KEA‘AU — No. 10 Konawaena football entered Thursday night with 40 straight conference wins.

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KEA‘AU — No. 10 Konawaena football entered Thursday night with 40 straight conference wins.

It looked like the Wildcats were going to make it 41 after quarterback Keenan Alani scored two quick touchdowns in the first quarter of their matchup against No. 15 Kamehameha-Hawaii at Pai‘ea Stadium — one in the air to Ka‘el Johnson and another on the ground by himself.

But the Warriors kept chugging along and never quit. Thanks to a Herculean effort from running back Dallas Enriquez, smart instincts from quarterback Kahekili Makekau, freshman kicker Jordan Dinkel stepping up in his varsity debut and the defense making timely stops, KSH put together a formidable ensemble in its 28-21 win — elevating to 2-1 overall on the season.

The loss marked the green and white’s first against Big Island competition since a Nov. 2019 loss to Hilo.

Pulling off such a big upset, the win captured how far the Warriors have come since going 0-2 against Kona a year ago. Having recently moved up to HHSAA Division I, KSH head coach Kealoha Wengler believes that besting the defending five-time conference champ will give his team the confidence of going toe to toe with the top programs in the state.

“Field position was the difference in this game,” he told the paper postgame. “We came into the game prepared that there might be some resilience and some tough plays. We had to be able to bounce back.

“I thought our captains really kept our team together and pushed us forward. That really helped us.”

Going down multiple scores to a team like Konawaena is nearly a death sentence, as the Wildcats’ prolific offense is unrivaled by most teams across the state. Trailing 14-0 early, most expected Kona to run away with it, but Makekau finally got the Warriors on the board after scoring a two-yard rushing touchdown. Enriquez added another short rushing touchdown just before the half, and Makekau converted the two-point conversion with a pass to Chanse Kaaua-Long to tie it 14-14 before the end of the first half.

The Wildcats got back on track after senior running back Kainalu Alves broke free for a 42-yard touchdown midway through the third, but the fourth quarter became the Enriquez show. The all-conference running back rushed for two more goal-line scores in the fourth quarter — punching in his final touchdown with 31 seconds remaining to put KSH in front.

Enriquez ended the night with a hefty workload, tallying 104 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 35 carries. Through three games, the 215-pound junior has 333 yards and five scores.

“He’s relentless; he keeps pushing and keeps going,” Wengler said of Enriquez. “(Against Kona), he didn’t have any breakaway runs, but he was so consistent — giving that second, third effort. He knows where the down markers are and knows what we need each play.

“He’s a big inspiration not just for the offense, but for the whole team. Whether he’s running the ball or blocking, you know he’s going to give his very best.”

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The defense was the glue for the Warriors down the stretch, keeping the team in reach when the offense was stalling. Linebacker John Sanborn was one of the stars on that unit that Wengler praised, as the junior recovered a fumble.

“Our offense had a lot of three-and-outs, but the defense held strong,” Wengler said. “And special teams did fantastic — forced two turnovers.”

Makekau finished the night with 183 passing yards, with the sophomore consistently feeding receiver Iokua Tosi-Hookano, who caught four receptions for 138 yards.

Wildcats head coach Brad Uemoto came away impressed with KSH’s relentlessness, adding that his team needs to focus on not taking its foot off the gas.

“Kamehameha played a great game, and hats off to them,” he said. “Give them a lot of credit for staying resilient and coming back from that deficit. We took an early lead and I felt like we got complacent. That’s on me as the head coach.”

While there is still plenty to review on film, Wengler has appreciated how quickly the Warriors have gelled and bought into the team-first mindset early in the season. With Kona likely eager to punch back in the next matchup on Oct. 2, he knows his team has to be ready.

“We’re really playing together as a team — there’s no finger-pointing, and everyone is more supportive of one another. But there’s a lot more work to do. Kona is going to beef up and be prepared for us next time. So we have to come out even stronger next game.

“But this win gave us a lot of confidence, knowing that we can compete at the (DI) level.”

For the Wildcats, the recipe for improving is simple: trust the process and treat every game like it’s their last.

“I told our boys that there’s two beliefs: there’s good losses, and never a good loss,” Uemoto said. “We define our losses on how we respond. There’s no magic potion — we will continue to grind each week and get better.”

KSH will return to the gridiron against Waiakea on Sept. 12 in Hilo, while Kona will host its home opener against crosstown rival Kealakehe on Friday at Julian R. Yates Field.

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