HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – With just under 40 players, Konawaena High’s football roster is relatively small, but an absence of depth, doesn’t mean a lack of scrappyness.
The Wildcats are fast, love to light up the scoreboard, and most of the team plays both offense and defense.
”It’s score the touchdown, throw the ball to the ref, go to the sideline drink some water and sit down for as long as you can,” said senior receiver and cornerback, Austin Takaki. “Then it’s hey kickoff is going, get back up, you gotta go.”
The boys from Kealakekua don’t mind punching above their weight class.
In this year’s preseason, they made two trips to Oahu to play Punahou and Kahuku.
They were shutout by a combined 48-0 in both games, but those matchups helped them grow up quickly.
”To go in there and you’re forced to execute, you’re forced to play tough football,” said Konawaena head coach Brad Uemoto. “Regardless of what the score is, you take that experience into your league and hopefully you can build on that.”
Once the regular season started, the Wildcats were off and running, going undefeated against conference opponents and winning by an average of 52-points on their way to a fourth straight Big Island Interscholastic Federation title.
Yet, in their last two state tournament appearances, they’ve endured the full spectrum of emotions.
Konawaena won it all in 2022, but lost in the title game the following year.
Significant moments that have offered lessons to learn from.
”If we don’t take that experience into this season’s tournament, we’re doing ourselves a disservice,” Uemoto said. “These 16 seniors have all been a part of it and it’s something they’re gonna have to hang their hat on and use to their advantage and bring along the rest of the group.”
Konawaena’s run for another title begins Friday night when they host Leilehua.
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