The China Mail - Honoka‘a Dragons Face Hawaii Prep in BIIF Division II Championship

The first-seeded Honoka‘a Dragons will host the second-seeded Hawaii Prep Ka Makani team for the BIIF Division II Football Championship on Saturday night at Honoka‘a High School. The victory would mark Honoka‘a’s first conference title since 2022.

Honoka‘a enters the championship with a 7-1 record, having established itself as one of the island’s top teams since play began in early August. First-year head coach Matthew Moniz attributes the team’s rapid integration into his system to his long-standing relationship with the players. Having coached many of them since they were five years old through Pop Warner and youth programs, Moniz noted that their familiarity with his expectations facilitated a quick adaptation.

"I’ve coached all these kids since Pop Warner," Moniz said. "So that’s how we got things running real fast. They know my ways and what I expect."

The Dragons’ offense has been the primary driver of their success, averaging 34 points per game and scoring over 50 points in three contests. Senior running back Chrys Coelho anchors the unit, having rushed for nearly 1,000 yards on 116 carries with 13 touchdowns. Coelho has recorded at least 118 rushing yards in every game this season. His performance against Kealakehe on Aug. 28, where he gained 215 yards and scored three touchdowns, highlighted his impact.

Moniz acknowledged the heavy reliance on Coelho’s ability to establish the run game, which opens opportunities for the passing attack. "We pretty much put everything on his shoulders," Moniz said. "If we can’t get the run game going, then the pass game won’t work. But every situation that we’ve put that kid in, he’s been exceeding more and more — he’s just a workhorse."

Quarterback Kage Yadao has capitalized on this structure, throwing 17 touchdowns with only six interceptions. The receiving corps features four players with at least 155 yards and three touchdowns: Hauoli McGurn (260 yards), Hapaki Moniz (204 yards), Kiakahi Lindsey (165 yards), and Kaenan Martines (155 yards). Offensive Coordinator Sage Johnson and the coaching staff have tweaked the system from the previous year to enhance its effectiveness.

Honoka‘a’s defense has also been formidable despite rebuilding after losing over a dozen senior starters. The younger unit has allowed just under 10 points and 134 scrimmage yards per game, including two shutout wins. One of those victories came against Hawaii Prep on Oct. 8 with a 52-0 score.

"This year we were kind of rebuilding the defense, moving a lot of people around," Moniz explained. "I guess we kind of found the formula of what we’re looking for as of right now."

For Hawaii Prep (4-4), the path to the championship has been obstructed by significant injuries. The team will be without starting quarterback Josef Robinson, who is suspected to have torn his ACL in last month’s game against Waiakea. Despite this loss, HPA defeated third-seeded Kohala 27-21 in the semifinals.

Head coach Lincoln Kalama confirmed that freshman Manase Larrua will start at quarterback. Larrua has started the previous two games and showed composure against Kealakehe on Oct. 24 by taking care of the football. Kalama emphasized the need for a "next-man-up mentality" as players recover from illness that affected the roster during the semifinal win.

Ka Makani’s roster includes several key two-way players, such as receiver and strong safety Landon Wilson, tight end and linebacker Carson Hoover, and tight end and strong safety Titus Fonoimoana. However, the team faces a daunting task in slowing down Honoka‘a’s offense.

"Coach Matty has a great team, and they’re very tough to compete against," Kalama said. "It’s going to be very hard to slow down No. 25 [Coelho]. We just gotta give what we can hope we can slow him down enough that we can get momentum in our favor."

Honoka‘a enters the game looking to correct mistakes that cost them their only loss of the season against Kamehameha-Hawaii on Oct. 16. Although the Dragons moved the ball effectively, mental lapses and turnovers in the red zone led to the defeat.

"Against Kam, we executed plays and got to the red zone, but we couldn’t punch it in," Moniz said. "So if we can get down there (against HPA) and keep punching it in, then we’re definitely going to win."

Kickoff for the BIIF Division II Football Championship is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday.

T.Wu--ThChM