With this weekend’s weather forecast looking clear of severe threats, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) football season will continue over the next few days with a slew of exciting matchups.

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With this weekend’s weather forecast looking clear of severe threats, the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) football season will continue over the next few days with a slew of exciting matchups.

The first battle of the week will be a ranked matchup between the island’s best, as No. 10 Konawaena will visit No. 15 Kamehameha-Hawaii tonight for the Wildcats’ conference opener.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Pai‘ea Stadium.

With the Warriors (1-1) making the recent jump to HHSAA Division I, the two teams are expected to be the heavy favorites to win the BIIF crown at the end of October.

A year ago, KSH traveled to Kealakekua to face the green and white for the first time in years, with Kona (1-0) winning in a 36-9 rout. But this time around, the Warriors have more experience and firepower under their belts — most notably led by All-Hawaii running back Dallas Enriquez, who is coming off a 128-yard, two touchdown performance against Waimea on Aug. 21.

Through two games, Enriquez has rushed for 252 yards. The junior is one of the favorites to claim the BIIF rushing title in 2026.

KSH quarterback Kahekili Makekau is also coming off an impressive performance, as the sophomore completed 11 of his 14 attempts for 266 yards and three touchdown passes against the Menehunes. His top target, senior receiver Chaseton Wong, has tallied nearly 200 receiving yards and two scores through two games.

The Warriors’ high-flying offense has averaged nearly 33 points a game thus far, while allowing under 25.

Konawaena is coming off a successful road trip to the mainland from a couple of weekends back, handling Lake Tahoe-region powerhouse Truckee in a 24-0 shutout. All-state quarterback Keenan Alani is the leader of Kona’s vaunted offensive unit, coming off a near-300-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Wolverines.

Some of Alani’s top targets include receivers Anakin Punihaole, Ka’el Johnson, Justice Charity, Josiah Nihoa and LaMichael Bronson.

The Wildcats backfield consists of two dynamic players with differing running styles — senior Kainalu Alves as the finesse back and sophomore Shayden Domingo as the downhill, power runner. The pair combined for 72 yards on the ground against Truckee.

Kona’s defense is led by disruptive pass rusher Zane Fujihara-Fa’avesi, a three-star edge that has received NCAA Division-I offers from San Diego State, UNLV and Tarleton State. While the Wildcats have allowed zero points thus far, in 2025, they held opponents to 10 points or less five times.

Big Island Friday night lights will see two matchups on opposite ends on the isle — Hilo at Kealakehe and Ka‘u at Honoka’a.

The Dragons blasted the Waveriders 66-14 last weekend, flying high to a 2-0 record. With KSH out of the BIIF DII picture, Honoka‘a is one of the premier favorites to win the conference — mostly due to its multi-faceted offense that can kill opponents in a number of ways.

The unit, averaging 50 points per game, is led by junior quarterback Kage Yadao, who has passed for 255 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception through two outings. Against the Waveriders, he threw for four touchdowns and no picks, while completing an efficient 11 of his 16 attempts.

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Yadao’s leading receiver is senior Kiakahi Lindsey, who has caught seven passes for 124 yards and three scores — averaging nearly 18 yards per catch.

Backfield star Chrys Coelho is another formidable favorite to claim the conference rushing title, as the running back has used his shiftiness and downfield vision to rush for 353 yards and four touchdowns through two games, averaging almost 10 yards per carry. While Coelho had a strong game against Kea‘au last month, the senior really broke out against Kealakehe, totaling 215 yards and three touchdowns on over 13 yards a carry.

Defensively, the Dragons allow seven points per game, holding opponents to just 117 scrimmage yards.

Ka‘u will be making its season debut in Honoka‘a town. When the two teams last matched up in Sept. 2025, the Dragons won 46-6.

The 1-1 Vikings are coming off a big bounce-back win, handling Kea‘au 20-0 last weekend on the road. But the Vikings will be tested against a hungry Waveriders team that is itching to get in the win column. Kealakehe (0-1) is led by dual-threat quarterback Deeton Padillio, who keeps defenses on their heels at all times due to his dynamic playmaking ability.

The two teams last dueled in 2024 at Waverider Stadium, where Hilo won in a 49-0 shutout.

Saturday afternoon’s games will start with the only non-conference matchup of the week, as Woodinville will be flying in from Washington state to take on unbeaten Waiakea, who has made an impressive turnaround under second-year head coach Keli‘i Kailipaka.

Now at 2-0, the Warriors have outscored their opponents 78-0, catapulting themselves to their strongest start to a season in years. Waiakea has been spearheaded by star running back Alelauloa Torres — a 213-pound power back that has tallied 322 yards and four touchdowns on 9.2 yards per attempt. The senior turned heads during the Warriors’ season debut against Kea‘au on Aug. 22, rushing for 196 yards and two scores.

Quarterback Pono Miller has shown smarts through two games, passing for four touchdowns. The senior’s top target has been Charles Keola Rose, who has hauled in four receptions for 99 yards and two scores.

Defensively, Waiakea has been as strong as ever, grabbing five interceptions and recording 9.5 sacks.

The Falcons will be making their season debut on Hawaii Island before returning to the mainland for their conference slate. In 2025, Woodinville finished with a 3-7 overall record.

Kohala visiting HPA for its season debut will cap off the weekend slate, as Ka Makani is desperately in search of a win after dropping its first two games.

HPA is led by quarterback Josef Robinson, who is in his first year as a starter after the departure of four-year starter Hayden Kalama. The junior has a few options at receiver, including senior Landon Wilson.

The Cowboys are young and hungry to prove themselves in the new season, as the black and gold lost 15 seniors from a year ago. Nonetheless, Kohala has plenty of speed and overall athletic ability to play both sides of the ball — including players such as junior Kaua Reyes, senior Ben Cabral, sophomore Aidyn Pasco, sophomore Kyle Caniedo and junior Nash Ishimine.

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When the two programs last battled in 2024, Ka Makani won 42-14.

See the paper in the coming days for game coverage.