KONA, Hawai‘i — Kapa‘a High School football, the reigning Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation football champions, lost 37-19 to the Konawaena Wildcats on Saturday night in Kona.
The Division I top-seeded Wildcats lived up to its ranking by getting three touchdowns from Keawe Navas — 21 yards in the first quarter, 3 yards in the second quarter and 21 yards in the fourth quarter — against the No. 5 seeded Warriors.
The Warriors were held to just three scores — an Evan Daligdig 48-yard pass reception from Kapono Na-O in the first frame, a Na-O 1-yard push in the second quarter, and a Waikahekili Makepa 6-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Kamalei Gonsalves, the Warriors’ traditional extra point kicker, notched one kick following Daligdig’s scoring pass. The remaining two extra point attempts were failed two-point efforts.
Despite coming up 26 yards short in total offensive yards, Kapa‘a was overshadowed in the air as Na-O was held to 111 yards and 1 touchdown with 2 interceptions, while Kona’s Keoni Alani piled up 234 yards in the air with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Warriors out-rushed the Wildcats on the ground, 237 yards to Kona’s 140 yards with Na-O leading the charge with 152 yards. Makepa adding 92 yards.
Navas was the top Wildcats ground gainer with 67 yards on 10 carries with three TDs. He also played on the other side of the ball, and was Kona’s top defender with six unassisted stops and two fumble recoveries.
Nash Burkart led the Kapa‘a defense with six stops and a fumble recovery, followed by Steeler Burley with five stops. ScoringLive.com provided games stats.
After traveling for two of its three steps — the No. 5 seed Kapa‘a upset the No. 4 seed Lahainaluna in the final minute of play last week on Maui. Kapa‘a comes home to its locker rooms on the hill, while Kona advances to the Division I title fight against No. 2 Waipahu High School, which took a 21-20 nail-biter over the unseeded Farrington Governors on Saturday night before the Mauraders home crowd.
The Division I contest follows the Division II title fight between KIF’s Waimea High School, the defending Division II champions, against Div. II No. 2 seed Kamehameha School-Maui at Mililani High School.
