Kapaa High School won its first Division I state title with a 10-7 overtime victory over Konawaena last Saturday. The game, held at Mililani's John Kauinana Stadium, remained scoreless through the first three quarters, according to Big Island Now.
Kapaa won with strong special teams play. Nash Burkart returned a 50-yard punt for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Micah Rapozo kicked a 33-yard field goal to win in overtime. "Everyone was doubting us in this, man," Burkart said. "In the beginning of the season, some thought we weren’t even going to win our island in our conference." The Warriors, who finished 9-2, focused on defense, limiting Konawaena to 93 rushing yards on 38 attempts. Konawaena tied the game late with a 2-yard touchdown run by Hercules Nahale, setting up the overtime finish, in a statement obtained by Spectrum News.
Kapaa’s head coach, Mike Tresler, praised his team’s effort, saying, “They worked their butts off, they worked hard, never complained, they put in the effort.” Konawaena’s coach, Brad Uemoto, spoke about how Neighbor Island teams are improving, saying, “I think Neighbor Island teams are definitely catching up with Oʻahu teams,” and added, “I think sometimes just venturing out in the preseason and starting to face different competition and knowing that we can play with Oʻahu schools, it’s just confidence.” The game showed strong defense and special teams, helping Kapaa claim the victory, as stated by Big Island Now.
