Kahuku ends mainland drought with win in Utah

Kahuku running back Zealand Matagi (26) is the only player in the Open Division to rush for more than 500 yards in division games. Photo by Samantha Madar/Special to the Star-Advertiser.

Bishop Gorman. Liberty (Nev.) High. Long Beach Poly. Sierra Vista (Nev.).

And now Timpview (Utah).

Hawaii improved to 8-0 over the last eight days against mainland schools with Kahuku flexing its muscle in a 34-14 win over Timpview (Utah) on Saturday in front of a packed house on the Timpview campus.


>> CLICK HERE FOR A PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME

Kahuku won a game against a mainland opponent for the first time since a 25-6 win over Narbonne (Calif.) in 2006.

Since then, it’s been four straight losses against out-of-state teams — 27-0 at Bingham (South Jordan, Utah) in 2007; 38-15 to East High in Salt Lake City in 2013; 35-7 to Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas in 2016; and 17-0 to Bingham at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas in 2017.

“It feels good to finally win. The last time Kahuku won, some of these boys weren’t even born,” Kahuku coach Sterling Carvalho joked to reporter Eric Butler, who covered the game for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “Hats off to them, they were resilient to the end. And everybody who came on the trip was able to play as well.”

Kahuku walked off the field before its game against Timpview on Saturday. Photo by Samantha Madar/Special to the Star-Advertiser.

Tiger Adolpho threw two touchdown passes and Zealand Matagi, coming off a 261-yard performance against Campbell last week, added a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter for a 34-7 lead.

Timpview scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter after trailing 28-0.

Matagi finished with 90 yards on 19 carries and Lokana Enos and Lalio Kaluna caught TD passes for Kahuku (4-1).


Kana Fonoimoana-Vaomu blocked a punt recovered by Ace Kaufusi in the end zone late in the second quarter for a 14-0 lead at the break.

Kaufusi then blocked a punt recovered by Fonoimoana-Vaomu for a TD to make it 21-0 in the third quarter.

“Everybody just rallied to the ball,” Kaufusi said. “We’ve got some dogs on our team who are willing to put their bodies in front of anyone and sacrifice for the team.

“We came in with one purpose, to win and create history for our school and represent the 808,” he added. “We did pretty good. We have a lot to work on for our big game next week (against St. Louis), but I’m proud of what we’ve done.”

Additional bleacher seating for 2,000 people was installed at Timpview and the game was moved from Friday to Saturday to help accommodate the fan interest from those previously associated with Kahuku and now living in Utah.

Approximately 6,500 people attended the game.

“We’re very grateful for Timpview. They’ve been a gracious host for us all week. To get our players to play in a different atmosphere, climate, different school – it was an honor,” Carvalho said.


“It was rough in the beginning because of the air, of course,” said Adolpho, who finished 5-for-11 for 97 yards with the two TD throws. “Once we got acclimated, it was great.”

Kahuku returns home to play Saint Louis in seven days at Aloha Stadium.

Kahuku’s defensive line took down a Timpview Thunderbird during the first quarter. Photo by Samantha Madar/Special to the Star-Advertiser.

COMMENTS

  1. CherryPicker September 7, 2019 7:32 pm

    Farrington is undefeated against all teams they’ve played…but only over the last 14 days.


  2. Rrforlifebaby September 7, 2019 7:36 pm

    Nice win boys. Timpview had some Big boys.

    Back to work cause we all know the Crusaders are at a much different level. Just keep on improving!! Lots to clean up but way to bring the hits.
    RRFL!!!


  3. Robocop September 7, 2019 7:55 pm

    CherryPicker with the greatest post ever


  4. HailFromDaNorth September 7, 2019 8:16 pm

    Don’t sleep on dem red raiders! If Saint Louis is caught sleeping it’ll be snatched from them. Don’t ever count the boys from the north shore out! #RR4L


  5. 808allday September 7, 2019 8:21 pm

    I’m a RRFL but St. Louis will not be caught sleeping. They are disciplined and well coached by Cal Lee. We’ll have to play a perfect game.


  6. CrusaderDad September 7, 2019 9:00 pm

    Way to represent the 808!


  7. Wainakea September 7, 2019 9:58 pm

    Great year for Hawaii teams! Speaks a lot to the talent level and coaching we have here.


  8. ItIsWhatItIs September 7, 2019 10:23 pm

    808 all day baby!!
    @Hail
    STL will NEVER SLEEP on the boys from the North Shore!! Too much respect for them boys and the way they play. Throw the records and the rankings out the window when these 2 teams meet up. It’s always a battle. Big ups again the Red Raider nation, for keeping this Hawaii football train rolling!!


  9. Dafun September 8, 2019 12:01 am

    @itiswhatitis

    Bra, last year it was a blowout by st Louis. How is that a battle?


  10. Abe Singh September 8, 2019 3:39 am

    Da Red Raiders are great, class of 1965


  11. Fiatagata Memea September 8, 2019 6:07 am

    CONGRATULATIONS to the Red RAIDERS football team and the coaching staff for a game well played! The majority of the boys are from the local area here in the North Shore, never having to go outside and recruit for the best. Schools like St. Louis, Punahou, and other private schools have recruited heavily from the North Shore. Why is that? Because the best is found here. IT’S a complete package. So when I hear that schools like St. Louis are at a different level than Kahuku, it is a ludicrous assumption that we here in the North Shore can’t be at their level because the product from the North Shore have helped build their programs…


  12. Simple Simon September 8, 2019 6:56 am

    That recruiting argument is dead already. It is what it is. Stop whining already


  13. notes September 8, 2019 7:34 am

    Simple Simon a.k.a. Dafun a.k.a. education first a.k.a. crusaderdad: the only people who think the recruiting argument is dead is people like you who post under different user names to spread hate against kahuku. you only want the recruiting argument to be dead so nobody points out the hewa of the ILH raiding our communities to recruit kids so that rich private schools can profit off our kids

    but red raider nation still stands strong throughout all the hate and attacks. we were born hated but i’m calling it right now. Kahuku 42 St Louis 6. now that coach sterling carvalho is going back to our roots, we’ll just keep pounding away at finesse teams like saint louis until they break. red raiders with the W fosho


  14. CrusaderDad September 8, 2019 9:03 am

    notes – wow, u throw around the term hewa, in the whole scheme of things, I wouldn’t use hewa. Parents aren’t held at gunpoint to enroll kids into a school, no desecration of the hae Hawaiʻi, or stealing the wai a Kāne…there’s only 2 boys from Laie on StL and their fathers are alum…but if check hometowns of players on Kahuku (Kaimuki, Palolo, Kahalu’u, Kailua), hmmmm.

    So I stand corrected notes yes ALL schools Recruit…for students. And I can say all including OIA as I have a choice where to enroll (in this case) my daughter who is at a public school.

    Miriam-Webster’s
    Recruit : d. to seek to enroll
    recruit prospective students

    HHSAA –
    Eligibility
    A student is eligible to participate in a given sport provided that for fall sports the student is enrolled at the school within fifteen (15) days after the first day of the school or for winter/spring sports the student is enrolled prior to the HHSAA start date1; and one of the following:
    3. The use of UNDUE INFLUENCE by any person, connected or not connected with any member school, to secure the transfer of a student to a member school for the purpose of participation in HHSAA activities shall cause the student to be ineligible for HHSAA activities for the period of one year and may result in other penalties for the member school.


  15. CrusaderDad September 8, 2019 9:12 am

    notes – threw in the HHSAA Eligibility clause…you can scream private schools are raiding our communities, but rules-wise this doesn’t constitute anything…and it’s get back to reality is that OIA players and coaches let the Open format….even if u don’t


  16. 808sredir September 8, 2019 10:23 am

    @notes If you love to complain so much about recruiting why don’t you apply for the head coaching position yourself?


  17. ILH September 8, 2019 10:34 am

    Just to let you know you negative people or kids , Kahuku is Ranked 146 and Timpview a mere 387 in the Max Rankings , so don’t get to excited, good win for the State of Hawaii, but not a top team in Timpview


  18. T. Au September 8, 2019 12:15 pm

    To the Red Raider nation, St. Louis is an excellent, well coached football team. They’ve earned by their play on the gridiron, accolades commensurate with that level of excellence. We have been here before, multiple times since the year 2000, facing these strong teams. Hard man on man work, every player executing his part of each and every play will produce favorable results. Good luck to all athletes on both teams.


  19. Mahatma Gandhi September 8, 2019 12:49 pm

    T Au, St Lulu being dominant has NOTHING to do with being “well coached”. It’s about them recruiting and stealing the OIA’s best players. I remember when McKinley was an OIA power under Coach Ed Watanabe. Their best players in the school district being recruited by St Lulu. Farrington too. Farrington was also once a football powerhouse.
    I am good friends with a former St Louis player, consensus first team ILH all-star from the 1970s. he tells me Cal Lee is right in the middle of the recruiting. He is the one who sends out scouts to watch certain players at Pop Warner games. St Lulu is no longer a school. They just like the IMG Academy in Florida that exist to turn out Div 1 football players. St Lulu has ruined the competitive balance of Hawaii state high school football. Auwe.


  20. Wins September 8, 2019 3:55 pm

    Good win for Kahuku.

    Kahuku does have a player that has a brother who plays for kaimuki for the past 4 years.
    Which is homegrown?

    Amazing how in the recent past, poster’s were calling for a change with kahuku’s coach. I don’t see those posts here.
    Wins does wonders, but will views change again with another loss?


  21. CrusaderDad September 8, 2019 4:21 pm

    Mahatma- coaching is at least a 1/3 of the equation. Case in point, everyone’s who knows football, knows that StL only runs @ 4-6 pass plays. If the route isn’t covered, I say bad coaching; either the coaches didn’t know how to defend the route or didn’t know how coach in a way the player can understand…looking forward to a good game.


  22. T. Au September 8, 2019 4:38 pm

    Prior to the year 2000 my nephew had the opportunity to play for St. Louis as his father was on the football staff there. It was his choice to remain and play for Kahuku. Kahuku won the state title in 2000 and my nephew 1st team all state status on defense. I can’t speak for other athletes but if they had a choice then it’s their decision to make. In that light I can tolerate recruitment because we will always have players who stay home and play with their childhood friends like my nephew.


  23. CrusaderDad September 8, 2019 5:28 pm

    T Au – amen…My wife’s 1st cousin played and his son is on this years Kahuku team, Will be a bit of a family reunion!


  24. rrforlifebaby September 8, 2019 5:45 pm

    Just give it up about recruiting. Probably a troll or trolls who just want to stir things up. It is what it is. Regardless of rankings, just getting a W on the continent gives Sterling some breathing room. I still don’t care for him, but I’m glad he at least swallowed some pride and went back to basics.

    Who knows how long it will take, but I’m confident that Big Red will help restore some parity with St LuLu….everything is cyclical….but until then, everyone else just needs to keep on improving.

    RRFL!!


  25. ItIsWhatItIs September 8, 2019 8:50 pm

    @Mahatma
    Why is every kid considered “OIA players”?
    You say it as if every kid belongs to the OIA, and if they decide to attend a private school they got recruited. Most of the kids at STL either didn’t get into Kamehameha, or they couldn’t afford the Iolani or Punahou tuition. Most kids/parents WANT their talented boys to go there for the coaching and exposure they get by being on that team. This day in age it’s all about getting a free college education. Attending this school for football gives you the best chance. And let’s not forget the many family ties that families have there!!And stop with the Million Dollar budget talk…. Anyone whose been on that campus knows that isn’t true. I Love the 3 divisions we have and I hope they don’t scrap this set up. Good luck to every team. Continued health and success


  26. Hau’ulaBoy September 8, 2019 9:02 pm

    True. @itiswhatitis. But if you got 22 wide receiver. That’s a little excessive. Bet some of those parents wish they never spent all that money for their kids to play in last three minutes of 4th Q. Haha. But really. Shuddaup about recruiting already.


  27. Hau’ulaBoy September 8, 2019 9:07 pm

    To the parents who send your kids private school, good luck and wish you the best. As for me, my kids will be RR4L like their daddy and uncles and aunts. True Red Raiders pride. The Pride of the North Shore.


  28. Hau’ulaBoy September 8, 2019 9:11 pm

    And to DaFunny guy, we will be back. Maybe not this game, maybe not this year. But mark my words, we will be back!!! RR4L


  29. Hau’ulaBoy September 8, 2019 9:13 pm

    And to the rest of the haters, good night.


  30. ItIsWhatItIs September 8, 2019 10:27 pm

    @Hau’ulayboy
    Exactly!! Parents make the decision they feel is best for their child and their situation! I love the pride Kahuku has as a community and the respect they show everyone who plays their!! To me Kahuku never left or fell off! Football is a very small part of life. Who we are as athletes will NEVER be more important than who we are as people!! Kahuku has been a champions for years, and I am sure will be champions forever!! Good Luck next week RR nation


  31. West Side September 9, 2019 10:11 am

    The generation has changed, time for a new king the OIA, and thats obvious facts.


  32. Simple SImon September 11, 2019 9:46 am

    The public schools aren’t doing anything or giving kids any reason to stay. Before if kids stayed at their public school, it was all about pride. Now, there’s no pride left because admins and parents at these schools are out of control. Who in their right mind would want to stay at a public school where their admin (Athletic Director, Principal, VP, etc) are doing foolish things and making foolish decisions for their school? It’s not worth it any more and Pride alone will not keep a kid to stay at their school. If kids can see that their schools cares about them, then they will stay. But if the kids can see that the admin don’t give a rats about them or their program, who in their right mind will stay? That’s what’s happening at Kahuku. Their Athletic Director and Principal etc are all crazy. Making crazy decisions and getting counsel from who knows where.

    Bottom line: Give a kid a reason to stay, and they’ll stay!!!


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