The Warriors from Kauai’s Eastside are about to make their return to the postseason.
Kapaa High School’s varsity football team, seeded No. 2 in the 2018 First Hawaiian Bank Football Championships–Division II state tournament, will host Kaimuki High School from Oahu this Saturday at Vidinha Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
On the surface, this matchup appears to be between two teams who like to pound the rock.
Kapaa (6-2 overall, 5-1 KIF) totaled 1,327 net rushing yards in its 2018 campaign.
Warriors senior running back Ryno Banasihan has been Kapaa’s feature back, totaling 514 yards rushing and nine touchdowns in four games Kauai Interscholastic Federation league games.
Running mate, sophomore rusher Baba Na-o, has totaled 425 rushing yards and three touchdowns in six KIF games.
Kaimuki (9-3 overall, 8-1 OIA) also features a tandem of rushers.
Bulldogs senior Jonah Stephens and junior Naomas Asuega-Fualaau both have amassed at least 900 yards rushing the ball and are in the double digits in scoring — Stephens has 11 touchdowns, and Asuega-Fualaau has 13 TDs, according to ScoringLive.
During practice earlier this week, Kapaa head coach Philip Rapozo lauded Kaimuki’s size on the line.
“Kaimuki’s really big. (They’re a) physical team. They’re athletic,” Rapozo said.
Kaimuki head coach David Tautofi said to have size upfront is a bonus if the individuals work as one unit. Tautofi added while the line is a strength, it is a young group.
“We only have two seniors on the line,” he said. “Some of the 300-pounders are only sophomores this year. Our two guards are sophomores.”
So, if both teams continue to run the ball this Saturday, it could come down to which defense bends but doesn’t break.
Or, do these teams have something up their sleeve that will shut down the opposing offense?
Warriors linebacker Raffy Perono is confident going into Saturday’s game.
“The D-line. … If they do their thing, I think we got it and we can stop their running game,” Perono said earlier this week.
Tautofi, too, is confident in his defense.
In the Division II quarterfinals against Kamehameha Schools–Hawaii of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation, Kaimuki gave up just 46 yards rushing.
“Against the run, we’ve been stout. … That’s what we’re trying to make sure — that we’re stout this week,” Tautofi said.
Either way, it has all the makings of an exciting state tournament semifinal.
With a berth in the Division II championship game on the line, who will leave Vidinha Stadium victorious?
Only one way to find out. See you on game day.
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Nick Celario, sports writer, can be reached at 245-0437 or ncelario@thegardenisland.com.
