Prep Game Of The Week – 10/22/14

FOOTBALL
The Playoffs Are On!

Chris Hart

When you look at the NBA, NFL or even the Heisman Trophy race, there’s always someone in the mix who was never even thought of at the start of the season. On the Neighbor Islands, I’m going with the chalk: Kapaa, Lahainaluna, Maui and Hilo in their respective leagues. I’m going with Konawaena in the BIIF DII because defense wins championships. In the ILH, Saint Louis improved as the season went on, but it’s still too young defensively to win the league. As the No. 9 team in the country (according to scout.com), Punahou is just too dominant. Iolani will win ILH DII. In the OIA, Mililani has the most exciting offense we’ve seen in a public school in years. Kahuku is gonna pull it out at the end and finish as OIA champions. I still think Mililani and Punahou square off for all the marbles, but there’s an upset alert in the OIA!

Gary Dickman

It’s playoff time, and there are going to be some exciting games ahead. While a few title games can go either way, two are easy to predict. I’ll start with the DII. In the KIF, Kapaa and its stingy defense — they’ve given up only 22 points in five games — should claim the league crown. On Maui, Lahainaluna will win it. I think it could beat a lot of DI schools. Over in the BIIF, I see Kamehameha-Hawaii upsetting Konawaena to win that league. In the ILH, Iolani will advance to DII states once again. In OIA DII, Nanakuli just won the regular-season title the Golden Eagles’ first-ever football championship — and it will emerge as the OIA tournament champs as well. Now, for DI, I see Maui and Hilo winning on their islands. The last two predictions are pretty easy. I disagree with Chris (no surprise there). I don’t see anyone coming close to beating Mililani in the OIA or Punahou in the ILH. The two powerhouses will meet in the DI state championship game. Mark my words.

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