May 1, 2026
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8-man: Kohala (0-3) at Ka’u (3-0), noon Saturday

Homecoming can be a day of rest if the Trojans so choose.

Ka’u wrapped up a spot in the eight-man championship game with a 58-28 home victory against Pahoa on Sept. 29 behind another big performance from super sophomore Izaiah Pilanca-Emmsley, who scored four touchdowns, two on 74-yard runs and another of that covered 79.

Shesley Martinez added two touchdowns on the ground, and he threw to Pilanca-Emmsley for a score as part of the Trojans’ 30-point second quarter. Kyson Toriano capped the 12-minute onslaught, returning an interception 86 yards for a TD.

The Cowboys have yet to get on track offensively, scoring just a pair of touchdowns so far this season, including a 30-6 home loss to Ka’u on Sept. 15.

Pahoa (2-2) and Kohala will meet next Saturday at Kamehameha in a semifinal. Seeking its fourth title in five seasons and third in a row, Ka’u hosts the winner in the title game Oct. 20.

The Daggers jumped out to a fast start last week in Pahala, with two Matthew Ortega TD runs and a 46-yard scoring pass from Josaiah Waiolama to Duke Palma staking Pahoa to a 20-14 first-quarter lead. The Trojans dug in and forced five punts along with the pick-six before William Velez’s TD run in the fourth quarter.

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