BIIF schools participate in inaugural girls flag football state tournament, hosted by the Hawaii High School Athletic Association
Rewritten Article:
Title: Big Island Teams Face Challenges in Inaugural Girls Flag Football State Champs
The Big Island powerhouses of Konawaena, Hawaii Prep, Waiakea, and Hilo faced off in the first-ever Hawaii Dental Service Girls Flag Football State Championships on Oahu this week. Despite explosive and unforgettable seasons from all squads, each team stumbled in the preliminary rounds, forcing them into the consolation bracket.
The third-seeded Lady Wildcats, who swept the BIIF Division I championship with an undefeated run, went against Nanakuli on Wednesday and dropped the match 39-19. The Lady Golden Hawks dominated in almost every aspect of the game, as quarterback Charyssa Asisin tossed 205 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. She connected with Shaydenurijah Key Byrd and Carlee Sausi-Callejo for scores, with Sausi-Callejo also spending some time as quarterback to throw a touchdown to Key Byrd.
Lady Wildcats quarterback Ki'ilei Leileiwi threw three touchdowns and three picks with 178 passing yards. Leileiwi threw scores to Kylie Denis, Briley Hao, and Ava Shoosmith.
Nanakuli racked up an impressive 293 yards of net offense compared to Kona's 212.
Next up for the Lady Wildcats was a clash with Waianae in the consolation bracket, where they succumbed 35-0. Kona finished the year 9-2 overall in their debut season, setting a high bar for future Lady Wildcats.
BIIF DII champions Hawaii Prep were outclassed by Leilehua 25-6 in Wednesday's opening bout. Madie Buczyna crossed the goal line first for Ka Makani with an eight-yard run, giving them an early 6-0 advantage, but that was all the red and white could manage in the scoring department.
Lady Mules quarterback Cali Moniz-Kealoha finally jump-started their offense in the second half with touchdowns to Maci Rivera and Madi Powell. Minei Haiola-Borges and Starlette Rose Tugaoen each grabbed pick sixes to score the final two touchdowns of the contest.
Leilehua posted 264 yards of offense to HPA's 168, including 219 passing yards.
With a record of 8-3 overall, Hawaii Prep bounced back in their first consolation game, beating Kahuku 13-0. They later faced Waimea in the 10th place semifinals on Friday evening.
Hilo fell 46-0 to fourth-seeded Kamehameha-Maui on Wednesday in a lopsided battle, with the Lady Warriors outgaining the Vik Queens -1 in total offense. Quarterback Tyra Shimizu threw three touchdowns to Brooklyn Urayanza, Raejia-Li Librando, and Kawena Cabanting, with Cabanting also hauling in the final touchdown pass of the night from Ariana Oshiro. Oshiro did not stop there, adding a rushing touchdown to her tally as well.
Myla Tuitele and Evalani Keawekane also incredible performances for the Lady Warriors, intercepting passes for pick sixes.
Hilo's woes didn't end there as they lost to Waimea in the consolation bracket, making it a tournament without a single score for the Vik Queens. The Lady Warriors concluded their inaugural season at 8-3 overall.
Lastly, Waiakea lost to second-seeded KS-Kapalama 26-6 in Wednesday's opening round. KSK accumulated 307 yards of offense while holding Waiakea to just 162.
Quarterback Kaya Texeira was the lone scorer for Waiakea with a rushing touchdown in the second quarter. KSK's Hayden Kaahanui-Cera had a standout game, throwing three touchdown passes and two interceptions. She connected with Kylee Sivertsen, Alexia Medeiros, and Kaila Miller for scores, while scoring a rushing touchdown herself.
Waiakea moved on to the consolation bracket, where they were defeated by Baldwin 40-8, marking the end of their season.
We'd like to commend the hard work and dedication of all four teams in establishing a new precedent for future Big Island flag football!
- Despite setting high expectations with an undefeated season in BIIF Division I, Ki'ilei Leileiwi and the Lady Wildcats of Konawaena were eliminated from the Hawaii Dental Service Girls Flag Football State Championships in the preliminary rounds.
- Kalai Moniz-Kealoha led Hawaii Prep's comeback in the second half of their match against Leilehua, throwing touchdown passes to Maci Rivera and Madi Powell, yet they ended up losing 25-6.
- After losing to Kamehameha-Maui 46-0, Hilo's football season came to a scoreless end in the consolation bracket.
- Congratulations to Kaya Texeira of Waiakea for competing in the Hawaii Dental Service Girls Flag Football State Championships and impressively scoring a rushing touchdown in their match against KS-Kapalama.
