Waiakea and Hilo will face off BIIF rivalry game Saturday. ScoringLive photo illustration

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It is the final week of the regular season on the Big Island, which means rivalry week in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.

The largest crowds of the season can be expected this weekend with neighborhood rivalries that include Konawaena visiting Kealakehe on the West side and Honokaa traveling to Hawaii Prep in Waimea. Meanwhile on the East side of the island, Keaau will make the short trek to Kamehameha-Hawaii and perhaps the best rivalry will be renewed when Hilo takes on Waiakea Saturday.

The Vikings (7-1 overall, 6-0 BIIF) are the hottest team on the Big Island, having won six straight since a non-league loss to Konawaena, which they avenged with a 21-16 win in a league game Friday at Julian Yates Field. Junior Donavan Kelley has proven his versatility by leading the team in rushing and receiving yardage this season.

The Warriors (3-6, 2-4) have lost four of their last five games and are coming off a 31-14 loss at Kealakehe Saturday. Running back Devin Preston leads Division I statewide with 945 rushing yards. He has rushed for six touchdowns on the year and averages 105 rushing yards per game and 5.2 yards per rush. 

The coaches of the two teams - the Hilo's Dave Baldwin and the Waiakea's Moku Rita - spent some time Tuesday afternoon answering some of our questions.

ScoringLive: Describe your team's current situation in one word.
Dave Baldwin: "Not sure exactly what 'current situation' means, but I know a word that describes this team: resilient. Because we have not always had the best games, circumstances, or individual performances, but this team has found a way, collectively, to win the last six games."
Moku Rita: "Trying to get better. We're trying to work on our fumbling situation. We have too many turnovers every game. Five or six turnovers every game."

SL: How near, or far, is your team from playing at its potential?
DB: "We are definitely setting goals each week that we think we can achieve. We have yet to play up to our full potential. Every week we are hopeful that our potential will match up with our performance."
MR: "If we can fix our turnover situation, we're normally in the game. But when we turn it over on their side of the field, leave them with 20 or 30 yards to score, we've struggled. We haven't played our full potential yet."

SL: How tough is the travel on the Big Island?
DB: "Every team statewide travels. Most teams have to get to a venue to play their games. Therefore, traveling is both accepted and expected. The only difference is that this is the 'Big Island,' so traveling can take up to five hours roundtrip. That allows us to be creative with our student-athletes during our travel time."
MR: "Not that bad. The farthest we go is either Konawaena or Kealakehe, so it's not too bad. It takes a couple of hours to get there."

SL: What is it like being a part of this rivalry between Hilo and Waiakea?
DB: "Last year was my first year experiencing the intensity of this rivalry from the sidelines, and all three games last year were close, hard-fought battles. We needed a goal-line stance on the last play in our first game and had to come from behind late in the fourth in our playoff game to win. This crosstown rivalry is an example of what makes high school athletics so special."
MR: "It's going on my third year and both teams, I'm sure are, going at it and working hard all week long. All year long the kids are waiting for this game."

SL: How much are your players and coaching staff looking forward to this game?
DB: "We look forward to playing every week. After a week of working hard in the classroom and on the field, the game is a reward for each and every player's commitment to individual and team goals. This Hilo vs. Waiakea game is one the longest-standing rivalries on the Big Island. We are excited to play a talented Waiakea team."
MR: "The whole team is looking forward to this game. We played them in preseason on a rainy, rainy day. I think we had nine fumbles that day. If we play to our potential, we should be up there with them. Turnovers and quarterback confidence have been killing us."

SL: How much does this game even matter, given the upcoming BIIF postseason tournament?
DB: "It matters. You always want to measure yourself against good teams and Waiakea is a good team. Momentum is a valuable commodity heading into any playoffs."
MR: "It's a matter for pride, school pride. The schools are like 10 minutes away from each other, so we're playing for pride, if anything."

SL: What's your take on your opponent this Saturday?
DB: "Talented. They play hard. Their record is not reflective of their effort. They pose many match-up problems for us and they have an enthusiastic fan base that is just as dedicated as the players they cheer for. We will have our hands full this coming Saturday night."
MR: "They've got a good team they have a lot of talent. We have to play a perfect game to beat them and we haven't played a perfect game all season."

Kickoff between the Vikings and Warriors is set for 7:30 p.m. at Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo.