Hilo wins thriller 20-17 to capture Div. I state title

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Hilo Vikings capped a perfect season (14-0) with a Division I Championship Friday night at Aloha Stadium.

The Vikings defeated Iolani (10-3) 20-17 in what was the game of the night among-st the triple header at Aloha Stadium.

Senior kicker Keanu Keolanui booted a 55-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Vikings to a 20-17 over a shocked Raider crowd.

“There’s no-other feeling,” said Keolanui following the game. “I just want to say thank you to everyone, this is a very special moment in my life.”

The Vikings over came a 17-3 deficit in the second half to claim the state crown, behind a stingy Hilo defense that didn’t allow Iolani to score a point in the second half.

Hilo came into the match-up averaging 50 points a game on offense but quickly found themselves behind in the game early.

Iolani’s steady ball control offense kept the high-powered Hilo offense at bay, and a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown by Raiders senior Meki Pei put the Raiders ahead heading into the locker room.

However Hilo made every big play in the second half, as the Vikings defense surrendered just 153 yards of total offense against the Raiders for the game.

The accurate play of quarterback Kynan Miyasoto consistently kept the Vikings in the contest, the senior finished with 289 passing yards and one touchdown.

Vikings Head coach Kaeo Drummondo reflected on the emotional game, and how proud he was of his time for fighting to overcome early adversity.

“This means a lot and it’s hard to put into words,” said Drummondo. “There’s so much hard work that goes into this over the year and a lot of people don’t see it, so to see them have so much success just makes my heart feel good.”

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