UPDATE: This story is no longer accurate. For our correction on the BIIF single-season record, click here.
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For much of Hilo’s storied history in BIIF football, titles have been drenched in rain, mud and the longest cleats available in athletic stores.
This year’s unbeaten Vikings squad has been part of a divergence from the norm. Hilo quarterback Kyan Miyasato broke the league record for touchdown passes in a single season over the weekend. Miyasato’s 33 TDs surpasses the previous mark of 32 held by Konawaena’s Austin Ewing.
Prior to that, the league mark was 29 TDs by Aaron Sumida, also of Konawaena.
Weather has been unusually dry, or not as rainy, in Hilo this fall. That plays a factor in the record, but for the most part, Miyasato has simply mastered the Vikings’ passing game. For the season, Miyasato is 102-for-152 for 2,008 passing yards with just three interceptions to go with the massive TD total. Hilo hosts Konawaena in the BIIF D-I final this weekend.
The Vikings are tied with Campbell at No. 5 this week in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Football Top 10, giving Hilo its highest ranking ever in the poll.
It has been quite the ascent for Miyasato and his coaches. He saw playing time as a freshman, and was a potential starter as a sophomore, but was academically ineligible to play. He got focused by junior year and now has substantial career numbers.
> 321-for-557, 5,394 passing yards
> 75 TD passes (21 INT)
“The journey coaching Kyan over the last four years has developed. It’s been and up-and-down journey at different times, but I’m really happy with his maturity level and how it has improved,” Hilo coach Kaeo Drummondo said. “I think his improvement as a quarterback has gotten better as he has grown into the offense and developed an understanding for what it is we want to do. I’m really proud of where he’s at and looking forward to him continuing to lead this group as we move into the last weeks of his senior season.”
Vikings lore is about bone-crushing linebackers going back to Tod Bello of the early 1990s teams, and going all the way back to the ‘50s, when Coach Ted Era guided Hilo to dynastic levels. In fact, there was a lack of competition, so the Vikings played in the MIL for four seasons, taking the ferry each week. Hilo won one MIL title, played a final season, and finally withdrew from the Maui league. There have been epic seasons of great QBs, such as Robert Medeiros on those same teams with Bello and wide receiver Casey Newman playing under the late, great David Namauu.
Today, the Vikings have figured out a way to update their offense despite testy, wet weather in East Hawaii. Their home field, Dr. Francis Wong Stadium, is often a swampy, sludgy mess, making Hilo’s brand of football more conducive to punishing ground attacks. Drummondo considers Hilo’s offensive philosophy balanced, and if there’s a need, it is to run the ball first.
“I’m not sure that we have actually transitioned away from being a running team, or a team that likes to run the ball. We always want to try and establish ourselves running the ball. Whether it’s the run opening the pass or the pass opening the run, sometimes that changes a little bit based on the opposition,” Drummondo said.
The plan is to continue evolving offensively while maintaining that hard-nosed defensive mentality.
“It’s been great this season, lots of hard work from everyone,” Hilo offensive coordinator Chris Todd said. “We had a lot of 7v7 success up in Vegas that laid the foundation for this season’s offense. Lots of buy-in.”
Okay, looks like its on for D1 states! Hilo is bullying the other teams on the Big Island and padding up their stats so they should be the #1 seed and favorites to win D1.
If Hilo wins D1 states this year as they are favored to do, they need to at least try for Open division next year. On the other hand, if they lose in the D1 tournament then Big Island football needs to do some serious review.
@Falcon Future
Try for the Open when the only open schools are on Oahu? You’re gonna pay for the travel expenses right? Hilo barely has a student population of 1100 and has only 30~40 on their roster every year. Most skill players play both ways because they have to. That 2017 states championship team had its quarterback playing DB on most defensive plays as well. At a public school only Kahuku can sustain an Open program with that enrollment. BIIF never won a single game in D-I states until 2017, and I think we all know where the league stands.
No worries.
In addition to all the excuses provided in the previous comment, Hilo wouldnt be able to compete at the OPEN level, ever. I think that they are appropriately placed in D1.
Now Leilehua and Moanalua and maybe Iolani or Damien could move up to open while Waianae, Kapolei and Kamehameha move down to D1.
I hope this format survives.
Good job kyan !!! Way to pay the stats we need more local kids going college . Regardless of all the comments good job !!! The hard work paying off
Sorry if the truth stings but no negativity aimed at the players. It is what it is.
I watched Hilo the year they won the D1 championship and they were extremely good. Well coached, disciplined, played fast and executed. They were much smaller than the team they played but outplayed them that evening.
i also watched them, I think, the year before when they played Punahou and they were outplayed in every phase of the game. Granted they had some pilikia going on with the coach but I dont think they would be able to successfully compete against the likes of Kahuku, St. Lulu, Milville and the rest of the Open, even Waianae and Farrington.