WAIMEA — After dropping its first two games of the year, Hawaii Preparatory Academy knew it needed to make a statement Saturday against Kohala.

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WAIMEA — After dropping its first two games of the year, Hawaii Preparatory Academy knew it needed to make a statement Saturday against Kohala.

And put on a show, Ka Makani did.

Thanks to multiple big-time pass plays, near-shutout defense and relentless physicality on both sides of the ball, HPA routed the Cowboys 28-7 in front of its home crowd, securing its first win of the 2026 season.

“After our first few games, I feel like people really doubted our team,” sophomore tight end, running back and strong safety Titus Fonoimoana told the paper postgame. “Our overall morale wasn’t great, and we needed to lift ourselves up.

“I feel like this game was the start of something new.”

Ka Makani certainly looked like a completely different team compared to its first two matchups against Kalaheo and Waiakea late last month. The conductor of it all was first-year starting quarterback Josef Robinson, who has looked more comfortable with each passing snap. The junior had his arm talent on full display throughout the afternoon, passing for three long, over-the-shoulder touchdowns to freshman Manase Larrua (2) and Landon Wilson (1).

HPA head coach Lincoln Kalama came away impressed with Robinson’s performance, also taking note of his growth as a leader.

“(Robinson) has been a true leader,” Kalama said. “Josef’s been helping us along, helping mentor the younger kids. The more time he has in the offense, the better he’ll get.”

Robinson and Larrua, who both also play defense, additionally hauled in one interception each — with Larrua’s pick coming with four seconds remaining in regulation as Kohala was driving deep into HPA territory..

“Shutout to my boy Manase, that was impressive to do as a freshman,” Fonoimoana said of his teammate. “And shoutout to the whole defense for just dogging it out. Especially linebacker Carson (Hoover), just doing the best.”

Hoover and Wyley Ament also hauled in interceptions for the hosts.

“Our defense played lights out,” Kalama continued. “Hoover was the leader of our defense. He played with excellent energy, (Fonoimoana) was lights out too — it’s hard to get around a kid that’s 6-foot-3 with a long wingspan.

“And our defensive backs did a great job — they’re coached well by Mana (Purdy).”

While Ka Makani made plenty of big throws, it was the team’s ground game that extended drives and kept the chains moving — which set up the Robinson bombs. HPA’s three-headed snake of August Zenk, Waika Takushi and Fonoimoana slowly broke down Cowboy defenders all game. None broke out for gigantic runs, but Ka Makani’s backfield was consistent enough to keep the opposition on its heels.

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“With our backfield, there’s a lot of contributors,” Kalama said.

The Cowboys — who made their season debut — started the game with sophomore Kyle Caniedo at quarterback, but he and junior receiver Kaua Reyes switched roles near the end of the third quarter to give Ka Makani’s defense a different look. Soon enough, Reyes connected with Caniedo for a long touchdown to give Kohala its only points of the game.

The Cowboys had other highlights — such as freshman Makana Dela Cruz picking off Robinson in the second quarter — but for the most part, HPA’s talent was too overwhelming.

“At times the boys played well, but we weren’t consistent at executing,” Kohala head coach Earl Hoshida said.

Ka Makani will enjoy this week off, but the work is far from over. HPA will have extra time to prepare for BIIF Division-II powerhouse Honoka‘a, which has outscored opponents 100-14 through two games.

Beating the Dragons will be a tall task, but Kalama believes that if the boys keep sticking to the process and buying into the team identity, anything is possible.

“Honoka‘a is a tough team,” he said. “They’ve had great victories so far. We’re going to try to find somebody that would maybe want to do a joint practice with us, or schedule another game so we’re ready for them.

“It was so important to get this win, but we still have a lot of work to do.”

Fonoimoana agreed with Kalama’s comments, adding that keeping the team spirit alive will be a key factor moving forward.

“We need all heart,” he said. “We compare ourselves to the sky — we don’t compare ourselves to any other team, and that’s how we dominate. We just have to keep learning assignments and pursuing the ball.”

The Cowboys also play the Dragons next, but have a quicker turnaround — slated to host Honoka‘a on Saturday afternoon in Kapa‘au. Being a younger team that is still learning the ropes, Hoshida just wants his players to focus on getting a little better each day. If Kohala can continue to do that, the results will show for themselves.

“I feel like we just need to keep grinding, keep learning, staying consistent at executing our plays — whether that’s offensively or defensively,” Hoshida said. “Keep pushing through the process.

“I’m so grateful for these young men giving their best and my coaching staff sacrificing their time to teach them to be better men.”

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Around the island

• 9/4 Ka‘u at Honoka‘a: postponed

• 9/4 Hilo 45, Kealakehe 0

• 9/5 Woodinville 31, Waiakea 0