.
After the first of the Daggers’ seven turnovers, Austin Wilson eased around the left side for a 45-yard touchdown, and after the second Pahoa miscue Perry hooked up with Chartrand-Penera for an easy score.
A mental lapse cost Pahoa when it failed to field a kickoff. Kamehameha fell on it at the 3, leading to Perry’s third touchdown toss, this one to Robert Kaha’i.
Micah Mahiai ran for 175 yards on just seven carries, including a 78-yard touchdown, as Kamehameha gained 406 yards.
Perry, a freshman, was 5 of 6 for 121 yards, the bulk of that going to Aurello.
Jaydan Broad-Melander ran for a score for the Daggers and threw for 91 yards, but he was intercepted four times (Taylor Eckart, Makai Snyder and Jake Toci had the other ones).
The Warriors, the defending BIIF D-II champions, were coming off a 48-0 win at Ka’u. Kohala, the third eight-man team moving up to Division II, plays its first league game Saturday at Hawaii Prep.
All three new 11-man teams are carrying freshman-laden rosters.
Clearly, there are going to be more growing pains moving forward.
“I’ll help however I can,” Perry said.
KS-Hawaii 47 13 0 0–60
Pahoa 0 6 0 0- 6
First quarter
KSH – Makoa Aurello 72 pass from Michael Perry (Elijah Dinkel kick)
KSH – Apu Alfiche 25 run (Dinkel kick)
KSH – Austin Wilson 25 run( kick blocked)
KSH – Izayah Chartrand Penera 10 pass from Perry (Dinkel kick)
KSH – Robert Kaha’i 2 pass from Perry (Dinkel kick)
KSH – Chartrand Penera 30 interception return (kick blocked)
KSH – Alfiche 20 run (Dinkel kick)
Second quarter
KSH – FG 22 Dinkel
Pahoa – Jayden Broad-Melander 7 run (pass failed)
KSH – Micah Mahiai 78 run (Dinkel kick)
KSH – FG 27 Dinkel