HONOKA‘A — Two Big Island flag football powerhouses completed perfection on Wednesday night at Honoka‘a High.
The Division I and II championships were held, with DII having its first championship in island history. 91直播 Preparatory Academy took the DII crown after a 25-0 shutout of Honoka‘a, clinching the first BIIF title in program history.
Ka Makani finished the BIIF season with a perfect 12-0 record, averaging nearly 32 points per game while allowing 6.2. The win was especially sweet, considering the Waimea team lost in the BIIF championship last season.
“It’s such a blessing,” HPA coach Lauren Prutow-McKenna told the paper of the championship win. “So proud of the girls. This was one of our goals this season, and the girls worked so hard for it. They came in driven and ready to go, and they executed.”
The red and white played almost a near-perfect game. Offensively, quarterback Harley Kaniho managed the game exceptionally well — electing to make plays with her legs or finding the open receiver in the teeth of the Dragons’ defense.
Kaniho finished with four touchdown passes, and was named 91直播 News Now’s Player of the Game.
“We were here last year and we didn’t bring home the medal, so to do it this year was an amazing feeling,” Kaniho said.
Three of Kaniho’s four touchdown passes were to Lehia Akau, who was a playmaker on both sides of the ball. As a senior, the win was an emotional one for Akau.
“It brought me to tears, because we’ve been working so hard this season,” she said. “Our goal was to win this BIIF championship, and to do it was unreal.”
Tae Detwiler also hauled in a score, reeling in an over-the-shoulder throw in the left-hand corner of the end zone.
It wasn’t just HPA’s passing game that dominated, though. The team’s run game consistently moved the chains through Ka Makani’s creative play calling — ranging from direct snaps to end-around plays. Senior Madie Buczyna was at the forefront of HPA’s run game, breaking past Honoka‘a’s line of scrimmage with her maneuverability to create big runs.
Buczyna pointed to the team’s versatility and coachability as to why Ka Makani has had such a successful 2026 season. On HPA’s roster, 23 of the 24 girls have a position listed on both sides of the ball.
“We have a lot of people who can do a lot of different things,” Buczyna said. “It’s a big strength of our team.”
On defense, HPA frustrated Honoka‘a with constant pressure on quarterback Kalei Moniz — giving the Dragons minimal time to make a play. In the secondary, sophomore linebacker Iliana Mandaloniz grabbed an interception in Honoka‘a territory, setting up Akau’s third touchdown catch of the night. Buczyna also caught a pick in the fourth quarter while the Dragons were attempting deep shots downfield.
“I think we play really intelligently,” Prutow-McKenna said. “We teach our girls to not only go full-send, but to be thoughtful in their execution and have fun with the play design. And they love it.”
With Ka Makani winning its first island title in program history, a new standard of excellence has been set for future HPA teams. They’re trailblazers, and Prutow-McKenna agreed.
“They’re trailblazers on and off the field, and in everything they do,” Prutow-McKenna added. “Not only are they fierce competitors on the field, they carry themselves with grace and integrity in all that they do. They’ve definitely set the standard across the board.”
But Ka Makani isn’t done yet, as the HHSAA DII state tournament begins next Wednesday. HPA is keeping the approach simple: take it one game at a time, stay together and practice how they play.
“We’re looking at it as one game at a time,” Buczyna said. “Each time we step on the field, it’s a new day and a new challenge. So just take it one day at a time to fulfill each goal.”
“We’re gonna go out there and give everything that we’ve been practicing,” Akua said. “Hopefully, we can come out of (the state tournament) with a positive outcome.”
Ka Makani will be the No. 2 seed in the tournament, earning a first-round bye. HPA will play the winner of 91直播 Baptist versus Waipahu at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at Pearl City High School.
The Dragons finished the BIIF season 7-4 overall, averaging 23.2 points per game while allowing 13.3. Despite the loss, Honoka‘a will still play in the DII state tournament, as will Kamehameha-91直播 — who beat Kanu o ka ‘Aina 33-6 during Tuesday’s third-place game.
The Dragons will face No. 5 Molokai at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday in the first round, while the Warriors play Kauai at 3:30 p.m. that same day. Both games will be held at Pearl City High School.
Immediately after the conclusion of HPA’s medal ceremony, the BIIF Division I championship began. Like Ka Makani, Konawaena dominated against Hilo — winning 31-6 to clinch the Wildcats’ second consecutive island title.
Since the program was founded in 2025, Kona has yet to lose a game on the Big Island. The Wildcats sealed their second straight unbeaten season in the conference — averaging nearly 45 points per game while allowing less than 2 (yes, you read that right).
Safe to say, Kona is the class of Big Island flag football.
“I’m just grateful that the girls choose to show up every single day and give the effort they do,” coach Mason Pyper told the paper postgame. “They pay really close attention to detail, offensively and defensively.”
The Wildcats’ attention to detail clearly showed against the Vikings, who couldn’t solve the winners’ offense and defense at any point in the night. Senior quarterback Ki‘ilei Leleiwi, last season’s BIIF Player of the Year, finished the night with four touchdown passes — wowing the crowd with her superb arm talent through a series of off-platform throws.
Leleiwi connected with Dasha Kala, Kylie Denis and Jazmin Fillmore for touchdown receptions. The signal caller was named 91直播 News Now’s Player of the Game.
Leleiwi also found senior Vaihere Alani on a series of throws, which helped move the chains. This season is Alani’s first on the gridiron, but she fell in love with the sport and team almost immediately.
“As soon as I came on the field, (the girls and I) instantly clicked, which was special,” Alani said.
Defensively, the Wildcats were sound as usual — only allowing an over-the-shoulder touchdown throw in the third quarter (Kaiulani Kahanu to Nalei Kaapana-Suzui). Other than one play, Kona’s consistent pressure and stickiness in the secondary overwhelmed the Vikings.
Wildcats senior Ava Shoosmith highlighted the defense, hauling in two picks.
“Our team has worked really hard for this moment,” Shoosmith said. “We feel like we definitely earned it.”
Hilo’s Carly Akaka also secured her own pick in the second half.
While Kona has dominated the scoreboard throughout the year, it hasn’t all been smooth-sailing. The mid-March Kona low caused flooding throughout the school’s campus, forcing the Wildcats to practice across town at Kealakehe High School’s Waverider Stadium. While the situation could have been a lot worse, travel schedules and practicing without the comforts of home impacted the team. Nonetheless, Pyper saw it as a learning experience for both the team and staff — and ultimately, the adversity helped Kona become a mentally-stronger group.
“I think adversity creates a bond between people,” he said. “It becomes easier when you’re looking left and right, and you see people that you’ve already been through multiple challenges with. So I think that creates a bond when you’re out on the field. It’s easier to communicate with each other and hold each other accountable.
“When you get through adversity, you get joy and good moments, too.”
The Wildcats will be back in the state tournament next week, looking to redeem themselves after falling to Nanakuli in last season’s opening round. But with another year of experience under the belt, Kona believes it has what it takes to make serious noise this time around.
“We need to have an open mindset and really think about our opponents and what their weaknesses and strengths are,” Shoosmith said.
“The big thing for us will be making adjustments and being ourselves,” Alani added. “I know that we can do this.”
The Wildcats were awarded the third seed in the tournament, and earned a first-round bye. They will play the winner of Moanalua versus Leilehua at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at Moanalua High School.
The Vikings finished the island season with a 7-6 record, and will join the Wildcats in the DI state tournament. They’ll play Mililani in the first round at 4 p.m. Monday at home.
Hilo averages 23 points per game.
