Last Friday at Kozuki Stadium, ‘Iolani slotback Justin Genovia joined a special group.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pound senior caught a 7-yard pass over the middle against St. Francis to make him the ninth player ever on Oahu to record 2,000 career receiving yards.
That accomplishment was quickly overshadowed when Genovia struggled to get up after taking a hit in the middle of the field.
Genovia, the Raiders’ leading receiver this season with 869 yards and seven touchdowns on 83 receptions, suffered a broken collarbone on the play and will miss the upcoming Division II state tournament. Recovery time is estimated to be at least eight weeks, meaning he will also miss part of the basketball season.
One of the top returning players in the state, Genovia could potentially return in time for the start of the ILH season in January if everything goes right, but he will likely miss the star-studded ‘Iolani Classic in December.
He has also been selected to play in the Polynesian Bowl on January 20, 2018, at Aloha Stadium.
Genovia finishes his football career with identical seasons of 83 receptions and seven touchdowns in two years on the varsity team. The only difference was it took him three more games to reach that mark last season, but he did finish with 1,135 receiving yards — the 12th-most by an Oahu receiver in a single season.
Of the nine players to record 2,000 yards in a career, only one player on the list — Castle’s Shaydon Kehano — did it in fewer games than Genovia, whose final stat line is 166 receptions, 14 touchdowns and 2,004 yards.
The Raiders will play in the semifinals of the Division II state tournament on Friday, Nov. 3. So far, defending champion Lahainaluna of the MIL is the only other team to clinch a berth. Waipahu and Pearl City will play for the OIA’s lone berth at Aloha Stadium a week from Thursday and the BIIF berth will come down to Konawaena and Kamehameha-Hawaii.
The full receiving record book can be viewed here.
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