Things worked out for Kaiser’s Lyman
When his coaches asked him to become a part-time wildcat quarterback, Kai Gonda was surprised.
He’d never played the position before, but he learned quickly. Kaiser, concerned that it would lose quarterback Makana Lyman for the regular-season closer against Kalani, was simply preparing the best it could.
But come game day, things worked out for the best. Lyman, a catcher on the baseball team, had a baseball tournament on the mainland over the weekend. He’d already decided to play in the game against rival Kalani, but when the game was moved a day earlier to Thursday for TV purposes, it got better for the senior.
Lyman played, passed for 283 yards and two touchdowns, and then got on a plane to play in the baseball tourney.
Meanwhile, Gonda stayed at running back and rushed for 175 yards and four touchdowns while still doubling up as a starting safety.
"I think about how far our team came from the beginning of the season to now. The little things, we just work on all the little things," Gonda said. "Coach (Rich Miano) says we’ve got to work hard and give 100 percent every day."
It’s Miano, the former UH assistant coach, who compares the 5-foot-11, 190-pound senior to current Carolina Panthers player Kealoha Pilares.
"I take it as a compliment because Kealoha Pilares is a really good player," Gonda said.
Late-season extremes
Which was more off the charts? The 23 aces by St. Anthony in a win over Maui Prep? Or Konawaena’s massive 91-8 win over Ka‘u?
It’s a tough call, but the more improbable was Konawaena’s output. It was reminiscent of a game in 1984, when the Wildcats blanked Pahoa 86-0.
In both games, the losing team threw the ball constantly. In the 91-point game, quarterback Kahoali‘i Karratti threw the ball only 12 times, completing nine for seven touchdowns. In all, they had just 19 plays from scrimmage for 387 yards.
As for the volleyball Trojans of St. Anthony, Keani Pacheco had six of her team’s 23 aces, an impressive feat, but not quite as rare as what Konawaena did on the gridiron.
