All that was left to complete a Neighbor Island semifinal sweep of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Division I and II football playoffs on Saturday was a matchup between a recent state champion, Konawaena, and a Kailua program that had rarely made it to that point in the postseason — and had never advanced past it.
The Oahu Interscholastic Association champions cared little for history in the best possible sense. The Surfriders stunned the Wildcats, 24-7, at Konawaena’s Julian Yates Field, usually a place of reliable wins against off-island visitors.
Third-seeded Kailua will take on top-seeded defending champion Kapaa at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Mililani’s John Kauinana Stadium.
Kapaa, a 31-26 winner over Damien in an afternoon affair at the Baptiste Sports Complex, will attempt to make the latest Kauai Interscholastic Federation incursion into the record books. The Warriors seek their third title overall, and second in the state’s middle tier, all since 2021. Prior to that, they had four runner-up finishes in Division II from 2015 to 2019.
Kailua will make its first appearance in a state championship game since the advent of state play in 1999. The Surfriders got to the semifinals in D-I back in 2001, when it was an eight-team field, but were routed by Saint Louis. It has been a long road back, but the Surfers never dropped out of Division I.
The Surfriders blunted the Wildcats’ potent passing attack by intercepting Keenan Alani four times and recovering two fumbles.
Running back Marquez Mellor compiled 107 rushing yards and a touchdown on 25 carries and Isaiah Keaunui-Demello had 136 passing yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Edge rusher Ben Honebein was a menace for coach Hauoli Wong’s defense with five tackles for loss. It was enough to overcome a whopping difference in penalties (17 for 172 yards for Kailua, three for 19 yards for Konawaena). Alani went just 12-for-26 for 127 yards.
“Players locked in and overcame all obstacles and played together and are very unselfish how we play offense, defense and special teams,” Wong told Spectrum News in a message. “And our coaching staff kept them in great position and kept our players calm so that they could execute and play at the highest level going a hundred miles an hour.”
Kapaa’s ground-and-pound game will present another challenge entirely. Kaisen Mundon rumbled for 114 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries and Alakai Pigao-Mundon gained another 83 yards on 22 carries as Mike Tresler’s Warriors attempted only one pass against Damien.
Damien tried to stage a comeback in the last game of the prolific career of four-year starting quarterback AJ Tuifua (20-for-33, 232 yards, three touchdowns, two picks). Tuifua ran one in from 18 yards late in the third and he found his favorite target, Wyatt Ho-Williams, for a 12-yard scoring pass. A 2-point conversion to make a three-point game failed and Kapaa ran out the clock.
Ho-Williams had 13 catches for 178 yards and two scores as the Monarchs fell short of their first state final appearance since 2017.
The Division II final will be contested between the two programs that have been the cream of the division over the last four years. Defending champ Kamehameha-Maui, the top seed, faces second-seeded Waimea, the 2022 and 2023 winner from Kauai.
KSM dispatched its brothers from Hawaii Island, 37-18, by racking up 303 rushing yards that contributed to an insurmountable 27-0 halftime lead. Zedekaiah Campbell went off with four touchdowns and 145 yards on his 23 carries. Xander Pagan added 117 yards on 20 attempts.
The teams shared a postgame moment on the field in Upcountry Maui.
Three-time OIA D-II champion Roosevelt went for a big swing against Waimea at Hanapepe Stadium. After Waimea led 27-7, the Rough Riders charged with three straight touchdowns over the last 16-plus minutes of the game. Quarterback Kaeo Bush found Victor Silva for a 2-yard touchdown with two minutes left.
Kui Kahooilihala had the option of kicking the extra point for the tie. He went for 2 and the win. It didn’t work out, as Bush was pressured into a retreat. He heaved it close to the end zone, but Waimea’s Kalawaia Martins went up high to knock it down.
Kaikea Miyashiro dominated for Waimea with 210 yards on 17 carries and three touchdown runs. The Menehunes did not attempt a pass.
KSM (10-1) and Waimea (4-5) meet at 4 p.m. Friday at John Kauinana Stadium. The Warriors seek their second title and the Menehunes their third.
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.