Big Island football coach Sam Papalii was headed to Kealakehe High School about 3 p.m. Friday to meet with his team about that night's big game against Hawai'i Preparatory Academy.

About five minutes from the school, the coach came upon ambulances, police cruisers, the twisted wreckage of two vehicles, and the news that one of his players — Royden Kalavi, 17, of Kailua, Kona — had just been killed and two other players injured.

Instead of a football game, he ended up at a prayer service.

"The game was canceled," he said yesterday. "We got the team together. And we had a gathering in our gym of the team and all the families and administrators on campus.

"And I talked to the team on behalf of the family. They said they would break down. We just said some prayers and tried to calm each other down and support the family."

Kealakehe athletic director Mike Hernandez said the game has been postponed indefinitely.

Eight counselors were available to the students, Hernandez said. He said the school will meet with his parents to determine a service time at the school.

"I knew him real well," Hernandez said. "The kid always had a smile; he was always happy. When I became AD, he was always around to volunteer. During the offseason, he was always helping me. He was such a polite kid."

Papalii agreed with Hernandez's description of Kalavi. He said the first-year varsity offensive lineman was a versatile and likable person.

"Very popular on the team. Happy-go-lucky kind of person. When I'd get serious and get down on the team about something, he was the one who'd crack a joke. I can't get mad at him," Papalii said.

"It's hard to understand why this could happen to a young man with his whole life ahead of him. Why, at this early stage, would this happen to such a good person? And for no reason."

According to a police report, Kalavi was killed when the 1996 Ford pick-up in which he was riding was struck from behind by a 2004 Mazda sedan traveling east on Kealakehe Parkway.

Police said speed was a factor, and they have begun a negligent homicide investigation. They have also ordered an autopsy.

The report said Kalavi was thrown from the bed of the pick-up with another player, who was seriously injured.

A passenger in the pick-up, as well as the driver of the Mazda, a 19-year-old Kailua, Kona, man, and his 19-year-old female passenger, were treated at Kona Community Hospital and released, the report said.

However, Papalii — who spoke at the scene with the driver of the pick-up as well as players who were following behind the pick-up — said details weren't clear.

"All of my players said that Royden was sitting in the passenger's seat, and that he did not have his seat belt on," Papalii said.

Papalii said the players told him the Mazda was speeding and cutting in front of cars, two at a time.

They said the collision happened as the Mazda tried to maneuver past the pick-up as it was turning right toward the campus.

"That's when when the Mazda tried to veer left, and the car hit the right bumper of the truck," Papalii said. "And the truck went out of control, and spun — it flipped over — and Royden was thrown out and hit his head and was pronounced dead on the scene."

Papalii said that according to what he was told the four players, all juniors, were inside the four-door truck: