HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
Waveriders enter at No. 9
They flew in early yesterday morning, smiles on their faces and game plans churning away in their football brains.
From Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, coaches arrived for a coaches meeting at Aloha Stadium.
When the HHSAA/First Hawaiian Bank State Football Championships kick off Friday, last year's Division I and II champions -- Kamehameha and Campbell -- will be absent.
As of today, one last state berth is still up for grabs. Punahou meets Saint Louis tonight in a tiebreaker game to determine the champion of the Interscholastic League of Honolulu. Kickoff at Aloha Stadium is 7 p.m.
Kealakehe clinched the Big Island Interscholastic Federation D-I title Saturday with a 35-6 win over Keaau. Kealakehe hosts Waianae on Friday.
The Waveriders (8-1), who landed in the Star-Bulletin Top 10 at No. 9 for the first time this year, threw a total of one time against Keaau.
"We run the ball, and use play-action as needed," coach Sam Papalii said. "If it's working, why do anything else?"
The game was telecast on OC 16, but Papalii says that wasn't the reason his team kept a lock on its playbook.
"We run a spread, too, but we had control of the game," he said.